Making my own ventilated pots!

[katrina]

Originally Posted by Phonelady

Would you post a picture for us? I don't know what a bulb pan pot is. I would like to see what you are doing. I have a weird plant rack that the Hubbs made modified little shelves to fit. Maybe your bulb pan pots would work for me...

Bulb pans are just shallow, wide pots. The plastic ones are easiest to find but I did find one place in Central Ohio that has the clay ones...I drive 40 mins to get them. I have to put in my order early in the year or I end up not being able to get what I need...they sell out fast. You'll see a clay one in the pics below. Wide, straight sides, and much more shallow than the standard clay pots. I get my plastic ones from Kelley's Korner Orchid Supplies.

Originally Posted by bil

If a plant gets to any size at all, it needs more than 8" These paphs are all in 8" pots, and the leaves are already overlapping.

So right you are when it comes to plants that have a wider leaf span and/or those that tend to sprawl...like my maxima alba (pic below). However, for upright growers...the taller pots can save a good deal of shelf space. The pics are not perfect examples of what I'm talking about because these are my larger ones and once a plant gets to the 8" size, I try to use the clay bulb pans. But, my 6" and lower(Calistoglossa a great example)...I do tend to use the regular clay pots about 50% of the time. See example...the upright growth habit...I can fit more of those taller pots and w/adjustments made by filling the lower space w/something like a net pot...it makes for fitting more on my shelves.

Examples --
C maxima - this is a 12" bulb pan but if I had to use a regular clay pot, the actual leaves don't extend much beyond the pot so that equals less foot print on the shelf. This one is due for a divide. Upright growers work great in regular clay pots but, yes, you have to do something at the roots to avoid "dead" spots down in there.

C Bow Bells - also bulb pan but another upright grower

C Calistoglossa - upright grower

Ang viguieri - 4" regular clay pot and, it may not look like it but, that pot is chock-full of roots. It grows only a few from the base but they wind and wind around inside that pot - big, thick, fat roots, and they are kind of orange and warty. If it were in a shallow pot then I'd need a lot more foot print to house this on the shelf.