Flowerpot

A flowerpot, flower pot, planter, planterette, or alternatively plant pot is a container in which flowers and other plants are cultivated and displayed. Historically, and still to a significant extent today, they are made from plain terracotta with no ceramic glaze, with a round shape, tapering inwards. Flowerpots are now often also made from plastic, metal, wood, stone, or sometimes biodegradable material. An example of biodegradable pots are ones made of heavy brown paper, cardboard, or peat moss in which young plants for transplanting are grown.

This article is about the ceramic container. For the geological formation, see Stack (geology). For other uses, see Flowerpot (disambiguation).
Traditional flowerpots in unglazed terracotta in Charles Darwin's laboratory at Down House
Terracotta flowerpot in Italy, decorated with festoons
Jiffy pots: peat pots that are biodegradable and may be planted directly into the soil
Victorian decorative flowerpots at Kindrogan House, Enochdu, Scotland

For seedling starting in commercial greenhouses or polytunnels, pots usually take the form of trays with cells, each cell acting as one small pot. These trays are often called flats.

There are usually holes in the bottom of pots, to allow excess water to flow out,[1] sometimes to a saucer that is placed under the flowerpot. The plant can use this water with its roots, as needed. Recently, some flowerpots have been made with an automatic watering system, using a reservoir.

Flowerpots

Flowerpots have a number of uses such as transporting plants to new locations, starting seeds, patio and indoor cultivation of plants, and the growing of tender plants in colder regions indoors.[2] Through the centuries, the use of flowerpots has influenced the horticultural use of plants, and the Egyptians were among the first to use pots to move plants from one location to another. The Romans brought potted plants inside during cold weather. In the 18th century, pots were used to ship breadfruit seedlings from Tahiti to the West Indies. Also Orchids, African violets and Pelargonium geraniums were shipped in pots from other parts of the world, including Africa, to North America and Europe.[3]

In the 18th century, Josiah Wedgwood's flowerpots or cachepots, were very popular; they were often highly decorative and used as table centrepieces.[4]

In Athens, earthenware flowerpots were thrown into the sea during the festival of the Gardens of Adonis. Theophrastus, c. 371 – c. 287 BC, mentions that a plant called southern-wood was raised and propagated in pots because it was difficult to grow.[5]

The top of the flowerpot underneath the rim is commonly known as the shoulder or collar and can aid handling.

Traditional classification

Flower pots were traditionally made from terracotta. They were made and sold by the cast, which is the number of pots produced from a given quantity of clay.

The traditional sizes[6] were as follows, although others existed:

NameNo. to castTop diameter (inches)Depth (inches)
Ones12018
Twos21814
Fours41513
Sixes61312
Eights81211
Twelves1211.510
Sixteens169.59
Twenty-fours248.58
Thirty-twos3266
Forty-eights484.55
Sixties6033.5
Seventy-twos or thimbles722.5
Thumbs802.52.5
Nineties or thumbs901

Other sources give different values, and sometimes names, for the smaller pots, for example The Gardener's Everyday Log Book while agreeing on "twos" to "thirty-twos" has two different types of "sixties" and disagrees on "thumbs" and "thimbles":[7]

NameTop diameter (inches)Depth (inches)
Large sixties43.5
Small sixties33
Thumbs2.52.5
Thimbles22

A taller and thinner shape of pot, suitable for deep-rooting plants, was known as a long tom, a term still used. The traditional size for a long tom used for auriculas was 3 in diameter by 3.75 to 4 in depth.[8]

Nursery pots

In the nursery business, plants are generally grown in round or square plastic pots.

United States

The sizes of plastic pots have been assigned an ANSI standard by the American Nursery and Landscape Association.[9] Pots designated #1–#100 nominally have the volume of that many gallons, but in fact a #1 pot has a capacity of 0.625 gallons (a "trade gallon").[10] There is also a Small Plant series: SP1, 6.5–8.0 in3; SP2, 13.0–15.0 in3; SP3, 20.0–30.0 in3; SP4, 51–63 in3; SP5, 93–136 in3. An SP4 pot is commonly called a "4-inch" or "quart" container.[11]

Europe

Plastic pots come in a number of standard sizes, with a code indicating the approximate dimensions of the diameter at the top.[12]

CodeDiameterHeightVolumeApprox. Imperial equivalent
6F6 cm6 cm2.25"
8F8 cm7.5 cm3"
9F9 cm9 cm3.5"
10F10 cm9.5 cm0.5 l4"
13F/14A13 cm12 cm0.9 l5.5"
15F 15 cm 14 cm 6"
  • Meillandine rose in a terracotta flowerpot
  • A flowerpot with straw, constructed to attract and house dermaptera species
  • Giant flowerpot[13]
  • Flowerpots with the words "Trust" and "Love" on them
  • Torenia flowers in a flowerpot
  • Creeping groundsel in a clay pot
  • Picture of an artificial potted plant with red flowers - Item from IKEA
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See also

References
  1. Handreck, Kevin A.; Black, Neil D. (2002). Growing Media for Ornamental Plants and Turf. UNSW Press. ISBN 9780868407968.
  2. "Etaerio - A Plant News Weblog: The History of the Flowerpot". Ubcbotanicalgarden.org. 2004-09-07. Archived from the original on 2010-05-24. Retrieved 2010-04-22.
  3. "In praise of the flowerpot / The Christian Science Monitor". CSMonitor.com. 2004-08-18. Retrieved 2010-04-22.
  4. Meteyard, Eliza (1866). The Life of Josiah Wedgwood: From His Private Correspondence and Family Papers. Hurst and Blackett. p. 154.
  5. Birch, Samuel (1858). History of Ancient Pottery. J. Murray. p. 202.
  6. Thomas, H. H.; Forsyth, Gordon. The Popular Encyclopedia of Gardening: Volume 1. The Waverley Book Company Limited. p. 320.
  7. A. J. Macself (1938). The Gardener's Everyday Log Book. Amateur Gardening. p. 329.
  8. Dorey, Paul (2011). Auriculas: an essential guide. The Crowood Press. p. 70.
  9. http://americanhort.org/documents/nursery_stock_standards_AmericanHort_2004.pdf, 2004
  10. http://www.landmarkplastic.com/ProductView/118/37/164
  11. Z60.1, p. ii-iii
  12. Erbertsankey catalogue 2014
  13. "Instructions and Tips for the correct planting". Retrieved 2017-03-01.
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