designed for the way women work.
Root Pouch: Making A Difference One Fabric Pot At A Time
Category: Presenting "The Curious Gardener", Strong Women Building A Gentle World, Tools & Techniques
Ashley Fromm, the youngest member of a four-person partnership at Root Pouch in Hillsboro, Oregon, didn’t set out to change the world when she graduated from college in 2008, but that’s exactly what she and her partners are doing. Ashley, along with her godfather, his wife and her sister, are equal stakeholders in a company that manufactures fabric growing pots made of recycled plastic bottles. Their company is so in sync with the times that the words “landfill” and “gardening” no longer seem incompatible.
Root Pouch got its name when the founders decided to use the kangaroo as a metaphor for their product because both of them ‘protect their young’, says Ashley. This led to the tagline “Better for the plant, better for the planet.”
Early on they formed a partnership with the Ye family in China, combining the horticulture expertise of the Root Pouch team with the Chinese expertise in recycling and geotextile technology. Ashley calls them their ‘mirror family’ and the close bond they formed continues to flourish.
The arguments for fabric pots versus plastic pots, which are still the standard in most places, are dizzying. At the end of my conversation with Ashley I was a convert to the “Better for the planet” brand promise.
Here are some of the facts:
- Root Pouch last year alone removed 1,200 metric tons of plastic water bottles from circulation that were otherwise destined for landfills.
- Each 5 gallon pouch they produce prevents 2-3 bottles from going to landfills. In contrast plastic pots, even if recycled, will use some petroleum-based fossil fuels.
- Root Pouch pots can be folded and ‘baled’ so that they take up about 1/6 the amount of space in shipping and transportation that plastic pots do, saving millions of gallons of petrol.
We all know what it’s like to remove a plant from a plastic pot and find it is rootbound, its roots encircling the plant at the bottom of the container. With a fabric pot, by contrast, when the roots hit the fabric sides they shoot out dense fibrous roots which encourages plant health. This is the “Better for the plant” part of the equation.
Ashley grew up in Idaho, went to college in the Bay Area of California, and studied international business. For the past year she has been working from home, sharing office space with her husband of almost 2 years, and a new sheepadoodle puppy, who sits quietly on her lap through our phone interview. She loves that her real office in Hillsboro is dog-friendly and looks forward to bringing him in to meet the other dogs. She says she misses meeting with customers and traveling to trade shows, which was a big part of her business lifestyle before the pandemic. She’s a VP with responsibilities for sales and marketing.
Part of her job is educating customers and prospects about the benefits of a fabric pot but also about the special properties of her fabric pots. Root Pouch pots are the only ones made with recycled plastic bottles plus a blend of natural fibers, making the pots more breathable. The fabric has been engineered to offer thermal protection to roots too, making the plant warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
The exact properties of the Root Pouch blend are the ‘special sauce’ says Ashley, and treated as a family secret recipe. All of their fabrics are BPA and toxin free.
Ashley has her own vegetable garden at home, all planted in Root Pouch fabric pots. She grows tomatoes, potatoes, asparagus, carrots, as well as herbs such as rosemary, cilantro and basil. Root Pouch makes containers that are 100, 200 and 300 gallons in size for raised beds. Like all the others, at the end of the season you dump out the soil, wash the fabric and fold it up for storing until next season.
Womanswork carries the 5 gallon container from Root Pouch. It is called degradable, not biodegradable. They are not meant to be planted in the ground, but used like a typical pot would be, above ground. Wash and fold them for storing at the end of the season and you will get several seasons out of them.
For more information about Root Pouch visit their website at https://rootpouch.com/
Great concept. I am very excited to try these, I wonder how the plants come out of the pot? Easy, as with the plastic? I love the foldable at end of season idea because it makes a barn or greenhouse so much easier to deal with if we dont have stacks of pots!!
seems like a great product for sure.
I’m always looking for ways to recycle and use things so that we don’t fill our landfills. It may sound a new idea for sustainability in our world, but my father always showed me in so many ways how to repurpose just about anything. I love the idea of these pots being reusable.
Save plastic from the landfill and better/stronger plant roots….I’m game.
Sounds like a great idea. I am always looking for new products that benefit the earth. The fact that this product can relieve the overgrowth of our landfills is a marvelous idea. I have started my seedlings and barely have room on my breakfast room table as this is my sunniest area.
