David Ehrlich wrote: >I used to use terracotta , but the pots got salty, and burned roots which >were invariably attracted to the sides of the pot. This would be a problem with some water supplies. I water from my own well, untreated, and no salts accumulate from it; the aquifer is between layers of igneous rock. I know that some books recommend watering container plants with rainwater because of lime and other mineral problems. Jane McGary