Greener gardening - sustainable wool pots

Wool isn’t just for cosy jumpers at this time of year - it’s also very useful in the garden.  Versatile and abundant, wool is increasingly being used in various forms due to its insulating and cooling properties.  It holds water, keeping soil moist, and raw fleece can protect from pests due to its rough texture.  Wool products are receiving awards for eco-friendliness and often touted as a viable alternative to plastic.

Wool makes an excellent natural garden twine to tie in plants such as sweet peas and tomatoes.  It looks and feels soft - which means it’s kind to plant stems, as well as your hands.

Hortiwool manufactures moisture retentive wool pads which can be used in a surprising number of ways, including lining pots, mulching, growing microgreens, insulation from frost, as capillary matting and even as a kneeling pad.

Wool pots are becoming popular: fill with compost, pop in your seeds or cuttings and water, then when the plant is big enough, the whole thing can be planted into the ground.  Not only that but the rim of the wool pot is a natural slug and snail deterrent.

Wool pellets are another product to prevent slug and snail damage.  These pellets are placed around the stem of your plants or inside the top of pots to create a barrier and lock in moisture.  They’re organic and break down naturally, adding nutrients to the soil.

Or there’s wool compost: Dalefoot manufactures a range of growing media, mixing wool from a flock of Herdwick sheep with bracken harvested from the fells surrounding their farm in the Lake District.  Peat-free and organic and naturally water retentive, there’s wool compost designed for seeds, potting on, tomatoes, vegetables and general purpose.