Small Pots

What fits in a pot under 30cm

Small pots take the 100mm to 200mm nursery pots that most indoor plants, herbs, succulents and seedlings arrive in. The match matters more at this scale than any other, because a 100mm plant lost in a 30cm pot sits in a mass of wet mix its roots cannot reach. Keep the decorative pot 2 to 5cm wider than the nursery pot: a 140mm plant into an 18cm pot, a 200mm plant into a 25cm pot. When a plant outgrows the size class altogether, the medium pot collection picks up where this one stops.

Cachepot or direct plant

At this size, the drop in method wins most of the time. Leave the plant in its nursery pot, sit it inside the decorative pot, and lift it out to water in the sink, letting it drain before it goes back. No saucer, no drips on the bookshelf, and swapping plants takes ten seconds. Plant directly only when the pot has a drainage hole and lives somewhere a saucer is acceptable, or outdoors where drips do not matter. A sealed pot with a plant potted straight into it is how most indoor plants drown.

Materials at this scale

Terracotta is the workhorse, from $7.95 for the classic Italian pots, and its porous walls pull moisture out of the mix, which is exactly what succulents, cacti and herbs on a hot windowsill want. The full terracotta range starts at this size. Glazed ceramic holds moisture longer and suits thirstier foliage plants, and brings colour: whites and naturals recede politely, while a glazed blue or pink becomes part of the display. Terrazzo and concrete read contemporary, woven planters soften a shelf, and the hanging baskets here get trailing plants up off the bench entirely.

Watering small pots

The smaller the pot, the faster everything happens. A 15cm terracotta pot can go from soaked to bone dry in two summer days, while the same pot glazed holds for close to a week. So group pots by thirst, not just by looks, and check with a finger rather than watering on a schedule. In winter, most indoor plants in small pots want water half as often. If small pots outdoors dry out by lunchtime, they are telling you the plant needs the next size up.

Common questions

Does a small pot need a drainage hole?

If you plant directly into it, yes, no exceptions. If it has no hole, use it as a cachepot with the plant kept in its nursery pot, and tip out any water that collects in the base after watering.

Can small pots live outside?

Terracotta, glazed ceramic, concrete and terrazzo all can. The practical limit is water: under 30cm of pot dries fast in sun and wind, so outdoor small pots suit succulents and mediterranean herbs far better than leafy plants. The outdoor pot range covers the weather ready materials in every size.

How do I style a shelf of small pots?

Repeat one element and vary another. Three different shapes in one material reads as a collection; three materials in one colour does the same. Odd numbers beat even, and a riser or stack of books doing height work beats a flat line of rims.

Is there a minimum order?

Orders need to reach $300 before delivery, so small pots usually ride along with plants or larger pots rather than shipping alone. Everything is delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95.