Ok not really advertising, but I didn’t want to break any rules. I sell my own homemade pots on Etsy and am looking to sell to the succulent market. A customer reached out and said this design would not work due to the sandy soil needed. I’m not really sure what the issue is since the pot doesn’t have any holes in the side of the pot, just a small drainage in the bottom. Can any of you experts help me understand my products shortcomings? Thank you so much in advance!
John
by NativesbyJohn
9 Comments
I’m no plant expert, but wouldn’t the cracks and crevices inside the plant pot make it that there would be instances where you would never be able to remove all of the sand/soil/debris or roots or bugs of any plants put in them?
Isn’t the point of smooth interiors of pots making it easier to clean them out?
Also, couldn’t you just smooth most of the interior on the modeling program up to a happy medium where it’s still visible around the interior rim but not entirely down the inside?
EDIT:
To add to that last statement, the extra squiggles where the dirt will be add no decoration once soil is in there anyway because it will be covered up.
I’d personally prefer the pot to have more drainage holes than just the tiny one in the middle.
That’s a beautiful design. May I suggest that you expand beyond the planter category? It will sell as an objet d’art. I like plants, but I wouldn’t put a plant in a pot as beautiful as yours.
Should be smooth on the inside and more and larger drainage holes. Most succulent growers use a small piece of screen to prevent soil loss.
The inside should be smooth, it could spell trouble with moisture getting trapped in the crevices. And it needs to have a nice size drainage hole.
I think this would only be nice as a outer pot cover where there’s smooth glass on the inside
If you build small holes in the walls throughout your design you could print air pruning root pots.
Hi John, my name’s John, too! Really pretty design! The biggest thing to know: Succulents like to be dryyyy most of the time (and then soaked infrequently). Plastic pots and those with no/small holes make this tricky because they retain more moisture than, say, terracotta pots with holes. Succulents also tend to need sandier and chunkier soils than normal potting soil (think sand + perlite). So many of us look for:
*1. Good bottom drainage.* One or more large holes, 1cm or 1/2″ or so, sometimes larger. *2. Porous exteriors.* Exteriors that allow moisture to evaporate easily.
To me, these are by far the most important details. So, I agree with those asking for larger, permanently open holes. This definitely includes the bottom, but also perhaps the sides. A smooth interior would be nice…but honestly, we change pots out rarely (1-3 years for most succulents, often more). So I’d focus on drainage!
Your design could have a major advantage here: if you reduce the density of your little snaky things, you could actually leave frequent, small holes (1/4″ or 0.5 cm) in the exterior that allow moisture to escape while containing most dry soils! Just a little bit, you’re trying to mimic terracotta’s porousness. So not quite as much as most orchid pots (maybe another good direction…). Personally, I would prioritize this over a smooth interior, but up to you!
Very fun pots! Best of luck!!
https://preview.redd.it/no9nirxqp5ag1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f3aba13d6aca1621e7946f22ff5218a351c61979
I don’t know how big this pot is, but I’d also consider depth. If it’s a 2-3 inch pot. It’s probably fine, but succulents typically have shallower roots, so if you’re getting closer to 6-7 inch pots, you’d want something wide and squat instead of so tall.
I do love the design on the outside though. It’s kind of mesmerizing and very intricate looking!