Apicra wrote: ↑Thu Aug 25, 2022 11:24 pm
Transparent (or translucent) pots do not work in practice. You will get algal growth on the inner surface.
Best regards,
Derek Tribble
Clear containers work fine in practise. I use them for seed raising, some seedlings may stay in them for a few years after their colleagues have been thinned out. I find supermarket deli pots handy for slightly larger plants too - short, wide squat, stable containers. For vigorous plants kept rather wetter, the algal coating can get fairly thick. For more xeric types, it' can be minimal.
It doesn't seem to make much practical difference for cultivation, although obviously unsightly for showing or a house plant.
I often use containers without drain holes too, but that's a different branch of heresy.
Stuart wrote: ↑Fri Aug 26, 2022 10:32 am
The Dutch grow orchids in clear pots and they wouldn't do it without a good reason.
(Most common) orchids are epiphytes and their roots are adapted to photosynthesis, so a clear pot is clearly beneficial.
While most epiphytic orchid roots can photosynthesize, most will happily bury their roots in a conventional pot if the moisture levels suit it better.
I use clear pots for most types of orchids when they're small so I can keep an eye on the roots; whether they're epiphytic or not and then switch some into other containers as they get bigger.
Clear pots also have the big advantage of allowing you to keep a good eye on the compost as if it is starting to break down it can be fatal for lots of orchids. Lots of roots out of the pot are often a sign of this too.
I think algal growth is to do with the surface (roughness perhaps) of the pot. I've even had certain somewhat translucent terracotta coloured plastic pots grow algae on the inner surface in some cases.
