PSA: Had to pick between a cheap plastic pot and a fabric one for my balcony peppers

The plastic one was five dollars and the fabric one was twenty. I went cheap, and after a month, the soil stayed wet for days and the roots looked sad. I switched to a fabric pot last week and the difference is already clear, the dirt dries out like it should. Anyone else run into this with container choices?

3 comments

3 Comments

grayb642mo ago

Wait, you spent twenty bucks on a single fabric pot? That's wild, I get mine for like five bucks online. I guess the air pruning is good, but I've never seen a price that high for one before.

jana_davis901mo ago

3 gallon pots from the brand I use run $18-22 depending on the store and they hold up way better than the cheap ones @grayb64. The thicker fabric means less water loss in hot weather compared to those thin $5 bags that start falling apart after one season. My basil and mint are actually thriving because the soil dries just right, not too fast, and the roots are way healthier than anything I've seen from the cheaper options.

patricia9052mo ago

You mentioned the fabric pot making the dirt dry out "like it should," but that's not always the goal. For some plants, like certain herbs or in super hot climates, that fast drying can be a problem. The real perk of fabric pots is the air pruning for healthier roots, not just drying the soil faster.