The Use of Pottery in Succulent Plant Cultivation
Today's sharing: topics related to succulent plants, the use of pottery in succulent plant cultivation, let's introduce it by the editor.
Many succulent plant enthusiasts cannot do without something in their homes, which is the ceramic pot. Indeed, the porosity of ceramic pots is high, not only does it allow for water permeability and air permeability when cultivating succulents, but it also has a simple and elegant texture, full of a rural style atmosphere. How much do you know about the material of pottery itself? Let me introduce it briefly.
Difference between Pottery and Porcelain:
In China, the words "ceramics" are always inseparable, referring to the general term for pottery and porcelain. Let's first talk about the difference between pottery and porcelain. The main differences are two points: one is the difference in materials used, and the other is the difference in firing temperature. Pottery can be made from various mineral clays including porcelain clay, and the firing temperature is relatively low, generally between 700°C and 1000°C. At this temperature, the body is basically sintered and no longer decomposes in water, but the "porosity" and "water absorption rate" are relatively high. Under a microscope, the sintered pottery has very few glass phases and crystals, in other words, it has not been vitrified and is just a step away from porcelain. Pottery fired at this temperature has a lot of pores, and their enlarged form is like a honeycomb. These pores can produce a "capillary effect," quickly absorbing water. This is the secret of ceramic pots! For example, if you stick a hand full of water on a ceramic pot, the hand dries immediately. It's also because the inside of the pottery has a lot of air, so the sound when struck is very dull.
Currently, "red pottery pots" are quite popular on the market. The history of red pottery is very long, dating back to the Neolithic era. At that time, humans mainly invented red pottery. The principle of red pottery formation is: when the pottery is fired in the kiln, it uses an oxidizing flame atmosphere to convert the iron in the pottery body into trivalent iron, which turns red after firing. Porcelain, on the other hand, uses porcelain clay (high-grade clay) with a high content of alumina for firing. The firing temperature of porcelain is at least 1100°C, at which temperature the body is basically vitrified. Under a microscope, there are a large number of crystals, mostly "glass phases" and "crystal phases," and very few pores. (See the figure below) Therefore, the "porosity" and "water absorption rate" of porcelain are relatively low, and because porcelain is usually glazed on the surface, its air permeability and water absorption are even worse. From the perspective of plant care, porcelain is certainly not as good as pottery in terms of air permeability and water permeability. Also, due to the large number of crystals in its structure, the sound of striking porcelain is relatively crisp and loud.
The difference between pottery and porcelain does not lie in whether they are glazed. In fact, pottery can also have glaze, such as the琉璃釉 ware in the Han Dynasty and the Tang Sancai in the Tang Dynasty, which are glazed pottery. Of course, porcelain can also be unglazed, such as white porcelain with an unglazed body.
Why Should Flower Pots Be Water-Permeable and Air-Permeable?
Currently, there are a variety of beautiful, unique, and designer porcelain flower pots on the market for everyone to choose from. In terms of appearance, color, and variety, porcelain is indeed superior to pottery. Artistic porcelain in a home environment is also more expressive of quality and modernity than pottery, with various glazes and patterns being a visual treat. However, due to the physical weaknesses of porcelain, it is recommended that when choosing porcelain as a container for succulent plants, you must choose one with a hole in the bottom, or drill a hole with an electric drill.
Why should flower pots be water-permeable and air-permeable? Why should the soil be kept permeable? Don't just think that only the above-ground parts of plants need to breathe and exchange air; the underground parts also need it. The roots of plants are not solidly buried in the concrete, but grow in an environment full of solid, liquid, and gaseous states. The above and below ground parts grow simultaneously. You can imagine the underground part as the shadow of the plant. How lush and leafy a plant is above the ground depends entirely on how deep its roots are below the ground.
Why do we need to loosen the soil for outdoor plants after heavy rain? Because the erosion of rainwater causes the soil to become compacted, easily leading to root suffocation. And why is it said that earthworms are beneficial insects? Because earthworms often burrow underground, making the soil loose and improving it.
Referencing a schematic diagram I posted before:
Treatment to "Make Old Pottery Look New":
Many plant enthusiasts prefer red pottery pots. Personally, I think the greatest benefit is that it saves me a lot of trouble when my succulents are surviving the summer, which is directly related to the summer mortality rate. However, there is a problem that has bothered everyone for a long time, which is that although pottery pots are good, they lose their appearance after a while. Over time, the surface of the pottery pot will accumulate a lot of granular and powdery white dirt, which is impossible to wipe off and is very troublesome.
In fact, the solid substance exuded on the surface of the pottery pot mainly comes from the scale in tap water. Scale is a mixture of various substances, mainly calcium sulfate, calcium carbonate, and magnesium hydroxide, which appear as white solid precipitates. You often find their traces in kettles, pots, and thermos bottles at home.
Water containing calcium, magnesium, and salt minerals is called "hard water." River water, lake water, well water, and spring water are all hard water. Tap water is obtained by settling river water, lake water, or well water, removing silt, and disinfecting it, and it is also hard water. Just-fallen rain or snow, without minerals, is "soft water." After boiling, some of the water evaporates, and the calcium sulfate that is not easily dissolved precipitates. The originally dissolved calcium hydrogen carbonate and magnesium hydrogen carbonate decompose in boiling water, release carbon dioxide, and become difficult-to-dissolve calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide, which is the source of scale.
Of course, the layer of material on the surface of the pottery pot is not just the scale in tap water; it also includes all kinds of mineral crystals, salts, and chemical agents in the soil. The composition of the soil is very complex, so it is not surprising that there are many kinds of exudates. There are many methods to remove scale, the most common being to soak in vinegar. Acid and alkali neutralize each other, and the scale naturally falls off. I thought, can this method also be applied to the "old to new" treatment of pottery pots? After personal experimentation, I found that this trick can indeed be promoted. That being said, if you like this sense of nostalgia and antiquity, that's another matter. I personally prefer new things.
Look at this pottery pot I've used for half a year; it's completely ruined.
The things needed are very simple: sandpaper and steel wool for scrubbing and polishing, and vinegar (acetic acid) for the chemical reaction. Not 100% vinegar, but a vinegar solution diluted with water. You can buy cheap bagged vinegar.
First, scrub the surface of the pottery pot with steel wool to remove the solid dirt that has condensed on it. Be gentle when scrubbing because the pottery pot becomes very fragile after prolonged use, and there may be hidden cracks that can easily break when force is applied.
After scrubbing, you will find that even if all the surface dirt is removed, the pottery pot still looks very dirty. This is because the physical structure of pottery is porous, and the scale has entered the pore structure of the pottery, which you can't擦 (rub) off.
Next is the most critical step, soaking the pottery pot in a vinegar and water solution. This step is to remove the dirt in the pore structure of the pottery pot. The concentration of vinegar can be higher for better results. Soaking time is also the longer the better, generally one day is suitable.
After a day of soaking, take out the pottery pot and rinse it clean. It's best to soak it in clean water for a few more hours to allow the vinegar absorbed by the pottery pot to be completely expelled, so as not to cause the pH of the pot soil to be too acidic in future use.
Finally, take out the pottery pot and let it dry, and you can smooth it with sandpaper. A brand new pottery pot will appear in front of you.
The above is a detailed explanation of the use of pottery in succulent plant cultivation. I hope this article can bring you some help in green plant management!