The 5 Best Orchid Pots for a Beautiful Home in 2024

Orchid is a very stylish and decorative plant. It needs little care compared to other flowering plants. Its butterfly-like flowers last longer without getting dry or fading.

Even when the plant has not bloomed, you get lovely long orchid leaves that look appealing. Having the best orchid pots allows you to plant them both indoor and outdoor.

If you have purchased orchids from nurseries or gardening centers, it usually comes with a small pot. Most of the time, these pots are not meant to be used for a long time. 

You are expected to replant in better and more suitable orchid pots for longer and healthier growth of the plant.

In this post, let’s look at some of the considerations you need to have when picking the orchid containers and review some of them.

Let’s dive in. 

5 Best Orchid Pots For A Beautiful Home

What are Orchid Pots?

There are many different types of gardening pots available in the market. The orchid is a gorgeous plant and doesn’t need much care and attention to grow and bloom. But the right kind of container is essential for developing a healthy orchid. 

Orchids like to grow in a moist and humid environment. The root of the orchid is a good indicator of the overall health of the plant. These are usually general-purpose pots but some are specifically designed to help nurture the orchid plants. 

This difference comes from the number and size of drainage holes available in the orchid container and the ability to see the roots. 

These pots provide the same kind of growing environment as they would grow naturally in nature. It needs a growing environment similar to tropical and temperate rainforests. 

Best Orchid Pots Review

Buying Guide:

Types of Orchid Pots

There are so many different designs and materials of orchid pots available in the market today. You can choose the right orchid pot based on the type you are growing orchids indoor or outdoor.

For example, shallower pots with a broader base are suitable for large and top-heavy orchids, whereas tall and narrow containers can be used with long roots orchids such as Asian Cymbidiums.

Here are some of the most common types: 

Clear Plastic Orchid Pots

These transparent plastic pots improve the visibility to see the condition of roots. By quickly looking at the root, you can determine whether you need to water the plant. Orchids don’t like over-watering as it may rot the roots. 

Orchid roots that appear soggy brown and mushy indicate overwatered plants. You want the roots to have green or red root tips that show a healthy growing plant. 

Another benefit of plastic pots is their ability to retain moisture. This helps if you don’t want to spend too much time caring for the orchid.

Clear visibility to the roots helps you decide when you have to water the plant. Moreover, the transparent plastic pot allows the sunlight to reach directly to the roots. 

Clay Orchid Pots

The clay pots or terracotta orchid pots are made of natural materials that help with the growth of orchids. These are usually heavier than plastic pots, but it improves the stability and prevent tipping that may damage the orchids. 

The clay or terracotta pots absorb water that helps keep roots cooler in the hot season. The clay has lots of small pores, which improves the airflow (aeration) to the roots. The improved aeration in the plant reduces the chance of growing fungus and molds to the roots. 

If you are using clay orchid pots, then you will need more frequent watering to the plant due to higher evaporation than plastic containers. The roots of the orchid also tend to make a better grip with the clay that increasing its stability.

But if you are planning to report the orchid plant in the future, then you have to be extra careful when removing the orchid plant from the clay or terracotta orchid pots. 

Ceramic Orchid Pots

Many people use pots for decoration, and the container must look attractive as well. If you don’t want the bottom of the plant to show, then you can choose ceramic or glazed pottery as secondary pots. 

You can insert your main orchid plant pot in the secondary decorative pot which makes the beautiful orchid plant remain visible while hiding its base. 

You may also pick a narrower base secondary pot that makes the first pot sit a bit higher. This prevents orchid roots from remaining soaked wet due to excess water. 

Wire Basket Orchid Pots

The wire baskets are an excellent option if you want to hang orchid plants. The wire basket allows better airflow and is lightweight to hang outdoor or indoors. However, you have to water it quite frequently as it loses water quickly.

The orchid pots with net basket inserts are also great for air circulation and water drainage. For example, Kingbuy Hanging Basket Planter comes with a coconut coir liner for hanging a wide variety of plants including Orchids. 

Wooden Slated Containers

The wooden slated containers can be kept on the ground or can be hanged if they are lightweight and small enough. The wooden slated boxes are usually lined with sheets of moss for the roots to take hold and retain the water.

Similar to wire basket orchid pots, you get better air circulation but have to water it more frequently due to a lot of drainages. Sun Bulb Octagen Cedar Basket has an unusual and attractive design to plant Orchids. 

What are the best orchid pots for humid environments?

Orchid plants prefer a humid and moist environment to grow, but they don’t like to be soaked in water for a long time. Depending on the type of orchids, you want to create the best possible natural environment for your orchid to grow.

The mounted orchids types grow on trees and rocks and need to be watered from above. Choosing long and cylindrical pots for these types of orchid plants provides optimal growth. 

For humid environments, choose an orchid pot that has lots of holes to drain the water. 

For smaller and high-density orchid plants, you can use a shallow tray or full baskets. This helps you better arrange multiple orchid plants by placing them alongside and then covering any gap with prepackaged moss. You can leave the plant in the original container while making arrangements.

