The Simplest Hack For Choosing A Good Plant Pot

Plant pots are versatile accessories for your home and garden. They can add pops of color, texture, and depth to any space while also being easy to move. There are even handy ways to repurpose planters inside and outside your home. They're a low-risk, high-reward addition to fit your aesthetic and bring style to your home while creating the perfect environment for your favorite houseplants or herbs. But they still need to be functional, especially if you invest in more expensive options. The last thing you need is to see money and soil spill out of a pot that falls to pieces when it's supposed to be durable. To ensure you bring home a good plant pot, try the simple "If you hear a thud, it's a dud" hack.

This hack helps you determine how sturdy a pot is and whether or not it's a high-quality option that should last under ideal conditions. Miniscule cracks could be a hidden issue with some ceramic pots. Some cracks are easy to spot, but some are so tiny that the human eye could not have detected them. Or the crack could be in some obscure place that you can't check easily like the bottom of a heavy pot. That's why this simple hack is a great go-to before you cart your pot home.

If this hack for picking a planter seems simple, that's because it is. Once you find THE pot you want, all you need to do is give it a few knocks along the side and rim area and listen for that "thud" to let you know something is amiss. Pots with obvious issues, like ceramic chunks missing or a crack big enough for the pot to be on clearance, are easily avoidable. But this hack is for those devious cracks that are easy to miss. When you hear that dreaded thud, move onward and upward to something more durable or stylish. If you end up only finding utilitarian pieces, there are some easy ways to take planters from boring to beautiful.

An important note before you tap into this hack is to give a few raps to other pots made of the same material if you're unsure. This way you have a more dependable frame of reference to know if that thud is indicative of the pot being a dud. There should be "ringing" or reverberation inside the other hollowed out structures if they aren't cracked. Cracks can keep the sound from vibrating through the pot, which is why you'll hear a dull thud instead of the ringing sound. Keep in mind that every pot could sound different based on the material and design. 

Sometimes you see a beautiful pot you just have to have and forget to give it a once-over before scooping it up and gleefully taking it home. Or after you've had it for a while, you might notice the wear and tear starting to show. If you brought home a dud or ended up finding a crack down the line, there are simple fixes to extend the life of your pot based on the material.

For ceramic pots, a great option is epoxy and a little patience for the adhesive to set. But there are quick-setting versions if patience isn't your virtue. Plastic pots can be mended with gorilla tape on the affected area. Just be sure to clean the spot thoroughly — if you don't, the tape won't adhere, and you'll be back to square one after just a few waterings of your plant. You can also repurpose the broken plant pot so you don't feel like you've wasted money. Ideas include fairy gardens, succulent gardens, drainage in pots, or mosaic crafts.