Tips to Get Long Life from Your Outdoor Pottery

Container gardening is so rewarding and works well into many people’s busy lives. Although, it’s important to remember the containers we choose are just as important as the plants. We have a wonderful selection of pottery at Fairview... various shapes, sizes and colors, something for everyone’s taste. Below are seven great tips to help you have container success!

1. Always use containers with drainage holes as this is best for plants and containers alike. If a container doesn’t have a drainage hole or a place to drill one, then it’s probably not suited to be used outdoors.
2. In larger containers, use gravel or Styrofoam (an inch or two deep) in the bottom of the container to help with drainage, weight or to use less potting soil.
3. Use potting mix or a soil specifically for containers, not topsoil or compost.
4. Remove saucers during winter months.
5. Don’t allow water to freeze inside the containers.
6. If your pottery is terra cotta clay without a glaze or sealant, bring it inside or to a location where it won’t absorb water and freeze during the winter months. These containers are porous and soak up water making them prone to damage from frost.
7. Although they are not required, using Pot Feet helps with drainage which, in turn, helps make the container more frost proof.

No container is completely frost proof, but by following these tips your glazed ceramic pottery should give you 5-10 years of service while your glazed pots with clay on the inside usually last for 3-5 years. Terra cotta clay pots usually last 3+ years as well. Containers made out of fiberglass, plastic or a fiberglass/concrete mix have a 10+ year life with the proper care.

Happy Container Gardening!
Beth C.
Fairview Greenhouses & Garden Center