Plant pots come in many shapes and sizes, the most popular being square and round. You may need to know the differences to choose the best one for your plants.
Round pots are easier to handle than square pots. Square pots are not as popular as round pots, making them more difficult to obtain when upgrading the size. However, a square pot has a more modern and architectural feel and can fit anywhere.
There are lots of reasons to use both types of pots. Which is better overall? That’s what we are going to discuss in this article. First, we discuss square vs. round pots for plants.
Are Square or Round Pots Better For Plants?
Well, it depends on your own choice. Both pots have their pros and cons. We recommend choosing from either, depending on your needs.
Square Pots
Square planters cover a better area for the roots and allow you to arrange your pots more neatly. They look perfect when it comes to decorating doorways or marking an entrance.
See the safest places to keep plants at home.
You should get square pots because they are easy to handle, especially for watering. They are also easy to turn and move to different locations.
If you want to make your plants look more appealing to any outsiders, you can label your planters with plant names and some basic information about them. For that purpose, square plant pots are perfect.
Square pots have a more rigid structural design than round pots and are better than round ones in many ways.
In the case of container gardening, a square arrangement will result in easier watering having fewer gaps between planters for water to fall through.
Round Pots
On the other hand, round pots work better for plants with extensive root systems. This is because round pots allow more sunlight into the soil.
This means faster growth and larger plants. Plants with broad, round leaves grow into large bushes and are best placed in a round pot.
However, pots like this collect moisture underneath them because they create a pool of water in the bottom. See how to remove water from plant saucers.
Round pots tend to dry out more slowly than square ones because water will roll down their sides instead of being wicked up by the pot’s surface.
Round pots are ideal if healthy plants have access to regular sunlight and drainage holes at the bottom.
Plants with round leaves like certain herbs and succulents are also suitable for round pots.
See our detailed post on how pot size can affect plant size.
Why are Most Plant Pots Round and Not Square?
Round containers are commonly used for herbs, vegetables, and small flowering plants.
Round pots have a variety of interior design applications and look cuter to some people. That’s why they preferred them. But they are not usually suitable for growing larger plants.
They get tipped over easily as they have no front or back and present difficulty to plants to grow evenly together. That’s why round pots are better for a single plant or just a few plants.
Moreover, you also have to face stability issues to grow larger plants in round planters with tapered bases.
It is also found that round pots can give rise to circling root formation. This causes absorption issues. It’s not a big deal if you have the right pot.
It is better to avoid growing vegetables and fruits in round pots as they need regular care. In addition, the soil needs to be fertilized over time.
These actions are best performed in square pots instead of round plant pots.
Square Pot Volume vs. Round Pots Volume
Square plant pots have more volume than round pots because their sides are always straight. They don’t have the curved sides of a round pot, which means more pot for your money.
Plus, they are square-shaped so they can fit better into corners, shelves, and other tight spaces. If you have a small space, square pots are a better option for planting.
Moreover, the square planter contains 50 more cubic inches of volume than a round planter. More volume means more root space and high nutrient availability.
All of this results in healthier, stronger, and fast-growing plants.
The larger volume of square containers for plants provides more space to pack in potting soil and nutrients. Hence, square pots are more beneficial for plants.
Square pots hold up to 8% more soil than rounds. This makes plants last longer and saves time. In addition, this extra space provides excellent benefits for planting rows of flowers or cultivating herbs for consumption.
Square pots are most commonly used in commercial and retail applications because they can fit more plants into a tighter space than round pots. They are also easy to stack and transport.
All in all, the square pot is the most popular size of pot for plants, both indoor and outdoor.
Materials
Usually, square pots are often made of plastic. However, most plants bought from a nursery or any online store are delivered to your home in a plastic square container. This is because it is the cheapest container for commercial growers.
These plastic square pots come in different sizes and are painted with various colors more often.
Thick versions of plastic pots in square shapes appear like stoneware or terra cotta pots. But these seem less realistic and durable.
On the other hand, round pots can be made of any material, including concrete, ceramics, wood, metal, fiberglass, and terra cotta.
Choosing a suitable potting material is best depending on the plant you want to grow.
In the case of growing edibles, round pots made of fiberglass are appropriate. Another benefit is that fiberglass supports a range of virtually unlimited colors.
Moreover, fiberglass pots are also ideal because they can withstand all the elements of the great outdoors and are highly strong and light enough to move inside when necessary.
The Look
The shape of pots is essential for decoration purposes. The unique and attractive pot shapes complement your garden and home decor.
Along with offering support to plant growth, these shapes should fulfill the solitary goal of beauty.
Both square and round plant pots look appreciable. However, square pots are ideal for adding a modern dimension to your houseplant pot and vase collection.
When you place a group of square plant pots together, they offer a more appealing garden outlook.
The Takeaway:
The shapes of plant pots matter a lot for properly developing plants. As the person’s home is his castle, a plant’s pot is his palace.
So, plant growth is affected by the size and shape of pots.
Pot shape also affects size, but not as much as you think. A round pot is 50 percent larger than a square one, and a rectangular pot is only 20 percent larger than a square one.
So while you might be tempted to go with a round or rectangular pot if they’re available, don’t let size be your only consideration when choosing the best container for your plant.
Picking the right size of the pot will depend on the plant and how many plants it has to accommodate.
