What kind of pots do you use and why?

[cbuchman]

Like many others, I pot mostly in clay for aesthetic and practical reasons. I like the way they look and they are less likely to tip over. Since I summer my orchids outside on benches, I find that the wind does little damage to the heavier pots. I also like that clay pots dry out faster.

That said, I also have a few teak baskets, and a few clear plastic pots for Phals. When I have a plastic pot, I fit it into a clay pot to maintain a uniform look and provide stability. I’m just getting started with S/ with a couple of clear hard plastic cups (the kind used for picnics) and punched my own holes in them.

Clay pots can be a pain to clean, but once or twice a year, I do a mass cleaning of used pots including sterilization. I’d love to run them through the dishwasher on the hot cycle, but my husband would be horrified. So I scrub and dip in a bleach solution.