Plant That Pot

If you’ve ever bought plants for your flower bed or garden, chances are you are familiar with those small plastic containers some young plants come in. Have you noticed that it’s sometimes difficult to get the plant to release from those things without damaging the roots?

Even before the spring gardening season arrives, it’s time to think about alternatives to those plastic pots. I’ve been wanting to write about the Paper Potter since I happened across it a last week, but when I also saw Linette’s post on biodegradable Cowpots at Mother Earth’s Garden, I was even more inspired.

I love the idea of being able to put a pot in the earth and have it biodegrade — no worries about damaging roots and no plastic waste.

So, what’s a Paper Potter? It was created by Nether Wallop Trading Co. in the UK. This wooden recycler is made from sustainable sources and transforms old newspapers into paper pots. The pots hold up to watering since they are allowed to dry out, but once in the earth, the newspaper pot biodegrades.

Even if you don’t grow your own plants, you can recommend this product to a farmer at your local farmer’s market or even make some paper pots of your own to give away. Many farmers do grow their own plants, and they spend lots of money on those plastic planters.

Nether Wallop Trading Co. ships outside of the UK. You can also order the Paper Potter from another UK company, Garden Boutique.

Image from Garden Boutique.