Plant raising and growing in containers - including pots, planters, hanging baskets

Best organic practice - the first choice

• Use an organic growing medium

  See also:

  • Guidelines on Growing media
• Use the largest appropriate container size to reduce the need for additional feeding, and the risk of drying out.
• Home made paper pots, wooden trays (link to wood section) and recycled foodstuff and other recycled containers.
• Hanging basket liners made from recycled, biodegradable materials such as moss from your lawn, hay or a pure wool jumper.

Acceptable organic practice

• Reused plastic pots and trays.
• Biodegradable hanging basket liners.

  See also:

  • Our factsheet Hanging basket liners
• Commercially available pots made from papers, plant wastes and other biodegradable materials, excluding peat
• Plant tonics and biostimulants as outlined in these guidelines.
• Composted organic materials and organic fertilisers for additional feeding where necessary

  See also:

  • Guidelines on Organic soil care
  • Guidelines on Organic fertilisers
• Organic liquid feeds

  See also:

  • Guidelines on Liquid feeds

Acceptable, but not for regular use

• Pots and trays made from recycled plastic.

Never acceptable in an organic garden

• Tyres as a container for growing food crops, unless lined first.
• Moss gathered from the wild for hanging basket liners.
• Hydroponic systems where there is no natural rooting medium.
• Peat pots.