Biodegradeable pots

I've been given some of these as a birthday pressie and I'm wondering how long they will last.

They're Stewart brand, and the biggest is 15", obviously given then size they're not going to break down within a couple of months!

Does anyone know anything about them?

 

Hi AkkaN, as far as I know, there are two types of biodegradable pots - the ones you leave a plant in and plant out and rot down in the soil over a few months, (I use newspaper instead) and the ones that take up to three years to break down. I've never seen any as big as 15" though. Must admit, haven't tried them myself.

 

Hi AkkaN.

To me, 'biodegradable' is, as theruralgardener has said, either those I make myself from newspaper, or those made from coir, corn starch, wood fibre and a whole host of other easily and fairly quickly compostable things.

With the Stewart pots, the word 'biodegradable' is, I feel, highly misleading. They are made from 'biodegradable plastic', which, if you read their 'blurb' says ' .... they won't deteriorate in normal use and are designed to last indefinitley but if they end up in landfill or composters they will decompose.' Dig a bit further, and the answer you're looking for is in the small print caveat which says 'They will last as long as the original pots and saucers but will biodegrade in high temperature conditions which are not reproduced through normal use.'

Truly 'biodegradable'? Well, I guess in the strictest sense of the word -'kinda' but, I think, like any other plastic, they should also stipulate 'only where facilities exist'. If they're aimed at consumers who feel they'll be 'helping the environment' by buying them, then I'd have a serious issue with that.

 

Thanks Fidgetsmum and theruralgardener.

Yes, I've used coir and paper pots myself so I was a bit concerned to receive pots which look like fairly heavy duty plastic but which say they are biodegradable. They'll be sitting on a south-west facing path in full sun, and I had visions of them slowing falling to pieces with my plants in them. I'll be able to plant them up happily now.