Italian Terracotta Pot

The Italian Terracotta Pot is made in Italy from 100% natural clay, in the plain tapered shape that has been growing plants for centuries. It runs from a 90mm mini pot to a 330mm, so one product covers a windowsill of herbs and a courtyard shrub. Clay breathes, which is the real reason to use it: the walls draw moisture out of the mix, and plants that hate wet feet do noticeably better in it.

Why you'll love it

• Breathable clay. Natural terracotta absorbs and releases moisture through the wall, which keeps air in the root zone and makes overwatering much harder.
• Made in Italy. Traditional clay pots, fired and finished the way the shape was intended, not a moulded lookalike.
• Free draining. Drainage holes plus a porous wall means water moves through rather than sitting, the main cause of root disease in pots.
• It gets better with age. Outdoors, terracotta weathers and develops a patina. That is character, not damage.

Sizes and what fits in them

Six sizes, named by the width across the top.

• 90mm and 120mm. 8cm and 10.4cm tall, holding 0.3 to 0.8 litres. Seedlings, cuttings and a single small succulent.
• 210mm and 230mm. 21cm and 19.2cm tall, holding 4 to 6 litres. Herbs, a compact flowering plant or a small foliage plant.
• 270mm and 330mm. 24.3cm and 28.1cm tall, holding 9 to 16 litres. Vegetables, larger herbs and small shrubs.

Material, weathering and drainage

Material. 100% natural terracotta clay with no glaze or coating, made in Italy.

Outdoors. It suits indoor and outdoor use, and outdoors the surface will weather and pick up a patina over the years. No frost rating is published for the clay, so we will not claim one: unglazed clay is most vulnerable when saturated and freezing, so keep it under cover in a hard frost district.

Drainage. Drainage holes are included. Because the wall breathes as well, the mix dries faster than it would in plastic, so plan on watering more often in summer. Use a saucer indoors, since water passes straight through onto the surface below.

What to expect when it arrives

Pots ship empty, with no plant, mix or saucer, and clay arrives with natural variation in tone from pot to pot. The 90mm is light enough to handle in numbers, while the 330mm is worth positioning before you fill it. Brush or rinse off soil to clean. Pots are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95.

Related pots and planting

• Browse the terracotta pot range
• See small pots for herbs and seedlings
• How to repot without setting the plant back
• Potting mixes and fertilisers