Having the right educational talking points can make all the difference in whether a product is going to sell. Let’s discuss some talking points around the reasons to use rice hull pots, so you can help your team and your customers gain a better understanding of the benefits as well as how to use them properly.
EcoForms products are about more than just sales, they have a mission. That mission is reducing plastic waste and keeping grain by-products out of the landfill as much as possible.
The Mission
EcoForms rice hull pots are a zero waste alternative to plastic pots, or non-sustainable pots of other materials. The advantages of using rice hulls to make our pots is two-fold. It keeps plastics out of the landfill (the vast majority of plant pots are not recyclable) and it uses a material (rice hulls) that would otherwise end up in a landfill creating more greenhouse gasses.
Grower Series
One of the most common questions we get asked about the grower pots is “can I put these directly in the ground?” While technically you could put them in the ground and they will biodegrade, that process takes a long time. The plants’ roots are going to want to grow faster than the pot will biodegrade. These pots are made to last for a few years, so planting them in the ground will only prevent your plants’ roots from expanding until they begin to decompose. The fact that they last is an advantage, so you can enjoy using them over and over for your seedlings until they’ve worn out. After that, simply dispose of them and they will leave no waste behind.
In-house tests at Sweetwater Nursery have shown that plants grow faster and roots become more robust when seeds are started in the rice pots versus plastic seed starting pots. Rice hulls are created by nature to provide a safe and supportive habitat for seeds, and that is exactly what these pots are doing. EcoForms grower pots can give your plants’ roots a healthier start and set the stage for a longer, more productive life.
Nova, Decor and Quadra series
Natural materials do not mean lower quality. These pots are thicker and made to last, are lightweight and super durable. Made from the same rice hull material and natural binding agents, they are zero-waste and biodegradable after several years of use. Even the colors are created from natural pigments. These pots are designed to last 5 years outdoors and even longer indoors, with some lasting up to 10 years. Every pot has a perfectly matching saucer that can be purchased separately.
We have been asked if these pots will “weep” or allow water to permeate through. The answer is no, they have no weeping and do not leak other than through the drainage holes on the bottom, even with plants that take a lot of water. The binding agents are very strong and the material is non-permeable.
Questions? Feel free to reach out to sales@ecoforms.com, we are happy to help!