FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
- How long will the pots
last?
- Are they UV stabilized?
- There are so many holes
at the bottom - won't the media (soil)
come out?
- Should I use crocks
at the bottom of the pots to cover the
holes?
- Can healthy plants be
grown in plastic pots?
- Won't plant roots suffocate
in plastic pots?
- What media should I
use for my plants?
- How often should I water
my pot plant?
- How do I prevent red
water stains on my floor and walls?
- Should I use black
or Terra Cotta color pots?
- Can I paint the pots?
- I need a different
colored pot- are any other colors available?
- Is there a better way
to pot a plant?
- When and how should
I repot my plant?
- What are pot covers?
- What is the minimum
quantity order you accept?
- Can I expect door to
door service?
- How do I pay?
- What is the time lapse
between placing the order and getting
the delivery?
- Are there other distribution
centers around the country for your
products?
1. How long
will the pots last?
We use UV stabilized Polypropylene (PP)
plastic- this has its own characteristics
and most of these are very suitable for
pots, including good structural stiffness,
heat resistance and durability. Our pots
have been in use for over 5 years and
are still going strong at our nursery
despite very high sun and heat levels.
Two places where PP falls short are in
cold resistance (below zero deg C) and
in impact strength. Thus articles made
from PP cannot easily take hard knocks
and will tend to crack if, for instance,
they are dropped from a height. Since
this is a rare issue with pots, PP is
now the most widely used plastic for pots
except in very cold climates. For the
large Tubs and MP Trays we use a special
grade of rubberized PP that largely overcomes
even this shortfall and takes reasonable
impact in its stride.
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2.Are the pots UV stabilized?
Both, the Terra Cotta and the Black pots
are made from UV stabilized plastic. We
have used our pots in intense sun for
several years but have still not had any
UV degradation problems. In addition,
our pots are relatively thick walled,
especially compared to European pots and
this adds substantially to the life of
the pot. The Terra Cotta color itself
has been recently upgraded to a very stable
pigment mix that does not fade in the
sun.
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3. There are so many holes at the
bottom - won't the media (soil) come out
when watering?
There may be some loss of media while
potting and with the initial few waterings.
However, the material at the base soon
stabilizes and won't come out at all after
this.
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4. Should I use crocks at the bottom
of the pots to cover the holes?
No, there is absolutely no need for this-crocking
pots in an old practice that does not
increase drainage. In fact it creates
a false bottom above the real pot base
and raises the area of waterlogged soil
present in all pots. This actually reduces
the zone with well aerated soil where
healthy roots can flourish. We raise thousands
of plants every year without crocking
a single pot.
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5. Can healthy plants be grown in
plastic pots?
Yes, every year millions of plants are
grown to perfection in plastic pots, which
have many advantages over clay pots: they
don't break easily, are cleaner, don't
gather algae, are light in weight and
need less frequent watering. The one advantage
that clay pots have is that water can
evaporate from the sides: this is only
useful if you over water your plants.
Once you understand that plants in plastic
pots require less water, it's not a problem
any more. Of course if you have tried
to grow plants in many consumer pots with
few or only small holes you will have
killed the plants- but our pots have more
than enough holes to ensure drainage of
excess water.
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6. Won't plant roots suffocate in
plastic pots?
Clay pots allow water to evaporate from
the pot wall but do not actually allow
entry of air when moist since all the
pores are filled with water. This evaporation
is helpful if plants are over watered
or if the drainage holes are blocked.
If the pot is plastic and there are not
enough drain holes, the water will stagnate
and suffocate the plant roots. That is
why all our pots have ample drainage holes-they
are professionally designed with plant
growth and requirements in mind.
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7. What media should I use for my
plants?
When planting in pots of any kind, use
an open, fluffy and well drained mix.
Clayey soil is generally not a good choice,
especially for small pots. However, soil
less media may not be available to you.
In this case add plenty of well decayed,
fibrous manure, stone chips and coconut
coir to improve drainage.
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8. How often should I water my pot
plant?
Generally you should aim to keep the
soil evenly moist at all times, not wet
and not bone dry. Whenever you water,
do so till some comes out from the drain
holes. Then wait till the soil is somewhat
dry at the top and still moist below the
surface (you can tell by poking in a finger
or by the weight of the pot) and then
water again. This interval will be longer
in winter or rains and shorter in hot
weather. Big plants will require more
frequent watering, especially if they
have been in the same pot for long and
are root bound. Be particularly careful
when watering newly potted plants- they
are easily over watered, leading to root
rot.
