There are now plant pots made of many different materials to buy and pots made of fabric and rubber are also widespread and find their uses. But what are the advantages of these alternatives to traditional pots and are there perhaps even disadvantages?
What are cloth pots?
Fabric pots are usually not made of fabric, but made of recycled plastic. The outer walls of the fabric pots are made of a textile material that is permeable to air. The bottom of fabric pots is made of a water-permeable material, which allows excess water to run off and thus prevents waterlogging.
What speaks for fabric pots?
Buying fabric pots can be worthwhile on a number of levels. The transport of the light and foldable fabric pots is easier than with other pots. Another benefit is that root growth is enhanced in a fabric pot. In conventional pots, the roots grow into a ball as they bounce off the outer walls in search of water and nutrients. However, when the roots hit the air-permeable outer walls of cloth pots, something called "air pruning" occurs. The root tips dry out and die. However, this dying is not bad, because the dead root tips stimulate the growth of new roots, which can thus grow through the entire soil.
Do fabric pots have any disadvantages?
Due to the increased air circulation that the material allows, the evaporation rate of the water is also increased. Due to this faster drying out, you have to water much more often.
What are rubber pots?
The resources for plant pots made of natural rubber come at best from FSC-certified rubber tree plantations. Natural rubber refers to the plant milk that can escape from the bark of the rubber tree. It is therefore a renewable and biodegradable raw material.
What speaks for rubber pots?
The pots are very flexible due to their rubber nature, which makes it easier to repot plants. The walls of the rubber pots are still thick and stable. They break less often than plastic plant pots because they are frost and UV resistant. As rubber degrades over time , it returns to the natural cycle and leaves no trace. This is particularly advantageous when growing vegetables and herbs, because microplastics often get into the soil through plastic pots.
Do rubber pots have disadvantages?
In contrast to pots made of plastic, pots made of natural rubber are more expensive and the raw materials must be transported in any case, since natural rubber cannot be obtained in Germany.
Conclusion on pot alternatives
The alternatives to plastic pots not only make sense from an ecological point of view, but can also offer advantages for the growth of the plants. It is therefore often worth investing in pots, and not just in high-quality plants!
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