Environmentally Friendly Planting Pots

Seed Starting

• Instead of using small plastic cell packs or pots made of non-renewable peat moss, gardeners are creating small molded newspaper pots, using simple, widely available wooden molds. Another alternative is starter pots made of coir, a stiff fiber made from the outer husks of coconuts.

Larger Containers

• Stored properly and washed between uses, clay pots can last for years. When they break, they can be used as drainage material in the bottoms of other pots. Nurseries are also beginning to sell pots made of a wide variety of natural, biodegradable materials, from cornstarch to bamboo.

Plastic

• Even plastic pots can be used more sustainably. Wash and reuse them multiple times. When they are no longer usable, take them to one of the many garden centers that recycles plastic pots. Some municipalities may also accept clean plastic pots as part of mixed stream recycling.