I have come across some of my friends who had trouble growing a jade plant with certain types of pots, and kept asking me this question, “how to choose the best pot for the jade plant?”. I am sure, you have this question in your mind too if you are planning to bring a jade plant home or having any trouble with certain types of pots.
So, in today’s article, I am going to give you all the required information you need while choosing the best pots for your jade plants. First of all, you need to know why you should choose the right pot for your jade plant, how to select the perfect pot for your jade plant and what are the best types of pots available in the market.
So, without much further delay, let’s start!
Why do you need the right pot for your jade plant?
Jade plants can be planted in the ground as well as in a pot. If you plant your jade plant in the ground, your plant is exposed to the full sun in all directions. Even if it is surrounded by some plants, the direct sun during the summer may cause sunburns. Also, freezing winds on the nights of the winter will damage your plant.
As the plant cannot tolerate sudden changes in the climate, it should be replaced gradually and you cannot replace it easily, because it is rooted underground. If your Jade plant is planted in a pot then you can take certain precautions according to the climatic conditions to save your plant from such issues. Moreover, potting your jade plant in the right way allows you to keep your jade plant indoors.
While talking about the best pot for the jade plant, we should go through the care guide for the jade plant and make sure that the pot should be a well-fit for planting your Jade plant. Also, it should look beautiful and enhance the look of your home.
Most importantly, the pot you select must be good in size and shape. The material of the pot should be suitable for planting the jade plant. Also, every plant needs to be potted in a pot with a proper drainage system.
So, let us now know some more details about how to select the best pot for your jade plant!
How to select the best pot for your jade plant?
After a lot of discussion with the jade plant experts, I have found out that the required pot should be made up of a suitable material, with a proper drainage system, and with good size and shape. Let us now know in detail!
1. The material of the pot
The material that a pot is made up of is very important while growing your jade plant. There are various types of pots made up of different materials available in the market. Deciding the best material pot to buy is a bit tricky. Because every pot might seem a better one. But, after growing your plant, your experience tells you the reality.
Your pot should look good and at the same time, it should be suitable for planting the jade. Plastic is not recommended for planting a jade plant as it does not absorb the water. Of course, they can be used if they have a proper drainage system along with your care and attention. Mostly clay pots, ceramic pots, and terra cotta pots are used in the plantation of the jade plants as they absorb the water quickly.
2. Pot with a good drainage system
Jade plants always prefer dry soil to stay in. Succulents do not like to sit in water. Even well-drained soil mix or cactus mix becomes moist if the pot has no proper drainage system. You can place your plant indoors or you can even leave it outside your house; the pot with good drainage allows the plant to live happily anywhere.
Select a pot that has at least 3-5 drainage holes to plant your jade. If your pot does not drain well, the water collected at the bottom of the pot can lead to root rot, black spots on the plant, and also fungal growth. You can plant your jade plant in a pot that can be made up of any material but should have an excellent drainage system.
Note: A tip for potting your jade plant
Place pebbles or gravel at the bottom of the selected pot before filling it with soil mix. The excess water, which is collected at the bottom of the pot, after fulfilling the thirst of the soil mix and the root system, passes through the drainage holes without clogging. Thus, it helps to avoid root-related diseases in your jade plant.
3. Heavy pots or light pots: which is best?
You should always prefer a bit heavier pot for planting a plant like jade. Because they do not allow the plant to fall off from its place. A grown jade plant can be maintained at a height of more than 6 feet with wide stems and can make the pot lose its balance. Heavy pots can bear the grown plants. While the lighter pots can be managed by placing rocks or with regular pruning.
4. Jade plant pot size requirements
The size of the pot should always be 1-2 inches larger than the root ball of the jade plant. The root system of the Jade plant is generally small, so it does not require heavy pots. The large containers are filled with a large amount of soil that holds too much water for a long time, and your jade plant does not like it.
Because the excess water stored in the soil will take a long tie to drain, this may lead to several problems. So, use smaller pots according to the size of your plant. You can increase the size of the pot while repotting your jade plant. Also, remember, that using too small pots will affect the plant’s growth.
5. Jade plant pot shape requirements
Use shallow pots for planting your new jade plant, because they allow the soil to dry quickly. Short and shallow pots help to increase the root growth and at the same time, they make the wet soil dry faster and thus they become suitable for planting the jade plants.
It is also a good idea to plant your grown jade plants in a deeper pot. Because the overgrown foliage that is left unpruned to maintain the beauty of the plant may create an unbalance in the plant and finally result in falling. This may cause severe damage to the plant’s growth and makes the floor messy. So, be careful while selecting a pot for your jade plant.
Note: Young jade plants require a shallow pot to grow, while the older or grown jade plants require a deeper pot with a wide mouth to allow the air to pass in and balance the plant.
6. Pot with a wide base
Last but not the least, the pot which is used to plant jade should have a wide base, to increase the stability of the pot. Jade plants grow bushy quickly and achieve good heights up to 8 feet within a short period. The pot should be capable of balancing the heavy stems that grow in different directions, if not the plant might fall and get injured. To avoid that, a pot with a stable base is suitable for the jade plant. You can also try placing some rocks on the top of the soil mix for balancing.
What are the types of pots available in the market?
Now, you know how to select the right pot for your jade plants before planting them. Lastly, you should know about the types of pots that are available mostly in the market. What type of pot should you choose? Let’s find out!
1. Terra cotta pots
Terra cotta pots are mostly used for planting succulents like jade plants because this material wicks away the excess moisture in the soil and allows the air to pass through the walls. Thus, they help to prevent root rots and other common diseases that are caused by waterlogged soil.
These pots are suitable for placing both indoors and outdoors. They have a beautiful appearance enhancing the beauty of your plant and your home. So, many plant lovers use these terra cotta pots for planting. These are a type of clay pot. Terra cotta pots are fired earthen clay pots that are introduced to fire for a long time under low temperatures. Thus they are very strong when compared to normal clay pots that are available in the market.
2. Decorative terra cotta pots
While talking about the decorative terra cotta pots, they look quite beautiful, but the performance of these pots may not be as good as the unfinished terracotta pots. Because decorative terra cotta pots are usually thin and delicate while others are painted or glazed. They can be used if they have a proper drainage system.
3. Clay pots
Clay pots are slightly different from terra cotta pots as the terra cotta pots are made up of earthen clay which has the color brownish-orange. While the clay pots are brown. Clay is a raw material that is soft to touch.
Generally, clay pots are 3 types, earthenware, stoneware which is widely used and the other one is flameware. These kinds of clay pots are widely used for planting various kinds of plants. Succulents are often planted in clay pots. These clay pots are well-known for their porous surface, which provides moisture balance in the soil mix.
4. Ceramic pots
Unglazed ceramic pots can be used for planting jade plants. They are slightly different from the above. Even the ceramic pots allow the water to evaporate from the soil. Thus, they can be selected for planting your jade plant.
Conclusion
All the types of pots that I have listed above are suitable for your jade plants if they have a proper drainage system and also can benefit the specific needs you require while growing your jade plants. It entirely depends on you how you want to grow your plant and how you want it to look. I hope my article gave you all the information you need for choosing the best pot for your jade plant.
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