I would sum up the clay vs. plastic situation this way: For clay -- better evaporative cooling and drying of medium; aesthetic qualities. For plastic -- better retention of water; much cheaper; much more easily obtained, particularly in larger sizes and quantities; lighter in weight. One uses the type container that is most convenient and then learns to grow plants in that type container, in my experience. Jim Shields ************************************************* Jim Shields USDA Zone 5 P.O. Box 92 WWW: http://www.shieldsgardens.com/ Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA Lat. 40° 02.8' N, Long. 086° 06.6' W