Glazed Pots

[3rdMaestro]

Hello all,
I saw a note on some website for orchid health that glazed pots can possibly burn out root tips. Is this true? Should I beware of pots that claim to be for orchids but are glazed?

[Ray]

A glazed pot "breathes" no differently from a plastic pot.

A glaze is glass. If the glass is chemically stable I cannot see why it would chemically damage roots. Personally, I'd stay away from cheap Chinese imports.

[Tindomul]

What are you trying to grow? Regardless of the answer, you will probably be better off with unglazed pots. Like the other two said, they don't breathe. Oxygen is so very important to orchid roots.

[charlesf6]

Well I found a glazed one (Orchid pot) lying around in my greenhouse from an old failed Orchid during the weekend and brought it inside for Pollock (new harlequined Phal.)
Ever since it's flowers started to fade and droop. I considered it was just time for the flowers to drop as they have been in bloom for about the whole month I have owned him , never would have thought about the pot switch...hmm thanks again guys!

[silken]

Some people have said that certain glazes are not stable and that may be where the problem is. I don't like glazed pots other than for decoration for a blooming plant in a different pot. Most glazed pots only have one hole unless they are the ones with large holes everywhere on the sides (and media falls out of them). So the drainage and air movement is not good. I prefer plastic pots because they have more holes and if they don't, it is easy to make more holes. Also in my cool greenhouse, ceramic keeps the roots cool, which can help root rot occur.

Now for Masdies, they like the ceramic as they prefer to have cool roots. But I used unglazed terra cotta for them.

[3rdMaestro]

I don't have any yet but I've seen them for sale in hardware stores (the kind with holes all over them.) I thought about buying a couple because they are so cheap but I'm wasn't sure on their effectiveness

[silken]

Originally Posted by 3rdMaestro

I don't have any yet but I've seen them for sale in hardware stores (the kind with holes all over them.) I thought about buying a couple because they are so cheap but I'm wasn't sure on their effectiveness

If you need something for a plant that needs to dry out very quickly they might be fine. I use them more for ornamental. The holes are so big that bark often falls out. If you are using moss, it might be better. Everyone's conditions vary so for you they might be fine.

[bil]

I use plastic pots, and no problems at all, but then I do go for fairly shallow ones that I make myself from different size pots using a cut and shut technique.

You MUST be careful that the media is very open and does not degrade, so that the roots can breathe.

[3rdMaestro]

I haven't run into a problem with my orchids staying wet too long, but then again I've never tried a glazed pot! Thanks for the insight everyone