Eight ways to reduce plastic use in your garden

We probably all have some plastic that we use in our gardens and gardening but with a little thought, and often simply returning to the good old practices used for hundreds of years before plastic was invented, we can greatly reduce the amount we use and hopefully one day eliminate all together. If you do have plastic, I have several plastic seed trays for example, please take good care of it so it can be used year after year. My seed trays are cleaned after every use and stored in a cupboard in the potting shed out of direct sunlight when not in use so as not to become brittle as some will if left in sunlight for too long. I have a plastic watering can that is equally cared for to insure it can be used for many years yet; a galvanised watering can is high on the wish list.

Below is a list of a few things we can all do to cut down on plastic use in our gardens. 

1. Biodegradable Fibre pots. I have been using fibre pots for a few years now and the benefits are multiple. I sow many of my vegetable seeds in fibre pots, especially things like Runner Beans, Courgettes Tomatoes etc.... They can germinate and grow on under cover in these great little pots and when ready to be transplanted to their position on the plot or in the greenhouse you simply plant the whole thing pot as well. No root disturbance far less chance of damaging your seedling whilst transplanting and the pots slowly break down in the soil over the following weeks. Brilliant things! There are even larger pots on the market now made from bamboo and rice which are compostable and will last five or more years with normal use apparently.  Great for growing on seedlings or smaller plants such as herbs.
2. Biodegradable Fruit Punnets and Trays. If you share some of your produce with loved ones, please hand over your gifts in Punnets that can be composted. There are some brilliant ones on the market and how daft is it if you think about it to spend months lovingly growing organic fruit and veg only to use plastic bags or trays to distribute it in! One of my favourite things to use, a good old paper bag.  
3. Trugs and Baskets were, of course, originally made from wire, willow or wood but somewhere down the line plastic ones came along. I have a wooden trug, I love it and use it all the time when harvesting, it’s strong, sturdy and looks great. Yes, you can get cheaper plastic ones, but they aren’t as strong, won’t take as many knocks as one made from wood, wire or willow and quite frankly look a bit crap.  
4. Please do not purchase those cheap plastic plant labels that can be found in some many shops now. They are usually quite thin and utterly useless for purpose after a year in the garden anyway meaning you have to buy more. Lollipop sticks make perfectly good plant labels and can be composted when they begin to rot. I actually make my own from pieces of wood cut from an old pallet into a decent size so they are easy to see and read on the plot, around two inches wide and six inches long. A lick of paint and they are ready to be written on. After each year they are re-painted and they’re good to go for the next season.  
5. Garden twine. I am a little old school here and always use twine to tie in plants anyway and in my eyes, there is no place for those adjustable plastic plant ties that are available on the market. A good ball of twine is a must have for any gardener. 
6. Plastic garden tools such as hand trowels and forks are, amazingly to me, available everywhere. Nine times out of ten they are utterly useless for purpose, they will break within a few weeks, please do not even consider purchasing them.  
7. Storage tins. There is a plethora of plastic storage vessels on the market but us gardeners can easily do our bit here. My potting shed is an eclectic mix of storage options. Those large tins of instant coffee most offices have, I have four of them full of Vermiculite and Perlite. Bird seed is stored in an empty pickling vinegar bottle, my ‘bits & bobs’ tin is an old M&S biscuit tin and packets of seeds are stored in one of those metal index card boxes from about 1981. 
8. I have mentioned before on the blog about my passion for terracotta pots and they are bar far the better option compared to any of the garishly coloured plastic pots on the market in my opinion. I know you potentially have to water plants in terracotta pots more often and you may lose the odd one to frost damage once in a while but the benefits vastly outweigh the disadvantages. Plants have been grown in terracotta pots for thousands of years, Ancient Egyptians and Romans are reported to have put plants in terracotta pots. The use of the material has been dated back to 10,000 BC in China; they had so mastered the art of producing the material in 210 BC Qin Shi Huang was buried with the famous Terracotta Army! One last note, a weathered terracotta pot looks a thousand times more interesting and beautiful than a slightly faded blue plastic one, and you will never convince me otherwise. 

Cheers 🍺