Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Saying no to plastic pots

Inspiring Nurserywoman Kerry Mitchell

Kerry Mitchell is a woman with a mission,that is to only sell plants grown in biodegradable pots. Her coir fibre pots cost about 50 cents more than the plastic ones but buyers are happy to pay the extra if it means making a more sustainable choice in their gardening endeavours. As Kerry pointed out to me, it also means that plants which resent root disturbance when being placed in the ground can be planted pot and all without any trouble. Inexperienced gardeners or children will welcome this idea as they learn about growing plants for the first time.
In the past I have sold plants in pots made from compressed rice hulls but ran into problems with size, shape and supply. Meeting Kerry has given me inspiration to try and follow her lead.

Biodegradable coir fibre pots

2 comments:

  1. Ian,
    These types of biodegradable pots are starting to show up more and more around here. What I do find interesting is that the small / locally owned and operated growers / nurseries have been using them for some time now while I see that the big box stores are still buying plants in plastic. Sort of lets you know who is thinking about the environment more than just the bottom line. - G

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  2. What an idea! I use earthen pots, but would gladly switch to coir fibre pots if they were available here. I wish I knew how to make them. Thanks for the post.

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