Why a potted plant isn't the easiest option for would-be gardeners | New Scientist

For nervous newbie gardeners, starting out with a single plant in a small pot is pitched as an easy win by the horticultural industry. James Wong explains why it isn't

By James Wong

23 October 2024

Simon Annable/Alamy

As someone who has been weirdly obsessed with growing things since I was a kid, I am always perplexed about how fearful beginners can be when it comes to gardening. This is probably why, when I ask nervous newbies about their first attempts, they invariably say they wanted to start with something manageable: a single plant in a small pot. The horticultural industry has ingrained this idea with glossy campaigns for beginners to start with pots. But here’s the kicker: growing in pots is actually far more likely to result in failure – and it is all down to simple physics.…

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