Container Gardening for the Green Set

A reader asks the Green Guide:
I would like to grow vegetables in containers and want to find out what sort of planters are safe for food and will hold up over time. I am concerned that wood will rot quickly and that terra cotta would be too heavy on the scale I need. What do you suggest regarding food-safe planter materials? Thank you for your help.
Sincerely,
Sarah G., Manhattan

The Green Guide responds:
With food prices as high as they are these days, who isn't tempted to try their hands at container-grown tomatoes or window-box herb gardens? The planters and pots available at your local hardware store are made from several different plastics, and it's worth noting that some of them—polyethylene, for example—have not been found to leach potentially dangerous chemicals when worn down or heated. But there are some good reasons to pass on the plastic. All are made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is widely used in planters, can release dioxin into the environment during manufacture and incineration.

It's good news, then, that there are lots of alternatives to help you go all-natural in your container garden.

Wood is a great choice that often gets a bum rap. Many woods—including cedar and redwood—are naturally rot- and pest-resistant, especially when drained properly and finished with oil or sealed. And all woods respond to their environment, swelling or shrinking with changing temperature and humidity, which helps protect them from the cracks and breaks to which terra cotta can fall prey. Planters made from well-managed hardwoods are available through outlets like Pristine Planet. The British companies Pendlewood and Arbor Vetum offer planters made from Forest Stewardship Council-certified reclaimed teak.

Terra cotta and other earthenware are also natural, safe and good for your plants. The porosity of the materials gives plants a chance to breathe, preventing root rot from excess water and keeping enough air in the soil for root development. If you find terra cotta too heavy, there's a lighter, equally porous alternative. Evan Peters & Co. carries a line of planters made from the patented material Terracino Lite, a mix of terracotta, jute and magnesium that looks and feels like pure terracotta but weighs much less.

One of your lightest, least expensive and greenest options may surprise you: pots and planters made from rice hulls or husks, the protective coverings of rice grains left over when the plant is milled for food, and starch-based binding agents. Rice hull planters come from a renewable resource, tolerate freezes and thaws and are themselves biodegradable. When they reach the end of their lives—on average, the planters last five years—you can compost them to nourish your garden or simply plant them in the ground. Find them at a local nursery or botanic garden (see a list at Eco Source), or order them online for $5.50 to about $15 from Olive Barn or Potting Shed Creations.