- What kind of planter does the elephant foot need?
- How big should the pot be?
- Can I also use a deep pot?
The easy-care elephant foot is a great eye-catcher in the conservatory or living room. A suitable pot should be a matter of course. For a harmonious overall picture, you don't necessarily have to dig deep into your pocket and spend a lot of money.
The pot for the elephant's foot should not be too big
What kind of planter does the elephant foot need?
Because elephant's foot is a houseplant, it doesn't need a particularly weatherproof pot, but it should be heavy enough to provide some stability to the tree. A plastic pot is certainly too light for a large elephant's foot. It is also important to have a hole in the bottom of the pot or container through which excess water can drain quickly, because the elephant's foot does not tolerate waterlogging.
How big should the pot be?
If your elephant's foot gets a very large pot, it will put a lot of energy into growing its roots and as a result will grow even more slowly above the ground than it already does. It is therefore better to choose a slightly smaller pot. When repotting, simply take the next pot size with just a few centimeters more diameter.
The elephant's foot looks very attractive in a large, relatively flat bowl. Since he is one of the flat-rooters, he also feels quite comfortable in it. But also make sure that waterlogging doesn't stand a chance.
Can I also use a deep pot?
With a deep pot there is a risk that the roots will start to proliferate, which is naturally larger than in a shallow planter. There is simply more soil that supplies the elephant's foot with nutrients. Fill the lower third of the pot with large pebbles or old pieces of pottery, then not so much soil fits in and the roots reach their limits…
The essentials in brief:
- Pot should not be too big, but definitely heavy enough
- flat bowl optically very appealing
- repot if the old pot is too small
- new pot just a few centimeters bigger
- absolutely important: drainage hole and drainage
- reduce large pot with stones or potsherd
tips
As long as the roots of your elephant's foot don't want to grow out of the pot, the pot is usually large enough.