Biodegradable pots are becoming increasingly popular among gardeners and plant nurseries looking for an eco-friendly alternative to plastic. Large biodegradable pots in particular provide substantial benefits for growing shrubs, trees, and large perennials. In this article, we’ll look at why more and more people are switching to these sustainable plant pots and how they can help your plants thrive.
What Are Biodegradable Pots?
Biodegradable pots are plant containers made from natural compostable materials that break down in the soil over time. They provide an excellent environment for healthy root growth while eliminating plastic waste.
Many biodegradable pots are crafted from peat, coconut coir, straw, cow manure, rice hulls, bamboo and other renewable resources. As these materials decompose, they actually feed the soil, releasing valuable nutrients and organic matter. This enriches the ground and improves conditions for your plants.
Why Choose Large Sizes?
While biodegradable pots come in all shapes and sizes, opting for a larger model has some great advantages:
- Accommodates bigger root balls on mature transplants, trees and shrubs
- Provides more room for root growth and expansion
- Allows you to transplant less frequently
- Enables plants to grow bigger and stronger before going in the ground
- Minimizes transplant shock due to ample space for roots
Large biodegradable pots are ideal for giving your plants the best possible start whether you’re raising vegetables herbs flowers or landscaping with trees and shrubs.
The Benefits of Large Biodegradable Pots
Switching to oversized biodegradable plant pots offers many benefits:
Promotes Plant Health
The porous walls of these pots encourage air pruning, stimulating the growth of fibrous root structures. This prevents circling and tangled roots, leading to healthier, more vigorous plants. As the materials decompose, they improve soil structure and fertility.
Environmentally Friendly
Large biodegradable pots are a sustainable alternative to plastic nursery containers. As they break down, they release valuable nutrients into the soil instead of sitting in a landfill for centuries. This makes them a great choice for eco-conscious gardeners.
Natural Materials
Pots crafted from all-natural materials like rice hulls, straw, coconut coir and cow manure avoid chemical leaching that can occur with plastic containers. The renewable, biodegradable materials provide a healthy, non-toxic environment for your plants to thrive.
Easy Transplanting
These pots can be planted directly in the ground or into a larger container. The walls decompose underground, allowing roots to grow freely into the surrounding soil. This minimizes transplant shock and yields bigger, stronger plants.
Cost-Effective
While large plastic nursery pots can be expensive, biodegradable options are very competitively priced. The sustainable materials like straw, peat and rice hulls make them an affordable choice for cost-conscious gardeners.
Space Saving
The biodegradable materials enable you to transplant without removing the pots. This saves time as well as space in your garden since you don’t have piles of used plastic containers after planting. It also reduces labor and disposal costs for commercial growers.
Custom Sizing Options
Many manufacturers offer customizable sizing on oversized biodegradable pots. This allows you to order non-standard dimensions to suit large root balls and unique transplant needs.
Tips for Using Large Biodegradable Pots
Follow these tips to get the most out of your big biodegradable plant containers:
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Match pot size to the mature size of the plant’s rootball to avoid frequent re-potting. Oversized pots promote healthy roots.
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Look for pots with drainage holes to prevent waterlogging. Materials like coconut coir and peat provide excellent aeration.
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Monitor moisture levels – biodegradable pots often dry out faster than plastic and may need more frequent watering.
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Consider square shapes in addition to round pots to maximize space when transporting and storing.
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For trees and shrubs, look for biodegradable pots at least 1-2 cubic feet in volume to accommodate extensive roots.
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Potting mixes with mycorrhizae can help integrate roots with the surrounding soil when transplanting into the ground.
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When transplanting, disturb roots as little as possible and water thoroughly after planting to reduce stress.
Quality Oversized Biodegradable Pots Can Be Found Online
More and more gardening retailers now carry eco-friendly biodegradable plant pots in a full range of sizes. Reputable online stores like Grow Organic, Greenhouse Megastore and Johnny’s Selected Seeds offer a wide selection of oversized biodegradable pots to suit your planting needs. From sturdy peat pots and coconut coir planters to durable cow pots, you can shop for premium biodegradable containers crafted from all-natural, sustainable materials. Choose the eco-friendly transplanting solution that works for your upcoming projects!
The breakdown on biodegradable pots
To start seeds and get young plants growing, I’ve always defaulted to the traditional plastic pot. But I’ve gotten tired of cleaning and storing an ever-growing pile of non-recycleable pots. So in the interest of using less plastic, I searched out biodegradable pot options. I wanted to know how they compare: Were they easy to use? Did they inhibit root growth? Did they break down in one growing season?
Takeaways from my biodegradable pot experiment
So after my experiment, which biodegradable pot did I like best? The answer isnt cut and dried, as you might expect. There was no clear winner that performed better than all the others for all purposes. I think each of these pots have situations they would be best for, and I will use them all again. But here are a few takeaways.
If you are growing large quantities of plants: I liked the peat or fiber pot strips and the honeycomb paper flats the best when planting a lot of the same thing. They use space efficiently so I can pack a lot into my growing area. And it is easy to water them because each pot or cell is close together.
Expandable pellets come in different forms: If you can find these without the mesh casing (I bought planting discs from Gardeners Supply that were simply compressed coir) then these leave nothing behind and simply become organic matter in the garden. But the mesh leftovers werent hard to pluck out at the end of the season and toss into the compost pile.
If recycling is your thing: Toilet paper roll pots and DIY newspaper pots were great to use something that everyone tosses in the garbage. They break down really well, and you can make them from stuff like junk mail envelopes, grocery sacks or packing paper from your latest online purchase when you just need a few and you dont have any other pots on hand.
If you are concerned about sustainability of peat pots: Its hard to beat a good peat pot. They come in all different sizes, hold up well until you transplant outside and break down really well. And super easy to scoop and fill. But some folks have concerns about peat sources and supplies. That is easily remedied with wood fiber pots, “cow pots” made of animal manures, or coconut coir pots as comparable substitutions.
If you are growing the plants in the biodegradable pot for a while: The fabric pots were my least favorite from an ease of use standpoint. They were difficult to fill and didnt stand upright as well as I wanted without propping them up against each other or setting inside another container. But the plants I grew in them for this test and also in previous uses had really robust roots. I do like them for plants that get larger, need more room to grow and may spend a season in the pot before being planted, such as a cutting for a woody shrub. The fabric is slow to deteriorate, but if used for a permanent planting, its a nice option.
If you want to reduce shipping waste and storage space: The fabric pots, recycled paper boxes and honeycomb paper flat inserts all shipped folded flat with minimal packaging, which is a plus for them. I liked that I wasnt throwing away large boxes or wasteful packing materials. And they are easy to tuck away on a shelf if you have leftovers for next year–no stacks of different sizes of pots to deal with.
Homemade Biodegradable Pots
FAQ
What are the disadvantages of biodegradable pots?
If you are growing the plants in the biodegradable pot for a while: The fabric pots were my least favorite from an ease of use standpoint. They were difficult to fill and didn’t stand upright as well as I wanted without propping them up against each other or setting inside another container.
Do biodegradable pots really work?
Yes! That is the whole point of making these pots. They are 100% biodegradable and make an excellent eco-friendly alternative to harmful plastics. If you’re nervous, you can loosen the bottom a bit before you put your plant into its spot in the garden.
What is the best thing to put in the bottom of a large planter?
It’s best to add drainage material such as broken old terracotta or pebbles / stones in the base of the pot . You can also use gravel and then compost . Then you can plant the pot up with your chosen plant . If you have a large pot you can lighten the load with polystyrene or vermiculite added in the compost .