Ceramic Vs Terracotta Pots

At a glance you may think a ceramic pot is simply a terracotta pot with a good paint job.

Ceramic vs terracotta pots.

Some gardeners love plastic pots others will only use ceramic or clay. Clay can be thought of in terms of geological raw material which is the foundation product for the firing in the kiln which produces terra cotta and ceramics. Clay is the natural raw natural material actually used in making terra cotta and ceramic pots. That should give us a clue.

Archaeologists and art historians refer to clay objects such as sculptures or tiles made without a potter s wheel as terra cotta. Terra cotta unglazed clay pots are made of a particular soil and fired in kilns during the manufacturing process. However ceramic pots are typically glazed with a coat of lacquer that prevents the soil from drying out at the same speed as it would in an unglazed clay or terracotta planter. The debate regarding plastic versus ceramic pots is long standing.

Clay is created by the by the chemical weathering and geothermal alteration of igneous rocks into hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates. Objects made on the potter s wheel are called. The word terra cotta itself means baked earth in italian. The porosity of clay allows air and moisture to penetrate the sides of the pot.

The other two words are an matter of subculture and semantics. Terra cotta is an italian term that means baked earth terra cotta refers to a glazed or unglazed piece of ceramic made using organic clay fired in a potter s kiln. Clay pots provide a healthy environment for most plants.