SoilWrap Plantable Pots
by Doug
(Reporting from his garden)
SoilPot with no roots coming out the bottom
There are no pots to dispose of, no root damage during transplanting, and SoilWrap® biodegrades in the garden in just one season....
The bottomless design which looks much like a single- serving yogurt container with no bottom (or top) encourages fast rooting with no transplant shock. It also allows the root system to come into contact with soil immediately for fast take-off. These pots consist of MirelTM, a bio-based and biodegradable material produced by microbes using renewable feedstocks. In the garden, SoilWrap® becomes food for beneficial soil microbes."
I purchased plants in them this past spring (2011) and ran some impromptu trials on their success in my garden.
The instructions clearly state not to remove the pot from the plant. So I did. :-) But only on half of the plants. The other half I planted as per the instructions on the pot - simply put them in the ground.
All plants (annuals) were watered and treated as normal in the gardens.
Results
Plants in pots grew slower at the beginning of the season and had less root development at the end of the season than plants where the pots were removed.
in one case, the roots never did go out the bottom of the pot and spread and the plant sat and stalled out all summer. See pic above
Bottom line
If I buy plants in these new pots, I'll be removing the pot contrary to the instructions.
