Plastic pots often accumulate in the garden, and with good reason—they’re versatile, reusable, and can serve many purposes. While it’s estimated that 500 million plastic plant pots are used annually, a little creativity can help you make the most of your collection. Here are 10 ingenious ways to reuse those plastic pots and keep them out of the landfill.
1. Make Plant Collars
Cut the bottom off a plastic pot to create a collar, which can be placed around seedlings or young transplants. This simple solution protects plants from wind and pests like pill bugs and earwigs.
2. Support Your Tomatoes
For tomatoes, place a larger, bottomless pot around the stem at planting time. Fill it with soil to encourage additional root growth around the stem. This will stabilize the plant, help it access more nutrients, and provide better anchorage, especially in confined spaces like growing bags.
3. Handy Storage
Plastic pots make great storage containers for garden tools, twine, labels, and pens. Attach them to a greenhouse bench or other convenient locations to keep essential items close at hand.
4. Save on Potting Mix
Larger containers can require a lot of potting mix, which adds both weight and cost. By upturning a smaller pot inside the bottom of the container, you reduce the volume of potting mix needed. This works particularly well for shallow-rooted plants like lettuce, herbs, and strawberries.
5. Create a Bug Hotel
Fill a medium-sized pot with natural, dry materials like hollow bamboo canes, dry leaves, bark, sticks, and moss. Place this “bug hotel” in a quiet part of your garden to provide a safe haven for beneficial insects like ladybugs, who will help control pests.
6. Control Earwigs
Stuff a pot with moist straw and place it on top of a bamboo cane near your plants. Earwigs, which help control aphids, will hide in the straw during the day. Check the traps and relocate the earwigs to a more suitable area if needed.
7. Control Invasive Plants
To prevent invasive plants like mint from spreading, plant them in a plastic pot and bury it in the ground. The pot keeps the roots confined, allowing you to enjoy the plant without the worry of it overtaking your garden. It can also protect plants from competition with nearby trees or shrubs.
8. Make Labels
Plastic pots, especially light-colored ones, can be repurposed as plant labels. Cut them into strips and use a pencil to mark plant names. The best part? You can reuse these labels by erasing and re-writing each season.
9. Insulate Plants From Cold
If you’re caught off guard by a late frost, simply place a pot over your tender plants to protect them from the cold. Stack two pots for added insulation or add extra layers of insulation such as burlap if needed.
10. Get Creative!
Repurpose old plastic pots as unique garden art. Paint or decorate them, and create colorful displays that add character to walls, fences, or corners of your garden. You could even make whimsical “flower pot people” to liven up your outdoor space.
Bonus Tip: Reuse for Planting
If you can’t think of a way to reuse your old pots, don’t worry! They make great containers for planting. A surplus of pots is perfect for giving away plants, sharing seedlings, or supporting community garden initiatives.
Prevent Pests and Diseases
Before reusing your pots, it’s essential to clean them to avoid transferring pests, fungi, or diseases. Scrub them with dish soap and a bristly brush, and for terracotta pots, remove mineral deposits with a wire brush. Some gardeners soak pots in disinfectant, though a citrus-based cleaner is a more eco-friendly choice than bleach.
For those avoiding plastic altogether, consider biodegradable alternatives made from bamboo, coir fiber, or recycled paper. You can even make your own pots from newspaper or toilet paper tubes to grow seedlings.
By reusing plastic pots, not only do you keep waste out of landfills, but you also find creative ways to enhance your garden’s productivity and beauty.