Cactus Pots and Containers – Which Ones Are The Best?

Choosing the pot or container for your cactus is very important and can affect your plant’s health. In this post, we will talk about different best and worst cacti pots and containers. Also, we will talk about pros and cons of different pots and importance of size and shape.

Container material, shape and size all have a big effect on cacti and how they will grow. While some containers are best or acceptable, some are totally unsuitable.

Importance of cacti pot/container shape

Before we start talking about container materials, let’s talk about another important factor. When buying a container for your cactus, note its shape. Some of the features to look for when buying a planter for your cactus are following:

• A container should be approximately same size as your cactus. This is because cacti’s roots are often not too long, and if planted in a large container, they will stay in the middle of it.
• The best containers for cacti are cylindrical, short and square. Don’t choose containers that are too narrow, tall or deep.
• Your cactus should ‘use’ all the soil in the container. That means that there shouldn’t be too much soil that cactus roots can’t reach. You should only have some space for drainage in the bottom and around the plant for growth.

Size of pots for your cacti

As we have discussed, pot size should be almost of the same size as your cactus, and more specifically – its roots. When choosing a pot/container, it is the best idea to take your cactus out and look at its roots. Take a cactus out from its current pot, remove the soil and look at roots and measure them.

If your cactus has long roots, it will need a deeper container, and if the roots are short but growing to the sides – a wide container. You will also need to leave some space for drainage, so a pot should be slightly deeper than roots.

When choosing a pot, add around 1-2 inches in width (to your plant’s overall width) to make your cactus comfortable in the pot. The depth of a container that you should choose for your cactus should be around 4-7 inches, depending on a type of a cactus. Some cacti will have long roots (such as cylindrical cacti) and some will have shorter roots (such as ball cacti).

What material pots/containers are best for cacti?

• Ceramic terracotta or glazed ceramic pots/containers for cacti

Ceramic containers and pots are one on the best choices for growing cacti.

Benefits of ceramic planters include:

1. Ceramic pots are stable and heavy.
2. There are also different kinds of ceramic pots (glazed and of different colors), making them an excellent choice for decorative settings.
3. Ceramic pots are porous and prevent buildup of water or water logging (provided you have potted your plants in the right soil mix).
4. They are pretty and look amazing in any setting.
5. They are suitable for cold months when the weather is not that hot.

Some cons:

1. Ceramic pots are porous (Terracotta planters especially) and prevent buildup of water, but it can be a bad thing for young seedlings and plants. This means that the soil will dry out faster, especially if you keep your cactus in a ceramic pot outdoors, and in hot weather. Frequent watering (which you can forget about) can also lead to soil’s pH increasing. We have discussed in the article about choosing the soil for cacti, that its pH should be acidic. But bigger plants do very well in ceramic pots.
2. Make sure that the ceramic pots have drainage holes, or you will need to drill them yourself. Drainage holes are essential but some ceramic pots might not have them.
3. Cactus roots might not grow all the way through the soil and might concentrate on the sides. This happens because water in the ceramic container evaporates rather quickly, leaving mineral residue on the sides of the container. Cacti’s roots lean to the sides, trying to reach these minterals – but only burn themselves because planter’s sides get hot.
4. There is a higher risk of mold growth in ceramic pots.
5. Ceramic pots can break (especially with children or pets).

When choosing a ceramic planter, make sure to pick the right size and shape. An example of a ceramic pot/planter for your cacti is this pack of 3 ceramic planters for small plants.

• Plastic pots/planters/containers for cacti

Another type of planters that are one of the best for growing cacti in are ones made of plastic.

Pros of plastic containers for growing cacti:

1. Plastic containers are lightweight and can be easily carried from one spot to another.
2. The soil in a plastic container will require less watering – it will dry out at a slower rate. This means less watering sessions than with ceramic pots.
3. Plastic pots are good for cacti because they don’t overheat quickly, and can hold the heat after the sun has set. This is a good feature because most cacti don’t like sudden temperature drops.
4. Another advantage is that plastic pots are cheap.
5. Most plastic containers have many drainage holes to prevent waterlogging. You can also drill more holes if needed.
6. Plastic pots are also good for cacti’s roots – they grow evenly, through the soil. This is because water won’t evaporate through plastic container’s sides, so roots won’t lean to the sides. Soil will also stay acidic for a longer period.
7. There is a lower risk of mold growth.
8. Plastic planters are good for both small and large mature cacti.
9. They won’t break if you knock then from a table or windowsill.

Cons of plastic planters for cacti:

1. As they are lightweight, they can be unstable, especially with larger plants.

Hanging containers for cacti

You can also pick hanging basket pots for your cacti. Hanging pots are suitable for smaller or larger trailing cacti. You can also use them to decorate your house indoors or outdoors. Many hanging pots come without drainage holes, so make sure yours have drainage holes and maybe a saucer to collect dripping water. Some plastic pots like these allow you to make holes on the bottom yourself.

Bad containers for growing cacti

Glass containers for cacti

Let’s start by saying that glass containers are not the best for growing cacti. A glass container is usually used to create a cactus terrarium. This is not the same as growing cacti for years and letting it flourish. Terrarium setting is not very suitable for cacti as they don’t like humidity and waterlogging.

Benefits of glass containers for cacti:

• You can create a beautiful terrarium with cacti for an occasion – and remove the plants shortly after (maximum of 2-3 weeks). Only use open glass containers for creating cacti terrariums. Only plant specific cacti together if they require similar conditions. You can use decorations such as colored sand, shells and figurines for creating cactus terrarium. It is the best idea to use small cacti which don’t have large roots yet.

Cons of glass containers for cacti:

• Glass containers are very unlikely to have drainage holes, causing buildup of water and waterlogging. This will cause root rot and eventually kill your plant. You must be careful and water your plant with some water everyday, but this can mean that water will not go through the soil fully and won’t reach the roots.
• Even an open terrarium is likely to fog up and have an increased humidity inside the container. Cacti hate humidity and need good airflow.
• Layered soil will prevent your cactus from absorbing water from the bottom layer with rocks. Rocks will not absorb water and roots will not be able to get it either.
• The sides of a glass container will heat up very fast and can burn your cactus and its roots. If you leave a terrarium under the sun, it can literally cook your cactus to death.

Metallic containers for cacti

Metallic containers are not suitable for growing cacti. This is because metallic container might rust and significantly affect cacti’s health.

What is more, metallic containers get too hot and cold quickly – and cacti hate sudden temperature changes.

Verdict: the best containers/pots for growing cacti are ceramic (terracotta and glazed), plastic and hanging (can be ceramic or plastic as well) pots. Only use glass containers for a short period of time (or avoid using at all) and don’t use metallic pots, either.