Extra Large Terracotta Pot

This is a pot big enough to hold a real plant. At 47cm across and 39cm high it takes roughly 55 to 60 litres of mix, which is the size where a shrub or a small tree can live for years rather than needing repotting every second season. It is natural terracotta clay, unglazed, with the warm orange tone that ages into something better. Classic shape, generous volume, and a drainage hole where it should be.

Why you'll love it

• Roots actually breathe. Unglazed clay is porous, so air moves through the wall and moisture is wicked away from the sides. Root rot is far less likely than in a sealed plastic or glazed pot.
• It gets better with age. Terracotta weathers. A little mineral bloom, some moss in a shaded spot, and the pot soon looks like it has always been there.
• Weight where you want it. Clay is heavy, which is the point in an exposed courtyard or on a windy balcony. A tall plant will not tip it over.
• It suits everything. The natural clay colour works with rendered walls, brick, timber and stone.

What fits in it

The pot takes a plant currently in a 400mm to 450mm nursery pot, with room for fresh mix around the rootball. In practice that means a mature specimen rather than a starter: a citrus tree, a clipped bay or buxus ball, an olive, a large gardenia, or a feature shrub for either side of an entry.

Drainage, mix and care

Use a quality potting mix rated for containers, not garden soil, which compacts and drowns roots. Do not put gravel in the base: it raises the waterlogged zone rather than lowering it. Keep the drainage hole clear and stand the pot on feet so water leaves freely.

The one trade off with porous clay is water. Terracotta dries faster than glazed or plastic pots, so through summer expect to water more often, and check the top 50mm with a finger first. In cold districts, keep the pot from sitting in water through winter: saturated clay is what cracks in a hard frost, not the cold itself. Feed with a slow release fertiliser every three to four months in the growing season.

What to expect

Natural clay varies. Slight differences in colour, small surface marks and minor variation in dimensions are normal in a fired terracotta pot, and are part of the material rather than faults. Pots are packed carefully for transport and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95.

Related pots and planting

• See the full terracotta range
• Browse all pots and planters
• Find a shrub to plant in it