If you haven’t really paid attention so far, it’s time to get to grips with the benefits of fabric pots and how they work. Little by little we’re seeing more and more gardeners (both beginners and those with experience) choose to garden with fabric pots vs plastic pots and the reasoning is quite simple… plants grow better in fabric pots. But, why? Let’s break it down…

If you want to learn about the difference between Spring Pots vs other fabric pots take a look at our fabric pot breakdown here.

Roots!

If your roots are happy, then your plants are happy. Happy plants mean an increased yield and, let’s face it, everyone wants to see their garden flourish, no matter how small it may be. So, why are roots are a lot happier and healthier in fabric pots than they are in plastic pots? Well…

1. Roots benefit from natural air pruning

The roots of plants that grow in plastic pots suffer from being squashed. When a plant grows, its roots tend to first travel outward. As they reach the sides of a plastic pot, they suddenly have nowhere else to go and so are forced to grow downward until they crash into the bottom of the pot. At this point, they have no option but to spiral round and round, and to tangle up among themselves, stressing the plant in the process. Plants that grow in fabric pots, however, benefit from the free flow of air that makes its way through the breathable material and prunes the roots as they reach the sides. It’s the natural pruning process of the fabric pot that keeps roots in check and plants happy.

2. An increase in root mass = increased yield

The air pruning that occurs in a fabric pot encourages the plant to shoot out new feeder roots. With an increase in the number of roots, plants are able to soak up more water and feed on more nutrients, helping them to grow bigger and faster. Naturally, a yield increase is particularly useful to anyone who’s trying to make a profit from their garden.

3. Aerates the root zone and regulates temperature

The breathable nature of a fabric pot means that oxygen comes into contact with a plant’s roots from all sides and not just from the top, which is exactly what occurs in a plastic pot. The extra oxygen encourages the soil to thrive and keeps it at a perfect temperature. Plastic pots, however, tend to stifle the soil and literally “cook” all the helpful microbiology that lives in it. Just imagine how hot you would feel in the summer if you were forced to wear a thick, rigid, plastic suit!

4. Provides excellent drainage

And on a final note, the material used to make fabric pots is so much more porous than plastic, which means the problem of overwatering is eliminated. It’s easy to drown plants when gardening in plastic pots, but fabric pots provide such excellent drainage conditions that gardeners no longer have to contend with issues such as mold and pathogens.

Fabric pots = happy roots = healthy plants 🙂

Mobility!

And let’s not forget about the added mobility of the fabric pot. Easier to move around and easier to flat-pack and store, the fabric pot beats the plastic pot in terms of portability hands down. As anyone who’s ever tried to grow something will know, sunlight, shade and garden temperatures change throughout the year, but when gardening with fabric pots it’s easy to move your plants in response to the changing environment, especially when they come with built-in handles, like the Spring Pot range does.

So, start growing smarter and get planting with fabric!