smooth coat vs rough coat clay pot for orchids

[justme58]

Clay pots and I sometimes don't get along as they end up broken. I have been using the smooth coat /regular clay pot and I see where there is a rough coat. Are they stronger and more forgiving of a hard bump? Like the cedar basket, but clay pots are best for certain plants.

[leafmite]

I switched to plastic net pots/baskets as they are lighter, easier to carry, and don't break. All clay pots seem to crack or break when dropped, in my experience.
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[King Kjeldz]

all break d same way.....i use them or the mesh pots.....i never dropped one though LOL

[Dazed]

I love clay pots , but I have smashed a few now and then. I agree with Leaf Mite about the plastic net baskets, I use them because they're cheap and light. However they're not all that pleasing to look at. Now I'm not sure when you say 'smooth coat' if you mean glazed or 'baby butt smooth' finished pots because I know some unglazed ones that are made with a slight texture to the finish. If you want to keep using the pots maybe you can find a potter that you can talk to about what can be done to the clay to make it handle a bit of brutality. I however doubt that it can handle more than one whack.

[tucker85]

I'm not sure what rough surface clay pots you're talking about but if I were you I would try one and see how it works. Orchids do well in natural clay pots. Excess moisture bleeds out through the clay and orchid roots like to attach to the moist clay surface. I often use clay pots for tall orchids because the heavier weight reduces the chance of a plant falling over. In the past I only used clay pots with a smooth surface but recently I put several orchids in clay pots from Thailand which have a rough surface, lots of holes and a wider base. The Thai clay pots are thin and much more delicate. They break very easily but I've had great luck growing in them. They are not widely available. No matter what clay pots I grow in, I often break them with a small hammer when I'm removing an orchid that is firmly attached to it.

[tucker85]

It just occurred to me, are you talking about glazed pots vs. unglazed pots? Unglazed, natural red clay orchid pots are the ones I use. The glazed, oriental style pots are generally used as a decorative exterior pot with a plastic pot inside them. They're much more expensive.

[mauraec]

I think whether you use clay or some other pots really should depend on your environment and cultivating habits. I found that, while my orchids look a whole lot better in clay than plastic, they were drying out really quickly in the summer heat and the air conditioning indoors, so I put them in plastic gradually as they started new growth. I haven't observed any root rot, and it cuts down on watering - and when I want them to look better, I slip them inside a clay pot, or one of my decorative glazed ones. Just my own humble thoughts....