I just saw this video and I do have some thoughts. I am a bit concerned in 3different areas. First, since the sponges hold water and it is dark in the pots, this could be a prime setup for mold to grow. Second, as the plants grow their roots will be entwined in the sponges and when it is time for the plants to be repotted into larger containers it will be necessary to remove the sponges from in and around the roots and could further shock the plants that are being slightly traumatized by being replanted to begin with. And lastly, this would not be good for plants that need to dry out between watering, such as geraniums (and many others). It could ultimately cause root rot and the demise of the plant.

Sponge is made from polyester or polyurethane. Introducing plastics like this into the soil means that any plants grown there will have trace amounts of micro plastics absorbed into them for decades. The effects of this are still unknown but have been linked to different forms of long term illnesses in humans and animals. Some form of micro plastic exposure is inevitable these days but making sure your plant roots grow directly into plastic is probably not the best idea.

Just watched this video about repurposing used sponges. I would like to share a couple tips. Instead of soaking the sponge for an hour with soapy water, add a little soap and water to the sponge and squeeze most of it out then place it on your plate in the microwave and cook for 30 seconds and it will kill the bacterias in it. I do not recommend using the sponges with edible plants as some contain PCBs which can break down in the soils and get absorbed by the plant. Also you can cause root rot in plants that don't need much like Rosemary and succulents. The person doing this needs to know what their plant's watering needs are. Doing this with plants like zygocactus, also known as Christmas or Easter cactus, the added moisture can prevent them from blooming. There are many plants that need to go through a dry spell, even orchids, in order to bloom. I'm a Master Gardener and we've discussed this subject numerous times at meetings and find there are more cons than pros. Best to use perlite or vermiculite. For typical houseplants that people buy, grow a while and toss or replace, sure, go ahead. For this who want their plants to mature and grow healthy, who value the time invested in the plant , so we can divide and share our plant children, stick to perlite and vermiculite. There's a reason, many reasons why gardening supply stores don't sell sponges for this purpose.

I would be very careful not to use this in anything you plan to eat, like herbs and things because of the plastic from the sponges getting into the food. As that's usually why people grow their own veg/fruit/herbs is to avoid the nasties like microplastics and pesticides etc. But looks like a good idea for normal house plants. I just put a layer of stones like gravel in the bottom of the pot. I think it works well for drainage, as well as stopping the soil coming out the holes in the bottom of the pot.

Hi bro, there is a possibility of water staying too long in the pot which may result in root rot or fungus development.

The thought that crossed my mind is you are putting more plastics into the environment. Some people might say that what with micro plastics, and even nano plastics, circulating already it's already too late, but there are other natural products like coco coir, a by product from coconuts, or compost.

A trick I use when potting a plant is to use the original pot to make a space in the new pot. Put a layer of soil in the new pot. Take the plant and root ball out of the original pot. Place the old pot inside the new pot and fill round with soil. Take out the old pot and you now have a perfect space to replant the root ball, after a bit of teasing out. Firm in the plant and water.

Brilliant tip! Thanks for sharing!

Hi! Jeannie from Lakeport California here. I love tips like this, have always been a recycle nut, just ask my elderly clients!! I started in the 1970's, after a commercial showing an Indian brave crying, looking at garbage everywhere. I am 60 now. I woke up a lot of people to, if you do nothing else, just recycle. Some, refused, so I kept going thru their garbage myself. They started eventually. Some of their neighbors even started leaving me bags of recycling, cuz their apartments did not have cans, yet. They started bugging the manager to get big cans!! It took time, no one likes change, but it did happen! Please, everyone, at least recycle, cleaning of our rivers is starting, let's all help, by just recycling....

Thinking I'll use this idea for hanging baskets in the spring since they are hard to water and dry out fast

Your plants looks pretty & healthy🎉😍💖👍💐

Fabulous idea! Thank you for posting this ❤

Genius idea! Why on earth didn't I know this before? Thank you. Anna from England

The sponge will soak up water and could cause fungal infection and root rot

This is a great idea for hanging baskets. I'm going to try it. Thanks 👍

Cheers, what a great idea, especially for my hanging baskets.

This could have easily been one-minute video, tops.

When I use decorative pots without drainage holes, I put these sponges at the bottom of them, and place the pot with the plant in, on top. That helps to avoid accidental overwatering.