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9. How do I prevent mud water stains
on my floor and walls?
Where available, use a good quality soil
less media based on coconut coir. If this
is not available, use saucers below your
pots. Remember to discard the water that
collects in the saucer from time to time.
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10. Should I use black or Terra Cotta
color pots?
This depends on your needs. Professional
nursery growers use black pots because
they are cheaper. Terra Cotta has its
advantages: they look better and more
like clay pots and are cooler compared
to black pots especially if exposed to
the sun.
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11. Can I paint the pots?
Yes, you can use ordinary plastic paint
(acrylic emulsion) to paint over the black
pots. Use two coats if you want to totally
hide the black base. We paint some of
our pots white to keep them cooler in
the hot sun.
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12. I need a different colored pot-
are any other colors available?
If the quantity you require is substantial
and you can wait, we can make pots of
other colors. The price will be substantially
higher. Contact us for further details.
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13. When and how should I repot my
plant?
Repot plants that have grown too big
for the pot, where the roots fill the
full pot and can be seen above the soil
and when the soil dries out very soon
after watering- all these are indicators
that the plant is root bound. When repotting
use a pot at least 2 inches bigger than
the old pot. Remove the plant from the
old pot- with plastic pots you can usually
"knock out" the root ball by turning over
the pot and tapping the rim on a solid
surface. Remove any loose or decomposed
soil from the root ball. Place enough
fresh soil in the new pot so that when
the root ball is placed in the new pot,
the new soil level will be the same as
the old level. Fill the gaps around the
root ball with fresh media. Do not press
the media in- rather thump the whole pot
on the ground to gently settle the media
without overly compacting it. Water thoroughly.
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14. What is root pruning?
When repotting relatively large plants,
you may not want to increase the pot size.
In this case most plants will handle root
pruning, especially if the weather is
good- not too hot or too cold. It is a
good way to rejuvenate old plants with
compact, tight root balls. To root prune
remove the pot and using a big sharp knife,
remove a 3-5 cm (1-2 inch) layer of the
root ball from the sides and bottom. Repot
this smaller root ball into the same pot
or similar sized new pot as described
above in repotting. Soon active new roots
will grow out from the cut root ends-
these new roots will rejuvenate the plant,
especially if you combine this with a
modest amount of stem pruning.
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15. What are pot covers?
Though live plants look good in any home
or office, the pot may not match the interior.
One easy way to overcome this problem
is to use a pot cover. This is any container
into which the plastic pot will fit in
comfortably. If possible place a saucer
in the pot cover first and the pot so
that excess water is caught. The pot cover
may be made of any material to match your
interior- metal, cane, bamboo, wood with
or without laminate etc. If the material
used is likely to be spoiled by water
(e.g. cane) just line the inside and bottom
with thick but clear plastic film. Many
low cost pot covers greatly enhance the
look of plants in the interior.
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16. What is the minimum quantity order
you accept?
The minimum quantity for sales within
India is Rs.5000/-. Taxes, packing and
freight are billed extra. For large commercial
users there are a lot of savings in packing
and transportation with large orders-
contact us for further details. For international
orders please contact us by email or fax
with your requirements.
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17. Can I expect door to door service?
This depends on your location. Several
freight companies offer door to door service
and this is an advantage for a small order
but for larger orders it may be too costly.
As always, contact us with details of
your order and location and we will work
out the best options for you.
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18. How do I pay?
You can pay by Demand Draft payable in
Mumbai, by Money Order or bank transfer.
We do not accept outstation cheques except
those from HDFC bank. International payments
must be made in US Dollars, Euros, or
Pounds Sterling by Demand Draft (Cashiers
cheques) or by TT to our account.
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19. What is the time lapse between
placing the order and getting the delivery?
Most items are in stock with us. I case
the order is for large numbers of one
or a few items it may take us some time
to manufacture these. When we receive
your order we will let you know the availability
situation on your order.
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20. Are there other distribution centers
around the country for your products?
Currently our products are available
in most quality nurseries and garden outlets
in Mumbai and Pune city. We are looking
for distributors in other areas.
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