Impact of Biocontainers on Plant Performance and Container Decomposition in the Landscape

As the green industry is moving towards sustainability to meet the demands of society, the use of biocontainers (plant-based containers) as alternatives to petroleum-based plastic containers has drawn significant attention. Field trials of seven plantable biocontainers (coir, manure, peat, rice hull, soil wrap, straw, wood fiber) were conducted in 2011 and 2012 at five locations in the United States to assess the influence of direct-plant biocontainers on plant growth and establishment. The rate of container decomposition in landscape was also assessed. In 2011, container type did not affect the growth of any of the three species under study (cleome, lantana, and New Guinea Impatiens) with a minor exception in one location. In 2012, the effect of container type on plant growth varied with location and species. Cleome, New Guinea Impatiens, and lantana plants grown in coir and straw containers were in general smaller than those in peat, plastic, rice hull, wood fiber containers. After three to four months in the field, manure containers showed on average the highest rate of decomposition at 88 % for all the data in five locations and two growing seasons. The levels of decomposition of other containers, straw, wood fiber, soil wrap , peat containers, coir and rice hull were 47%, 46%, 42%, and 38%, 25%, and 18%, respectively, in descending order. All plantable containers under study did not have negative effect on plant performance and establishment. The impact of container type on plant growth was considerably small compared to that of location (climate).  Similarly, the impact of plant species on pot decomposition was considerably small compared to that of pot material.