Gardening Without Plastic

Plastic permeates every aspect of our lives, including the garden. But as the world wakes up to its addiction, just how easy it is to ditch plastic while growing and storing more of our own food?

From sowing seeds to protecting crops to low-tech ways of keeping harvests fresher for longer, we’ve got ideas that will help you to make more sustainable choices.

In this short video we’ll explore some simple ways to make and use garden-friendly alternatives to plastic.

In this video we refer to two others on our channel:

If you love growing your own food, why not take a look at our online Garden Planner which is available from several major websites and seed suppliers:
and many more...

[leslie-lynnesinkey]

I use tongue depressors, which look like an over-sized popsicle stick and are also available in craft stores, for my labels. They make labels both easier to write and to read. They last for one season, and just get turned under or added to the compost heap, no fuss, no muss.

[shannond]

Old bed sheets are easily torn into strips and used as plant ties for trellises and plant stakes.

[Andrewm]

I about spilled my coffee in excitement when I saw a new video posted! What a wonderful way to start the day!
Another alternative to plastic string if you don't have gentle hemp or soft cotton twine on hand and you need to tie up in a pinch is that nasty bindweed (looks like morning glory): grasp a length of it at its "up" end and run it through your forefinger and thumb of the other back toward the root end to strip off all of the leaves at once - when fresh the vine is very flexible and ties easily. Same can be done with periwinkle and such but not much is as flexible as bindweed which deserves to be punished.

[ireneventzke-brandt]

I always store straight branches of fruit trees or elderberry trees . I later use them to bind tomatoes or other plants which need support. Thicker branches or straight stems are used as a border between flower/ veg beds and lawn or paths. Stones which appear in the soul are also used as a border. Tiles from an old staircase are used as a decorative edging either upright ( keeps the soil in) or flat for the lawnmower to go over it.

[ireneventzke-brandt]

Addition: I use smaller branches which fork out in different places you support flowers or raspberries. Their stems can lay nicely in the forks. Stick a few around the plants criss-crossing each other and you don't need to buy any ugly plastic rings. When the flowers are cut down in autumn or early spring the branches can go to the compost heap too. No fiddling with any strings.

[AngelPrissy]

@growveg you did a good job on this video gardening without plastic. Thank you very much.

[jacksnstaffs]

Brilliant. Only video I have come across like this. Can't believe this is the only one when this is such an important subject. Good work. Thank you.

[MrMcGillicuddy]

I discovered soil blocks about 7 years ago and LOVE them! I use them for almost everything and love the mini blocks for small slow growing plants with tiny seeds. I have a couple hundred rigid plastic pots I've accumulated over the years and just keep washing them out and dry them in the sun to sterilize and store. It's been about 7 or 8 years since I've bought plastic. Recently I finally converted tons of my maple leaves from my leaf mold piles and deep litter in my chicken coop so I'm just about done with buying potting soil mix. Sifted 100 gallons of fluffy leaf compost and it's almost perfect for soil blocks without adding anything else. I never thought I'd get so much joy out of decomposed leaves and chicken shit and wood ash LOL

[meredithspitalnik]

I was a little surprised not to see soil blocks as an option for seedstarting. I'm never going back to cell flats, though I'm still using plastic leak-proof flats to hold my soil blocks, I plan on making some 3-sided wooden flats to replace them as the plastic ones break. 3 sided is recommended as it makes it easier to remove the blocks when it's time to plant.

[jiminsealbeach]

Great video. The handle on my old plastic watering can just broke. I really like the look of the metal ones, kind of “Olde Tymey” and decorative in the garden. I don’t have to put it away. So I can fill it and leave it out for a day to off-gas the chlorine. The plastic I still use is recycled. I don’t get more, or try not to, but reuse what i have. My microgreens I grow in paper towels on old salsa and cole slaw containers. They sit in a sunny window in a beautiful cobalt glass baking dish. My only hydroponic plant is watercress, I grow it Kratke style in coffee cans. For freezer and refrigerator storage, I use Pyrex, expensive up front but lasts for years and can go from freezer to microwave or oven.

[valerialagosterrizzano]

i try to re use single use plastic when gardening. I use clear plastic trays to protect plants from the cold, or plastic bags, I obviously re use pots until they fall apart, etc.

[rebeccaedwards]

That's a brilliant video thank you - lots of ideas to help on the way to a plastic free year of gardening!

[MrAtmasingh]

Thx a lot for your optimistic contribution of sustainable organic home-growing!

[XansMenagerie]

If you do need to buy bags of compost etc., check the bags before you buy - some brands now use recyclable plastic for them so you can brush them off and drop them off with standard carrier bag recycling.

[RedCherie]

Thank you for this!! We need more videos like this to help reduce plastic waste while still enjoying our hobbies. Good tips!

[randyarchambault]

I use old nylon stockings for ties. Simply cut them up into strips. They are soft and do not hurt stems.

[hesta]

My local council doesn't recycle the plastic trays that mushrooms and grapes and things like that come in (obviously I try to buy loose and plastic-free wherever possible), but I do reuse the trays as windowsill growing boxes. They're the perfect size for cress and other herbs.

[Haze]

Brilliant video, and a very worth-while topic as well. Thank you :) I've personally been trying to cut out plastic; the toilet roll tubes and newspaper pots work very well and I'll be continuing the use those going forwards. Any plastic trays that I do have I look after very well, with a mind to make them last as long as possible rather than being 'throw away'. And in the occasional circumstance we buy produce that comes with an unavoidable plastic tray (unfortunately not many store options near to where I live), I always save the plastic trays for garden use as well, such as using them as pots.

[davidthescottishvegan]

Excellent video. Growing your own plant foods will help reduce non recyclable plastic and single use plastic from supermarket and other retailers.

[helenhuskins]

The big box store in my town asks that you bring the flower trays back to them after planting your flowers and they recycle them!