Best Indoor Plant Pots

INSIDE : Find the Best Indoor Plant Pots and other plant related questions like ‘Do Indoor Plant Pots need drainage holes?’ ‘Are self watering pots good for indoor use?’ and ‘What do you put under pots to collect water?’  Let’s get into some plant talk!

Best Indoor Modern Planters and Pots

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This post has been updated from it’s original February 2019 publish date.

There is nothing like it being the dead of winter and polar vortexes ripping through the country to make me start thinking about Spring planting -ha!  If you have been around Delineate Your Dwelling long, then I am sure you know about my love for all things plant related.  I even have an entire page dedicated to all my Plant Crafts + DIYs and Plant care tips.

Let’s start by talking about a few common plant related questions that I get whenever I share Instagram Stories about my plants.

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Do Indoor Plant Pots need a drainage hole at the bottom?

The quick answer is YES. Because plant roots need to typically stay moist but not wet, it is very important for your plants to have good drainage.  If you have your indoor or outdoor plants in a pot without any drainage holes, the water that the plant receives will just sit at the bottom of the pot and eventually your plant will suffer from root rot.

Whenever planting directly in a pot, it is critical that your pot has a drainage hole at the bottom.  You can even use a ceramic drill bit and add a hole to the bottom of your pot, if it does not come with one from the store. I’ve added one many times.

Another option, is keeping your plant in the pot it was in at the nursery, called a grow pot. The nursery grow pot will almost always have a drainage hole, then place that pot inside your more decorative indoor pot or container.

What should I put inside the bottom of my planter?

What to put at the bottom of your planter before you add the soil and plant is a great question. Typically I grab a small handful of gravel or small rocks to help cover the hole. This allows for the water to pass through, but not the soil.

You can also cut down wire mesh and place it over the planter hole before adding your soil.

Shop my favorite Indoor pots:

Are self watering pots good for indoors?

There are definite pros and cons to using self watering pots for indoor plants.

Self Watering Can PROS : Self watering pots can be helpful because they typically release just a slow amount of water to your plant.  As the soil gets dry, it soaks up that moisture and you are left with roots that typically stay moist but not wet.  I think self watering pots or even using self watering stakes is a great option when you are gone on vacation for an extended amount of time.

Self Watering Can CONS : Personally, I like checking in on my plants once a week.  I schedule Fridays as my plant watering day.  That does not mean that every single Friday my plants get a drink, but I walk around the house on Fridays and check in on all of them – some getting water, some getting a light prune and some getting their leaves dusted off.

When you don’t necessarily need to check on the moisture levels of your plant each week because your plant is automatically being watered, then it’s easier to ignore your plants red flags that might be popping up.

What do you put under your indoor pots?

It is always a good idea to have something under your planted pots, especially if they have a drainage hole.  I put soft felt pads under my decorative pots so they don’t scratch the table tops they sit on.  And under the pots with the drainage holes, I always make sure to have a plant tray underneath.  I like these because you can pick white or black trays to match your pot or decor.

Best Half Moon Plant Pots

Half moon plant pots are half circle shaped pots. Their rounded shape give them a “half moon” look. They typically can hold a decent amount of soil, but it’s typically distributed in a more shallow depth than how most plant roots grow… which is to a deeper depth.

Therefore, if you are planning to use a Half Moon styled plant pot make sure to note what type of plants you use. Select plants that have wider and shallower root systems.

A few of my favorite Half Moon pots are:

Do I need to water less with terra cotta pots?

Terra cotta is a porous material and because of that, plants that are potted in terra cotta pots tend to dry out faster than ceramic or plastic pots. So, normally you will need to water or at least check on your plants a little more often than plants in other potted materials.

Are glazed pots good for plants?

I used to use glazed pots for my outdoor plants.  However, I noticed that a lot of them would crack if I left them outside year round.  If you buy a more expensive, thicker walled pot they tend to be able to withstand more chilly winter temperatures.  

Another issue with glazed outdoor pots is they are quite a bit heavier than other planters.  Once you add in soil and a plant, they sometimes are too heavy to even move around.

Indoor glazed pots keep so much more moisture in the soil than terra cotta or raw ceramic pots.  So, if you have a plant that tends to like drier roots, using a glazed pot might not be ideal.

However, you could keep your plant in it’s original grow pot from the nursery and then place that inside a glazed pot without issue.

A few of my favorite Glazed Plant pots are:

Need some more plant care posts?  You’ll love these : 

11 Hard to Kill Houseplants
Best Plants for your Bathroom
Best Sunlight Levels for your plants
Best Indoor Plant Pots
How to clean your Houseplants
Best Online Houseplant Shops
Water Propagation for Plants

What are the best indoor plant pots?

Now that we know about the positive impact having drainage holes can have on your plants, what are the best things to put underneath your pots and a bit about glazed versus terra cotta pots – which are the best indoor plant pots to use?  I say, ANY POT!

As long as you know your plants watering needs and plan to either drill drainage holes or put your plant pot inside of a decorative pot – really the sky is the limit.  However, I think this is my all time favorite dipped clay pot ever ever!

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