Ceramic Vs Terracotta Pots

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.

Ceramic vs terracotta pots.

Objects made on the potter s wheel are called. Archaeologists and art historians refer to clay objects such as sculptures or tiles made without a potter s wheel as terra cotta. 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 word terra cotta itself means baked earth in italian.

The other two words are an matter of subculture and semantics. Clay is the natural raw natural material actually used in making terra cotta and ceramic pots. The rusty brown color of clay is harmonious with every flower and foliage color. That should give us a clue.

At a glance you may think a ceramic pot is simply a terracotta pot with a good paint job. Clay is created by the by the chemical weathering and geothermal alteration of igneous rocks into hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates. Most often the precursor rock is a type of granite. Terra cotta unglazed clay pots are made of a particular soil and fired in kilns during the manufacturing process.

Each type of flower pot has advantages and disadvantages. 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.