Dai Scott on thu 1 feb 01
Hi, Mary - I worked for a few years in a greenhouse and we regularly told
people that plants prefer an unglazed interior. I have no idea where this
wisdom came from, but I have always believed it! I think it has to do with
the pot "breathing", but that would mean it has to be underfired, I guess.
Dai Scott - Kelowna, BC
potterybydai@home.com
vince pitelka on fri 2 feb 01
> Hi, Mary - I worked for a few years in a greenhouse and we regularly told
> people that plants prefer an unglazed interior. I have no idea where this
> wisdom came from, but I have always believed it! I think it has to do
with
> the pot "breathing", but that would mean it has to be underfired, I guess.
Dai -
This comes around periodically on Clayart. My dad was the consumate green
thumb, and his house plants were beautiful. I did not inherit that ability,
but I do remember what he said about planters being glazed. He was a
zoologist and botanist, so he had some good sound scientific background for
this. He felt that the inside of planters should never be glazed, because
it gives no "purchase" for the roots to grab. In a pot with a shiny
interior surface, the roots tend to just follow the inside wall around the
planter. In a planter with a rough interior surface, the roots grab ahold
and tend to turn back into the mass of soil. Others will disagree, because
there are certainly plenty of healthy pots out there in plastic pots. But
the above explanation appeals to me, and I have always made planters with an
unglazed interior. I see no reason at all to glaze the inside of a planter.
And when you don't glaze the inside, you can glaze-fire a whole series of
planters inside each other, saving kiln space.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
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