Thank you for your video I'm new to your channel and I have learned something new which is the sponges that holds moisture.. I want to share this video with my mother because we do take trips and we don't want anything to happen to our plants❤

Valuable information! D sponge has been put 2 multiple use. Thanks 4 sharing dis tip. Hope 2 hear more tips. 💐

Very useful materia, but the problem the toxic side and the micro plastic. :( pls use luffa pumpkin or hemp fiber, maybe the rockwool in too better from plastic(not the glass fibert)

Hello from Melbourne, Australia, love your videos

I am so happy to watch this video and it will be a great help for my plants if ever I will be away and won't worry they dried if not watered for few days.

Thank U ~going to give it a try and check how my plants grow ~it's always good to learn how to use stuff we throw away and put them to good use. Durban South Africa

Interesting topic. Yes plants love an airy medium to grow in. But should we all be throwing old sponge into soil like it's a landfill site? I don't think so lol, those chemicals could slowly breakdown and poisen you.

Reuse is great but this is also how microplastics get into our environment. Doing this with potted plants is one thing but in the garden, it will introduce microplastics into the water table. Of course, there's already miçroplastics everywhere, even in Antarctica...

Thank you the fantastic tip will pass this in to me dad much love from Liverpool 🇬🇧

Hey 👋 thanks for the tips have great day 🎉

Amazing idea Defiantly I will try it this summer I live in NJ USA I plant a lot of flowers and vegetables and I don’t go on vacation because of my garden It is huge and no body wants to come and water them for me I hope it’s going to work for me Thanks again

🤠 it's a breakthrough which holds and controls water without wasting or spilling out. It also retains the moisture of the manure used for long time without drying. The spong never interacts to atmospheric changes.

Love this and it made so much sense, especially on the long trips away, thanks for sharing!!!! ♥️🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago!

Great idea, thank you for sharing👍

Its a really good idea for trying to keep your plants moisture levels up, but, its going to introduce all opportunities for mold and fungus, and toxins from the decomposing plastic. I would like to recommend growing a couple of luffa plants. The luffas when dried become sponges for cleaning everything, and the used sponges can be used in your plants (please bleach the sponge to kill any bacteria). Great idea, just needs a few tweeks.

And that's how you develop root rot 👍

Thanks for sharing your video, keep growing from South Africa🎉✨️

Truly amazing and Thank you for sharing 👍🪴👍🪴👍

Love this idea so so much!!!! I am always throwing out those exact sponges when they get greasy. I’m going to try this on another hack. Growing roses from rose hips. Thanks from australia.

Makes sense to me! It uses less soil to pot it up and probably makes it easier to transplant the next time also! Thank you from Twig, MN, USA!

What a great idea. Well done and thank you.

Идея интересная, надо попробовать, спасибо.

I heartily endorse this method - I've been doing it for a few years!!!! My great great great grandfather showed it to me and I don't have to buy any sponges anymore. My plants fruit regularly and the harvest is amazing. Up to 30 new sponges at a time. Think of the money that saves me - absolutely pure gold. Here's a great tip for everyone. If you like doing mosaics but can't afford tiles (they are expensive), simply use broken egg shells (remove the eggs first and use them for omelettes (yum) or fried eggs or scrambled but not boiled) and break into mosaic sized pieces. Have fun!!!!! UPDATE 10th Jan Harvested 27 sponges today with a few more ready to fruit soon!

I live in a dry area. I have been mulching and composing heavily for the past year. The soil texture and nutrient profile has improved a lot. This hack will take it even further with moisture retention, especially since there are rules in place preventing us from using municipal water for gardening. Thank you very much for sharing this.

Thank you so much for this i can used the old sponges

AWESOME TIP!!!!!!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING!!!!!

Most people would rather hear talking and not have to read an explanation of something. It’s still a good idea for house plants. Maybe short term because sponges smell when they don’t dry out properly.

I try not to use any plastics in the soils I use and remove any I do find so I'll never do as you suggest.

A lot of good information being shared. I will use what I learn and try my best to grow some edible plants.

Whow this is brilliant in going to try this when I plant ❤❤❤👍

That makes perfect sense ,I have one question though, can I replant my fern like that as well?? Thank you !!

That's not a good idea at all!

Thank you...from India 🇮🇳

Thank you from NZ and I love all your tips

Good for plants that require frequent watering so you would have to water less often . Not for all plants

Seems like a brilliant idea. However, how long have you been doing this? I ask that because of the possibility of the elephant in the room the possibility of root rot by the sponges holding the moisture. So if you have been doing it for months with no problems on all types of plants then it is all good!

