Potting method: for plants whose pots are less than 8″ in diameter, I use a plastic nursery pot placed in a fitting container. I do this for easier moisture control: water can drain out the bottom of the nursery pot and then I can discard the excess water from the container. You’ve probably heard the advice to use gravel/rocks at the bottom of the pot to allow excess water to drain when there are no drainage holes. This only does half the job of moisture control – the draining part. In an enclosed container, you can’t discard the excess water – it may evaporate and moisten the above soil or, if a root somehow finds its way through the rocks, it can be used by the plant directly, but these situations are out of your control. Another situation that can happen is the stale moisture becomes a breeding ground for mold. Now I’m not saying that it’s impossible to grow a plant in an enclosed container without drainage holes (look at terrariums), I’m just stating the reasons for my preference when it comes to house plants
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