How to choose a terracotta pot
Hand-made Italian terracotta ages beautifully and lets roots breathe. Here is how to choose the right pot for your plant, your climate and your space.
Size
Choose a pot a few centimetres wider than the root ball for young plants, and generously larger for shrubs and small trees that will stay in the same pot for years. Large pots hold more soil and moisture, so they dry out less quickly in summer.
Frost and the Nordic winter
Terracotta absorbs water. When that water freezes, it expands and can crack the clay. Frost-resistant terracotta is fired at higher temperatures and is far more durable, but in a Nordic winter it is still safest to empty pots, keep them dry, raise them off the ground on feet, or move them into a frost-free space.
Drainage
Always use a pot with a drainage hole. Add a layer of clay pebbles or crocks at the bottom and avoid leaving the pot standing in a saucer of water for long periods.
Patina
Natural terracotta develops a soft white or green patina over time from minerals and moisture. This is part of its character, not a defect.
