Fabric pots versus plastic pots: What you should know.

Fabric Pots vs. Plastic Pots: What You Need to Know

Using plastic pots for plants is popular for one simple reason: they are economical and readily available. When you want to create the garden space or grow room of your dreams, plants in plastic pots are a quick and inexpensive way to achieve this goal. They also work great as production pots. Since they are such a cheap, quick, and easy way to incorporate plants into any part of your home or garden, you might be wondering why fabric grow pots are something you should consider. Using fabric pots instead of plastic pots definitely has its advantages.

Temperature Control

The ability to control temperature can be essential for plants of all varieties. It may be obvious, but during summer or in hot grow rooms, heat and direct light can make it very hot for your plant's roots. Constant light and hot air can cause the temperature of the substrate to rise, especially when the pots are black and easily focus light, and they are not very breathable. This can essentially cook your plants in the pot if the temperature gets high enough or if there is too much time between watering. With fabric pots, you can somewhat regulate temperature thanks to their breathable properties. Most excess heat is able to escape through the material the fabric pot is made of, keeping roots cooler for longer and ensuring that your plants are not overheated by constant exposure to light.

Plant Root Health

When placing plants in a plastic pot, the roots of those plants can grow in circles. This means they can get entangled within themselves, which can create problems with water stagnation and oxygen access. This can be especially problematic for larger pots that may have proper drainage issues. Ultimately, when the roots reach the edge of the pot, they begin to grow in a circle, still looking for water and nutrients. Such roots can become entangled and lead to structural damage to the plant. When the roots are constrained, it leads to less water and nutrient intake. It also creates compression issues with the stem of your plant, which can lead to tissue damage in the roots. This further restricts nutrient intake and can cause extensive damage to the roots as well, shortening the life of the plant and limiting its growth. Thanks to fabric pots, the edges of the fabric pot allow the roots to sense the drier soil, which is exposed to air. This is a signal to the roots that they have reached their growth limit, creating something of an "air pruning" which helps keep the roots from spreading too far and causes healthy restriction. By preventing overgrowth, this eliminates what is known as girdling roots, which can lead to damage to the plant's structure. Ultimately, it comes down to fabric pots, thanks to their breathable build, creating limitations as to how much the roots can grow, preventing excessive and improper growth, thereby limiting the chances of structural damage.

Watering Differences

One of the main differences between fabric and plastic pots is that the former requires more frequent watering. This is because the material more easily allows air and water to pass through. What may surprise you, however, is that it is harder to overwater your plants using fabric pots. This is because excess moisture can be wicked away across the entire surface of the pot. A traditional plastic pot may lead to less water because it is not as well-aerated and breathable, so there is a greater risk of overwatering. Although plants in fabric pots need to be watered a bit more frequently, you can have peace of mind knowing there's a small chance of overwatering, saving you the risk of killing your plant and the stress associated with it.

Storage Differences

As nearly any gardener can attest, storing empty plastic pots can be somewhat of a challenge. Even when the plant has died and the pot has been cleaned, most of us do not throw out the pots, thinking about the possibility of reusing them in the near future, regardless of whether we are sincere in that promise or not. So, what happens when you need to store plastic pots? They can be stored in garages or basements, but they can also become a serious visual problem for growers valuing aesthetics and order. They also need to be stored or stacked in a way that they don't get cracked, crushed, or broken.

Fabric pots, however, can simply be folded and stored, taking up minimal space each season. This means the ability to reuse them every season without worrying about taking up space or potentially being destroyed. An additional advantage is that they can be washed in the washing machine, saving us time on cleaning and tidying them up.

Better Versatility

Plants in plastic pots can take up quite a bit of space and aren't very easy to move around. With fabric pots, their lightweight design and built-in handles mean that they are easy to move from place to place. For this reason, they are quite popular among those who partially conduct their cultivation indoors and outdoors, as they can be easily moved inside premises or outside. Best of all, they can be easily stored, taking up minimal space, and can actually be planted directly into the ground, since they are biodegradable.

Fabric pots offer more options and versatility than their plastic counterparts, giving gardeners greater flexibility. While plastic pots are much more common and certainly a bit more cost-effective to use, fabric pots offer many more advantages. It's worth spending those few extra bucks, although the price differences are not that drastic. Using fabric pots means healthier plants, stronger roots, less risk of overwatering, and greater versatility than plastic pots could ever provide.

The choice between fabric and plastic pots depends on individual needs and preferences. However, considering the numerous benefits of using fabric pots, such as better temperature control, healthier root development, ease of watering, and convenience in storage, it's worth considering them as an ecological and plant-friendly alternative. Fabric pots can represent a significant step towards sustainable cultivation and gardening, benefiting not only plant health but also the environment.