I totally agree with you, Tiffany, about the "rootbound" syndrome. Everything you say is completely true.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
But this, unrelated to the premise, yet germane to the conversation of debunking:
---- There are plenty of "pots" in the wild. Rock crevices, rock depressions, branch crotches, place that can collect bits of detritus or debris. Have you never seen a rock (large or small) topped with moss (or something) that supports its own tiny plant community? I am not just talking epiphytes, here. Many terrestrial species have adapted to growing in confined spaces.

Just thought you'd like to keep an open mind.....

It depends on the plant, Rick. Most things in nature, unless it is a swamp, will drain. This is not quite the same as growing a plant in a plastic pot.

Ken, I totally agree with you and Tiffany. Wait, I already said that.

But that's not my point. (And I said that, too: But this, unrelated to the premise....).
- That means notwithstanding drainage issues, growing media, perched water tables, etc.
(I'm sorry, I should know by now that I need to spell my thoughts out in completely unmistakeable terms.)
My point is that there are small, confined root pockets in nature. Again, unrelated to the discussion of drainage, waterlogged soil, soil type, etc.

I don't recall ever mentioning plastic, but there are certainly natural, exposed rock pockets (with and without drainage holes), and those composed of other substances similar in properties to fired clay. These are common occurrences.

Such a wide sweeping statement as "there are no pots in nature" is quite comprehensive, and I just thought one might want to examine the implications beyond the narrow prospective of what was discussed. If you say there is hardly anything in nature that could be described as a small confined root pocket, that's fine. I just take a different view. But I think this is all just a misunderstanding.

~~~ No worries! ~~~

I don't believe I ever stated that there were no "small, confined, root-pockets" in nature. I meant to say/should have said that there are plants that adapt to lots of environments, outside. We are growing our houseplants in a totally alien environment, trying to mimic Mother Nature as best we can.

I think it's an excellent point! There are confined spaces in nature where plants can take root. And does starkly highlight the strangeness and added degree of difficulty of plastic in regard to confining plants. Drainage/air is the issue. A 'natural' pot like a crack in a rock, crook of a tree trunk, wouldn't be made of impermeable plastic, and would be extremely unlikely to have a flat bottom.

I took some pics of "naturally potted" plants at Sloss Furnace in Birmingham, AL in 2013:
A determined tree:

Ferns:

Misc plants:

(If ever in the area, it's free, and fascinating.)

An unglazed clay pot automatically decreases the level of difficulty when confining a plant to a pot, but does have the disadvantage of being heavy, breakable. And unless it's an orchid-style pot, only has 1 hole in the middle.

One advantage a plastic pot has is the ability to add whatever size hole is needed, wherever it's needed. Most of my plastic pots have a chunk nipped out of the bottom with a pruning nipper, especially those that only come with 1 hole in the middle.

All of my pots have holes of some type in the bottom. After watering, allowing a few mins for dripping, I tilt each pot toward the biggest hole and a shocking amount of water always comes out still, even if I wait a couple hours. And even the unglazed clay orchid pots will drain off water if tilted toward one of the side slits. I've been moving all plants that aren't too big to this kind of pot, buying a few at a time. I would love to find some much bigger ones.

All are excellent points, Tiffany.

I don't use a lot of glazed or unglazed, clay pots, simply because of their weight and the fact that I can't ship plants in clay pots. When I do use them, particularly for my top-heavy orchids and succulents, I drill holes all around the sides. A "typical" 7" orchid clay pot will have a hole in the bottom and 3-4 "slits" around the bottom-sides, but I will drill 1/2" holes in addition. I would probably drill 6-8 holes in each pot. Smaller, unglazed, clay pots would have the same number of holes drilled, but would be 3/8" in diameter. I want the maximum air and the maximum drainage for these plants.

glazed pot but with nice holes
plastic mesh-pots with maximum aeration/drainage
unglazed pots with plenty of holes

Cool where can you find pots like that, all the ones i see are plane expect for holes on the bottom.

What pots are you referring to, PML?

The ones posted on this thread. they would be great for some of my more finicky plants ones that like high drainage such as bird of paradise, deiffenbochia or shell ginger.

I have shown plastic mesh-pots (also called net-pots), glazed ceramic, and unglazed clay pots. They all have sort of different uses, at least for me. IF you want truly large pots, say something over 12" in diameter, I am not sure this kind of pot even exists in the forms that I have shown.

Agreed. Plastic trash cans come in larger sizes and are often made of a plastic that's easy to cut without cracking. 5-gallon buckets are another option, but fugly.

I'd love to find some of these in a much bigger size. This is about 8" across, 6-7" high.

Yep, in my experience, that's about the largest orchid-type, unglazed pot I see sold. I don't know where that glazed, ceramic pot with all the holes even came from. Since I don't ship my plants in clay pots (too expensive because of the weight), I really don't go looking for them. I just use a few each year. I do grow my Vanilla Orchid plants in them (6" to 8" pots), but ship those plants bare-root.

purpleinopp said:... 5-gallon buckets are another option, but fugly.

I've thought about looking for waterproof contact paper to "pretty-up" 4 gallon buckets, but never cared enough about "pretty" to bother.

When plastic tends to crack under a hand drill, I use a 1/4" spade bit with sharp edges, or, better, use a "craft burning tool" my SO bought for me. I think that melted holes are stronger than drilled holes, since the melted material builds up as a "lip" around the hole.

A big, old soldering iron would work to melt holes in plastic, too.
Or a big iron nail heated in a gas flame.

The 1/4" spade bit is a GREAT shape for drilling plastic: it whittles rather than scrapes. I have not tried the other style of "spade" bits on plastic.