Round or square?

Since I am still new to gardening, I am learning so many new things. This may be a silly question, but do you all prefer to use round or square pots, and what is your reason for your preferance? I just wondered if there was a reason why one would be better than the other.

JesseK

I prefer round pots because they fit in a dish better. I've never seen a square dish that I can put a pot in. I also prefer terra cotta over plastic, but that's another thread.

For the plants I'm keeping in flats, I prefer square pots (space-saving and less likely to tip.) 4" square pots are a great for plants I'm moving up from cell packs.

For larger decorative pots (indoors or out, clay or whatever) I migrate to rounded pots.

Square pots utilize space better as more area surface soil to absorb moisture,etc. Round pots have large diamond shaped gaps between them when they are in a flat. more chance for sprays to miss areas or just be wasted.

I'm like Terry and sugarweed with small pots... square ones utilize the space better.

However, in large pots in the yard I have a combination of large square plastic terra-cotta colored pots for some big hostas and such, and lots of the old clay round pots. I lose some clay pots every winter, even drained and stored upside down, but that's winter in the mountains.

i like the square ones the best too! They just fit better and you can squeeze more of them together! ;)

Yes, I haave to agree with the square pots as they fit the flats so much better. I do have quite a lot of 4" round ones that I use later in the season. Donna

Ditto on the square ones - but if you have a houseplant that you want to leave in the pot for a while, then IMHO round is the way to go - they don't look as utilitarian, and are easier to set inside a larger, decorative pot if you want.

Hope we've helped, Jesse! Of course, now we'll be wanting pictures of your pots when they're all planted...no pressure! ;-)

Shannon

You come up with the best questions, Jesse. :)

When SO1's mother moved from the old homestead to a smaller place, she allowed me to take as many pots from her greenhouse as I wanted. Little did I know how much I was going to need them!

Without repeating what others have already said, I will confess to hoarding the plastic 4" square pots for seedlings and using the plastic 4" round pots to share plants with others.

Donna

Well, like everyone else, I use square pots for growing the plants and then I like to switch to round pots for showing them off. I have some large cafeteria style trays that I bought years ago to use as deli trays at a wedding and now, I put my rooted cuttings and larger seedlings in square pots and keep them on the trays. They make a nice watering base and are easy to clean and store when things go out - in a mere 4 or 5 months!