I was already interested in fabric pots for their growing advantages. Knowing these pots recycle tons of plastic makes me even more excited. Keep up the good work!
Love the article and the info on starting seeds with the root pouch!
I start seed for everything I grow. I would love to try these and know that I am personally helping to reduce plastic waste product.
Great Idea ! Better for the Planet for sure. Love Womenworks gloves. Used them to plant my onions sets yesterday in New York.
My Ligonberry bushes that I ordered thru Fedco Trees came in these. Would love to try them as well.
I have used fabric pots for a few years for potatoes and live them. Look forward to trying these as well!
Very forward thinking business plan. Resourceful
Would love to give these a try!
I’ve been wanting to try fabric pots! I did not know you could buy them in raised bed sizes, that’s wonderful, seems like a great and affordable option for raised bed planters! Thanks for all the facts and tips!
Great job with talking about the product by talking about Ashley! As a board member responsible for marketing in the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of NAWBO, a national organization for women business owners with local chapters, this is who we are about–women changing the way business is done. As she markets her product, I strongly recommend she also reach out to the woman business owner community! From the personal side, as a Penn State Master Watershed Steward my interest in products that help us garden in a way that supports the environment’s health is high! And, gardening has been my physical fitness mainstay for years. I enjoyed reading the story of this product, in all its facets. Thanks for sharing it!
This is amazing! Would love to try.
Brilliant reuse idea
Interesting. Would love to try this.
I have been using fabric pots for several years. My daughter works for a lawn service in Florida and sent me some five or six years ago. I’m not sure they’re degradable or biodegradable but it’s really nice to use them. They don’t crack and cold weather ??
Always on the lookout for helpwith my spring seed-starting process. This looks like a winner!
I’d love to try these and gift some to my mom!
This is AWESOME! I would love to have all my plants in these bags. We need to recycle/reuse/repurpose so much more. There is so much plastic polluting the earth. I would love to help our planet more.
I’ve used root pouches for growing potatoes and they are terrific.
Sounds like a great product for botht he garden and the environment….look forward to giving it a try.
I have several of these pots, but I did not know the back story. Fantastic innovation and from right here in Oregon!
I would like to try growing potatoes out of one of those root pouches.
My biggest question is which plant are the seeds? Tomato? Herbs? ect.
What a great story! Would love to try them
Awesome idea! Love to see how people are mitigating the single-use plastic crisis! Bet the bigger containers make great planters for tomatoes and potatoes!
Sound wonderful! I will look forward to trying.
Amazing. These products could indeed be a game changer. Kudos to you
I have both sizes of Root Pouch and use them for other things as well as for housing seedlings or plants. I especially love the 5-gallon with handles to take into my pond for general cleanup or to carry into the garden for a quick deadheading or small pruning event. They clean up great and are ready for my next adventure.
I’ve been seed starting for 50 years and would like to try these pouches. They would defiantly take up less room when stored.
Would live to try these. I don’t have a lot of luck with seeds!
Love this! Would love to try these out
My new landscaping is waiting…
The article was very informative. The pots sound intetesting and so much better than plastic containers. Thank you for letting us in on such a wonderful process for growing plants.
Would love to try these! They look amazing!
I use fabric planting bags now so I’m curious to see these in action. Great article!
Nice concept, I would like to sample the kit. Then after trying I’m sure I would like to purchase for future use. I always look forward to Spring/Summer and starting seedlings for colour around my yard and gardens. My seed packets are waiting for just this sort of start.
Cool! Sounds a lot eaiser to store!
I’ve been hearing about these. Such an interesting idea!
I’ve thought about trying to grow flowers from seed, but have always been hesitant. You make it look like fun & something I can successfully do … especially with this great Kit! Thank you for the opportunity to possibly “win” this Kit & jump in & try! This would be a magical gift & inspiration … which I would so dearly appreciate & be most grateful!
So interesting. Would love to try them.
What a wonderful product. I am working hard to try and do better at “going green” even with “one step at a time!” I would love to try this product to help me reach my goal!
Thank you, Ashley & Root Pouch, for the important work you are doing!!!
What a lovely idea. I can’t wait to try the pots.
Love this, would love to use it.
I would love to try these! What a great way to make better use of plastic waste.
What an ingenious idea, we are well into our seedling cycle in South Florida; welcome opportunity to experiment with seed starting kit. Seeds the day!