Plastic
- Cheap, flexible, and lightweight
- Does not absorb moisture, so suitable for plants requiring infrequent watering or moisture loving plants
- Thin plastic wall offers no insulation
- Easy to overwater (recommend draininage hole with water collector dish, or self-watering planter with gauge)
Self-watering recommendations: start with simple round planters from $8 on Amazon; or browse a large array of box planters starting from $15 on Gardeners.com.
Clay
- Porous and allow moisture and air to permeate through the sides, this compensates for over-watering
- Thick walls insulate from temperature changes
- Recommended for dry soil plants since the clay absorbs excess moisture from the soil (i.e. cacti)
- Requires daily watering due to clay absorption and evaporation
- Heavy and expensive
Check your local nursery or home improvement chain for larger planters. You can however find an assortment of small clay pots online.
Fabric
- Very light weight and relatively inexpensive
- Allows air and water to pass freely through, great drainage
- Can be dug indirectly into the ground for better insulation in the winter, and allow roots to cool in the summer; biodegradable in soil
- No draininage, cannot be used indoors
Root Pouch, pack of 5 starting at around $10.
What material has worked for you, what do you use in different spaces, indoor and outdoor? Or do you know a material we missed to review? Discuss it here!