GROW A GREENER GARDEN: REDUCE PLASTIC WITH THE SOIL BLOCKER

March 31, 2021

When we think about gardening, often amongst the lush greenery and delicious vegetables, can be found an assortment of plastic pots that, more often than not, only last a single season. Whilst many of us cannot imagine planting without our trusty pots to hand, there is an alternative to this seemingly never-ending cascade of plastic – The Soil Blocker.

The issue with plastic

According to recent statistics, up to half a billion plastic plant pots are incinerated or taken to landfill every year, in the UK alone. This means that millions of the single use pots that we purchase to grow our own plants and veg each year, to create a more sustainable way of life, spend around 450 years decomposing in a landfill. With those pots made from black plastic being the worst of them all, with the carbon ink used to dye them being one of the most difficult compounds to break down.

Whilst these stats might leave you in a panic, wondering what to do with all of the plastic that has already accumulated and become a staple in your garden this year, it’s not too late to make a change for the better.

Changing for the environment

The best place to start is by treating the plastic that you already have in your garden with kindness. The more uses you can get out of a single pot the better - bonus points if you manage to get it to last multiple seasons! And most importantly, once it has reached the end of its lifetime, make sure to recycle responsibly.

Avoiding plastics altogether might seem like an impossible feat, but there are alternatives out there. We always champion eco-friendly trays, such as bamboo, but for those times when an alternative just doesn’t quite match up, or is unavailable, ensure that you buy hard wearing plastic that will withstand the demands of multiple seasons.

Whilst switching to eco-friendly trays and more robust pots might help to make a small dent in the amount of plastic waste that your garden creates, there is one tool that can radically change your approach to growing and help to create a ‘Greener Garden’ – The Soil Blocker.

The Soil Blocker

Soil Blockers are an innovative gardening tool that allows you to start your seeds without the need for endless pots. The tools create multiple blocks of soil each time, with indentations ready for seeds to be planted directly into. They even supply a potting on system, that doesn’t use pots – you simply place one soil block into another as the plant grows, until they’re ready to be transferred into the garden. This handy system also eliminates plant loss through root shock!

Soil Blocks are ejected from the Soil Blocker into gardening trays, where they can be watered and tended to throughout their lifecycle. Meaning that there is simply no need for a pot to be in sight! Not only does this mean that you can achieve a more eco-friendly garden, but it saves cluttering the greenhouse and is also more cost-effective. When looked after properly – cleaned after each use with water, and hung to dry in a well ventilated space – Soil Blockers should last you many years, and some have even been known to be handed down through generations!

You can shop the full range of Soil Blockers in the Garden Shop, and find a useful tutorial on our homepage – if you’re new to Soil Blockers we recommend purchasing one of our pre-made kits.

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