FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

I see there's different opinions on this subject !! Who do I believe ? What do I do ? I'm not really using the pot, I'll be using the tray just to have water sit in it on hot days but I do know if there are bad chemicals they will leach in even using just the tray. Can anyone help me ? Please !

pretty much every thing that i hear about pots is not to use clay or terracotta pots ever! with the exception of Drosophylum, bog carnivorous plants are recommended to be grown in plastic or glazed pots. i have never used clay pots with sars or fly traps but i heard its a bad idea. hope i could help!

If they crack, they will leach !

ontariotraps wrote:I see there's different opinions on this subject !! Who do I believe ? What do I do ? I'm not really using the pot, I'll be using the tray just to have water sit in it on hot days but I do know if there are bad chemicals they will leach in even using just the tray. Can anyone help me ? Please !

I've always heard to avoid clay/Terra cotta pots completely unless: 1) they're sealed, or 2) they're glazed. Otherwise they're extremely porous, and not only can they wick water away from your media, but also leech minerals into it over time. Sealing the pot or getting a glazed one (with no chips or cracks!) closes these pores and eliminates the problem.

I've also read a bit about fully fired clay pots, but it's been mixed opinions, and I'll personally avoid them just to be safe.

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Thanks to you two !! What iv learned along the way when growing carniverous, when in doubt ! Don't do it so once again thanks !!

Yes from what I understand clay pots are not to be used since they are porous and tend to leach minerals & salts into your CP soil over time. If they are glazed then they should be fine since that process creates a protective seal over the clay. The best choice would be to use plastic pots since they're safe and usually much cheaper.

My flytraps had been living in a unglazed teraa cotta pot for two months. Brown liquid and white dust have been appearing over the entire surface of the pot which I believe were salt residue and leached minerals and there was algae everywhere. I cant find anyplace nearby that sells good plastic pots so I cut a 2 liter soda bottle in half, took all the sphagnum out of the pot and washed with distiiled in a colender, and placed it all in the bottle with my vft, s. Theres less room for them now but the bottle is deeper, the sides are see through, and there is no mineral leaching.

Drone232 wrote:My flytraps had been living in a unglazed teraa cotta pot for two months. Brown liquid and white dust have been appearing over the entire surface of the pot which I believe were salt residue and leached minerals and there was algae everywhere. I cant find anyplace nearby that sells good plastic pots so I cut a 2 liter soda bottle in half, took all the sphagnum out of the pot and washed with distiiled in a colender, and placed it all in the bottle with my vft, s. Theres less room for them now but the bottle is deeper, the sides are see through, and there is no mineral leaching.

Just be careful, as the transparent sides in the sun can heat up your soil/growing medium and ultimately kill the plant.

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I, ll make a separate post to discuss this topic.