Most of the time, when you purchase a plant from the store, it’s planted in compost in a plastic pot.  The nutrients in the compost are enough to sustain the plant until it’s purchased, perhaps several months.  However, that’s it.  The plastic pot, of course, is just unattractive.  You will, I’m sure, want to disguise it by placing it inside another larger pot, or by repotting the whole plant.  You’ll also have to consider different compost so the plant lives longer than half a year.

Planters or pots range in many sizes but there are four sizes that are most used.  For most houseplants, sufficient pot sizes are 6cm, 8cm, 13cm and 18cm.  Of course, for large trees or floor-standing plants, you may need to go as high as 25cm to accommodate them.  There are usually saucers available in matching sizes for the pots to stand in and stores don’t usually charge for them.

A traditional container for plants is the clay pot.  These are firm, sturdy pots and match most plants and decor.  They are porous so they are able to let excess moisture evaporate through the pores in the sides.  Toxic salts can escape in the same way.  If you have plants that require more moisture, though, plastic might somehow be best.  In this case, you need to be sure not to over water because water cannot evaporate out of plastic.

For the most part, anything that has sides and a base can be a planter or ornamental container.  Old teapots, jars and thrift store finds are perfect.  Old salad bowls, storage tins, buckets - they all work!  Even wooden boxes or small crates can help supply interest to your plant display.  Plastic containers and terracotta pots can be painted and baskets can be spray painted.  Anything made of metal is best used to hold plastic pots instead of for planting.  Remember that metal rusts.  Anything not waterproof can be used to hold pots as well, but make sure to line them with plastic so they don’t get soaked.

If you plant directly into pots that are not designed for plants you need to be careful.  These type of containers may not provide the right kind of drainage.  The base of the container has to be lined with a layer of clay pellets so they can help absorb moisture and give a good source of natural drainage.  Also, if you mix charcoal with potting medium, the potting medium will remain sweeter.

A more and more popular planting medium are the peat-free composts.  This is because they don’t continue the destruction of the natural habitat of a lot of animals and plants.  Their main ingredient is coir.  This is found in the husk of a coconut and it’s a material used a lot in the past for making ropes and matting.

Whether you are usually a devoted peat- or soil-based compost user, it’s important that you experiment a little with the coir-based types.  It has a lot of the same qualities as peat like the moisture retention abilities and aeration.  The coir-based composts are readily available.  After you use it in pots inside, you don’t have to throw it away.  You can use it outside as a mulch around outdoor plants.

The compost is what anchors the plants and provides the moisture food and air for the roots of the plants.  You cannot use garden soil for indoor plants because its quality is unreliable.  It drains badly and contains weed seeds, bugs and even diseases.  Only the special indoor composts should be used with your houseplants.  And there are two:

The first are the soil-based composts.  They are made from partially sterilized loam, peat and sand and have added fertilizers.  These are suitable for most houseplants.  They are heavier than other types of composts which is helpful for the added stability of larger plants.  Soil-based composts are also unlikely to dry out fast or as completely as other types of composts, and they are richer in plant foods than other types of compost.

The other types of compost are the peat-based composts (and peat-substitute).  These are more uniform in quality than soil-based composts.  However, they do dry out more easily.  Once they dry out, they are hard to remoisten and tend to just float.  They are lighter in the bag which makes for easier shopping.  They are poorer in nutrients, which makes for harder gardening.

It’s your choice which to use, and either one will work.  You just have to remember what is best for your lifestyle and plant choices.  Sometimes gardening is more like an experiment, especially indoors.  But it’s worthwhile to do the experimenting so you can figure out what works, leading to some really rich garden areas within your home.