I lived in my first house for over a decade. I have only lived in my current house for a little over two years, so I am still adding to my garden. So far this year, I wanted to add two growing containers that had trellis on the back of it.
Although Gardeners.com is my go-to online gardening shop, I wanted to see what else was being sold on other sites. There were many cute options. Gardening can be both healthy and fashionable. However, the Savannah Plastic Elevated Planter with Trellis I saw on Wayfair is not recommended for growing food. On Wayfair, people can post questions and a Wayfair representative will answer. Below are some of the questions and answers about this particular planter with trellis.
Q:"Why can’t food be planted in here?" asked by KH
A:"The planter is not safe for growing food-bearing plants."Samantha from Wayfair on Jan 24, 2022
Q:"Can you plant food-bearing plants on the planter?" asked by Anonymous
A:"The planter is not safe for growing food-bearing plants."Karl from Wayfair on Jul 05, 2021
Q:"What is the material of the item?" asked by Marsha
A:"It is made of Bisphenol A (BPA) free materials"Leanne from Wayfair on Nov 20, 2020
Q:"Does the planter box meet the USA regulations as made of certified food-safe material to grow edible plants for human consumption?" asked by RJ
A:"The planter box is not intended to grow food plants."Norbem from Wayfair on Oct 07, 2020
Q:"Is it safe to grow food-bearing plants?" asked by Ypsilanti
A:"No."Adam from Wayfair on Sep 30, 2020
Then, I wondered if other plastic-made containers I am using are safe. Luckily, after some research, I found they were. Honestly, I had not thought much about this. When I am growing food, I’m looking for a functional option. However, functional also must be safe.
This is what I learned about plastic containers and growing food-bearing plants in them. Stuff made out of plastic has a number. You need to know the number when determining if the plastic item should be used to grow food. Robert Pavlis, who has gardened for decades and has a background in biochemistry, shared that plastic labeled numbers 1, 2, 4, or 5 should be safe for growing food. The reason I used should is because some people are 100% against using plastic because they are not convinced it is 100% safe.
I believe people should garden in a way that makes them comfortable. For some people, this will mean not using any raised beds. Others may use raised beds but not plastic ones. If you choose to use metal or wood, please research to make sure it is food-bearing plant safe. Those raised beds could have harmful elements, too.
I settled on buying two Exaco Trading Calypso Planter with Trellis which is sold on gardeners.com. The brand of the planter is Exaco, so I went to their website to learn more. Under the About the Calypso Planter with Trellis and Reservoir section, it states, “BPA free polypropylene material is safe for growing all types of plants including vegetables.”
At the moment, I am happy with my choice. The true test comes when I use it during the growing season.
Regardless of what your raised beds are made of, please research to see if food is safe to grow in that raised bed or not.
Remember, anyone can be a gardener. You just need to get ready, get set, and grow!
To keep up with our 2022 garden, make sure you are connected to us on social media:
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @gardenershicole
Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/gardenershicole/
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Join us on the Wix App