Question
QUESTION: Im here contraditions on using clay pots for sarracenia.  I live in southern Louisiana and just started using clay pots due to they breath that way keeping the peat cool with our very hot summer.  A plastic pot will just hold in the heat heating up the peat making it a bad condition for the plants.  Am I right thinking this?  Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

ANSWER: Plastic pots are the preferred method because they retain more water.  However, we recommend terracotta pots for growers in desert regions because of the increased evaporation, which, as you've noted, helps keep the soil cool.  However, whether or not growers in the Southeast would experience this sort of benefit is debatable.  Humidity has to be low enough for sufficient evaporation to occur.  I suppose if you are able to cool your home with a swamp cooler, you might also benefit from using terracotta pots.  Otherwise, plastic pots will do just fine.  Many growers in your region use plastic pots with excellent results in growth.

Good growing!
Jacob Farin

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for you reply.  I do normally use plastic pots but the reason I am asking about terracotta is I have three very large ones that I started a mini bog in each with sarracenia's that I have outside in the front of my house which gets the most direct sun. I'm just concerned if this is ok or if I should change to plastic.  I didn't one them to go to waste plus as mentioned this summer when the heat will be above 100 I was thinking terracotta should be fine.

By the way, the sarracenia's I mention are from you and arrived in great condition.  They are so healthy.  I was always in to nepenthes but wanted to start on sarracenia's after seeing yalls website.  Thumbs up to yall.  I look forward to ordering more plants from yall.

Answer
As mentioned previously, the benefits of terracotta is mostly seen when humidity is low enough to cause sufficient evaporation.  I don't know how it would work in your region.  It won't hurt your plants, but if you're using it to cool the soil, I don't know the extent it would occur given your location.  Again, if you are able to use swamp coolers, you might have the cooling benefit from terracotta.  In either case, it won't hurt your plants whether you use plastic or terracotta.  We use plastic pots at our nursery, and we often experience temperatures about 100癋 every summer.  Many growers in your region also use plastic pots and experience very good results in growth.

The bottom line is that terracotta is fine to use, as is using plastic pots.  However, if you're using terracotta for it's evaporative cooling effects, I don't know how much benefit you will experience if humidity is relatively high.  It works best in dry, arid climates such as the desert Southwest

For examples of how we grow our plants at our nursery, take a look at our photo gallery, particularly the one on humidity.  You'll see photos of our plants in full sun and 100? temperatures:
http://www.cobraplant.com/gallery