Definitely a great idea for flowers!

What a great tip. Bravo..!

You forgot to put the green bit at the bottom of the pot to stop soil coming out 😉

I think that if you don't want to mix the sponge into the soil, you could let the sponge pieces sit on the surface of the soil mixed with a layer of woodchips to help keep the soil from losing water so rapidly in hotter weather.

This is amazing! Great idea. 🇨🇦

I love the idea. Thanks sharing

actually the filter floss and sponges that I kept inside my pond filter outside without a cover occasionally promotes a free place for some wild plants to grow in it. I was surprised at first since I have no idea that a plant can grow in a sponge or filter without any soil, but the plants that was growing are not the same thing as my aquatic plants.

To my eyes, that sponge looks brand new

I don't know how many sponges I threw away, I like this idea. My name is Kefilwe from South Africa Gauteng. I recently grew love for gardening, vegetables. Thank you for this video

Thanks for this great idea from Nova Scotia, Canada 🍁

If the plants are edible, wouldn’t micro-filaments of plastic be absorbed by the plant? Would the micro-filaments negatively impact non-edible plants in any way?

You are using a brand new one, that's hardly recycling. Question is one can safely use an old one when it may have acquired grease and cleaning products

Great recycling tip showing love for Earth. From COlorado USA

Hi. Thanks for this informative video. Watching from Mauritius.

I wouldn't put this sponge in soil. Mine mildews easily just from staying wet from kitchen use.

In settings, under playback speed, you can increase or decrease the speed of an individual video to suit your needs.

Good idea. Never thought of this b4. Thanks.

Thank you for the very good information i'm about to throw the old sponge

Root rot is a worry that even I had while watching this and was surprised that others picked on it too. However reading others comments and their successes with it I think that as long as you don’t totally cover the base with sponge it should work fine as you have effectively made pools of water here and there and not an entire water logged base level. Just note how much sponge is used in the demonstration and how much of the base was covered by it.

I actually did this with an herb garden. A layer sponge, rocks and soil. However, the sponge I used deteriorated. I was shocked because I didn't think it was biodegradable. However, it wasn't the kind that you used. It was a cheap version of the scotch brite kind. So perhaps there's something about that kind of sponge. Idk.

I’ll use that idea here in TX Pretty clever

Great idea 👏Will try for sure

Cud have finished the video under 2 minutes !

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. That's the mantra. You show us how!

Thanks so much! Las Vega, NV, USA

Watching your tips and tricks from Melton Mowbray, UK... 😀👍

Don't bother with this hack. The sponges break down over watering and doesn't help keep the plant moist or nourished. I tried it, it didn't work. To help a plant water itself, find a KZfaq video showing how to use a rope in a potted plant to make it self-watering. Works very well.

Cool beans! Awesome! Tyfs! Zone 6a Ohio I appreciate this wonderful tip👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾😁❤💯

WOW! That is a wonderful hack that I will use this year.

Merci! Du Québec au Canada👍👍👍

Thank U so much for ur great tips

Hello, I am calling from Hull, in the East Riding of Yorkshire in the UK. What a wonderful channel you have. I am 67 and believe it or not I am new to gardening and I love it. What have I been missing all these years. Great idea to use the sponges like that.well done. I shall be watching your videos from now on. Thank you so much. 🙂👍

THANKS GREAT VIDEO AMSTERDAM HOLLAND LOVES THIS SUCCESS

Looks brilliant

thanks for sharing. God bless

wow thank you for sharing your nice idea.

From England good tip 😊xthank you will try this

I fully agree!

Thank you it’s my first time growing I have nearly 20 plants and Iv been incorporating loads of techniques Iv found online.. copper and bamboo electro culture ext and my plants are growing like crazy! Weirdly enough I just repotted a few plants and I have a few more to do I said to my dad… “we should put stones and or sticks at the bottom to help with draining and he was like meh never done that before… and I was right! I have a few more to repot now and ima use my old sponges thanks Edit: sponges = plastic and we get enough of that second hand theu everything we touch in gonna use a few sticks

Great tip

Beautiful

Great info thanks from Wales UK 🇬🇧

thank you for this tip! i got a brilliant idea!!!

Thank you for sharing..GOD bless

Good video.. thanks!

Thank you from the Bahamas