Overall, different orchid plants need different pots depending on their natural growing environment. For example, terrestrial orchids like Paphiopedilum likes more moist growing condition. You may prefer to use plastic pots for these types of orchid species.

For other orchid species such as Vanda, you may want pots that provide a better drainage option. 

What are the best orchid pots to use in replanting?

Orchids are epiphytes plants that mean it grow on another plant but is not parasitic. In a natural environment, orchids grow by clinging to a tree or other plants while their roots hold the trunk and gather nutrients such as air and water.

When you are looking to replant orchids, look for a container that is slightly bigger than the previous pot. The replanting pot should be long enough to fit the roots. To replace the nutrients and provide healthy soil, you may repot orchids every 1 to 3 years. 

Get a potting mix that contains all the essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The use of an organic potting mix is recommended for a healthier growing environment for orchids when replanting.

You can use moss or bark-filled potting mix while replanting. Both are excellent options but need different care.

For example, when using a moss potting mix, it soaks water like a sponge. You have to wait longer for the water to dry out before watering. The bark holds little water and needs frequent watering.

You have to alter the watering schedule, depending on the potting mix you are using. As such, the best orchid pots for replanting relies on the type of orchid plant.

If you are using Moss for orchids like Phalaenopsis and Cattleya, then make sure the water gets completely dried out before you water it again. As moss retains water longer, you have to increase the gap between the watering schedule. 

How to replant orchids

To replant orchids, follow these simple steps:

1. Using best pruning shear, clip the orchid from the base of the plant.
2. Remove the orchid plant along with its roots from the pot. Make sure not to break the roots.
3. Loosen the roots, so they can spread out in the newer pot.
4. Inspect the root of any damage or disease. Trim the roots which look dead or diseased. Also, remove any older potting mix attached to root.
5. Prepare the new potting base in the new potter and loosely spread the potting mix.
6. Insert orchid roots in the soil and loosely pack the potting mix surrounding the plant.
7. Water the plant immediately after replanting.

Things to know before buying orchid pots

When looking for orchid containers, consider the following factors to provide the optimum growing environment.

Pot Placement

Orchids are very adaptable and robust plants and can be planted both indoors and outdoors. Since many people use orchids for decorative purposes, you want a pot that matches the intention.

If you are planting orchids indoors as a decorative plant, then use a decorative or ceramic planter. These come with different designs and colors which you can match as per your home décor.

You don’t want to buy a decorative container and then find out that it does not match with the surrounding.

Similarly, for outdoor orchid planters, the blending with the outdoor environment may not be as important as the pot’s ability to hold and support the orchid for optimal growth.

Orchid Pots With Holes

Orchids like to grow in a humid and moist environment but don’t want to be soaked in water for a long time. The holes in the pots make it easy to see the root condition and check for the moisture level. 

There are two things you need to consider here, the number of holes and the size. You want an adequate number of holes to allow better airflow inside the planter. But you don’t want these holes to be too big that may make the potting mix or water ooze out.

Having the right balance on the number and size of holes in the pot helps with the proper growth of the plant. Also, keep these holes clear of fungus or mineral deposits. Look for the orchid pots which contain around 4 to 12 holes in the container. 

Water Catching Saucer

If you are planning to use pots indoor, then you may want to consider using a water-catching saucer. This helps collect any excess water which you can conveniently drain rather than allow water to flow on the floor. 

Many pots come with saucers included with orchid pots. The saucer dish can be removable or permanently attached. The detachable saucer gives you more flexibility in draining the excess water.

If you need more portability, then you can also buy a saucer with a wheel that allows the plants to be moved by sliding rather than lifting the massive pot. 

Strength And Durability

The orchid container should be strong enough to hold the weight of the potting mix, water, and plant. The stable and stronger orchid container supports the plant when it blooms and prevents tipping that may damage the plant.

Aeration

Orchid roots need proper aeration for them to grow optimally. Reduced airflow to the roots causes the weaker orchid plants or may result in it dying. Properly aerated pots have holes around the base of the container that allows the roots to circulate the fresh air.

Where to buy orchid pots?

You can buy it from your local gardening store or home improvement retailers such as Home Depot or Lowes. However, I always find these stores to have minimal options.

I like to order my orchid pots from online retailers like Amazon that has a wide selection of pots and is usually far better priced than brick and mortar retailers. 

The only drawback of buying online is that typically, you have to wait a couple of days to get the item shipped to you. And there is always a possibility to get items damaged during shipping.

But most of these retailers cover a situation like these. They usually send a new one in case of a damaged product during shipping. 

Conclusion

Finding the best orchid pots is vital for the overall growth and blooming of your orchid plant. Consider the type of orchid plants and the placement when buying the pot. 

As a reminder, overwatering orchids is the leading cause of rotting the plant than under-watering it. Make sure that you have enough holes in the orchid container to drain the excess water and improve the airflow to the root.

You can also use a saucer to protect the water from spilling on the floor and spoiling your furniture or carpet.

For any questions or comments regarding the orchid’s pots, you can share it in the comment below.

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