Your plants will grow successfully within the nurturing aid of the Dirt Locker® that will lock in moisture, soil, and nutrients. Together, the Dirt Locker® and your plants become a cohesive stabilizing force, protecting your entire hillside from nature’s destructive elements and providing erosion control that improves over time. As your plants increase their root structure, the hillside is constantly increasing in strength AND beauty! So you want at least 50% of your Dirt Locker system planted, but 70% is ideal as the more plants, the bigger and stronger the root system! Check out this chart to see how it works.

The Dirt Locker® Tree/Plant Ring consists of two Dirt Lockers only, (it can not be made larger by combining it with more than two individual Dirt Lockers), and is used for individual trees or small groups of plants to protect them on a hillside. It protects plants from erosion and other surrounding invasive plants, as well as contains them within their pod, and makes irrigation significantly more effective. No J hooks necessary.

Small Planter Ring: 16” diameter and works with 10-45° slopes (holds max 11" container)

Medium Planter Ring: 26” diameter and works with 10-28° slopes (holds max 24” container)

Large Planter Ring: 26” diameter and works with 29-40° slopes (holds max 24” container)

Watch or view the Tree/Plant Ring Installation Instructions.

Technically, forever! High Density Polyethylene (HDPE, which the Dirt Locker® is made of) is not biodegradable and does not break down over time. They are also created with a 10 year UV inhibitor. The original prototypes were in place for 11 years with only mild fading. Additionally, since the Dirt Locker® is designed to grow and sustain plants, ideally they will be providing shade, thus substantially increasing the life of the Dirt Locker®. Dirt Lockers come with a 5 year replacement warranty, however it is void if not installed per our official Dirt Locker® Installation Instructions PDF emailed to you after your purchase.

We stand by our product in the harshest winters (-58F/-50C) and hottest summers (+160F/+60C). The Dirt Locker® is made from 100% recycled High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) so the material is very durable and will not crack due to the elements. Check out this chart to see how the Dirt Locker® protects plants all year round!

Additionally, Dirt Locker® is flame retardant by nature, however, HDPE starts to melt at 235°F so although these are not fire hazards, they are not resistant to forest fires. The HDPE UL rating is UL 94 HB: horizontal slow burning with a burning rate of less than 76mm/min and burning stops before 100mm.

You can also read about “Firescaping: How to Protect your Home with Fire Resistant Landscapes” by Purgula Magazine. You can also read more about us in this Purgula Magazine feature.

The Dirt Locker® is ecologically friendly in several ways, but at its core, is constructed from 100% recycled, High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). Where single use plastic gets recycled, repurposed, and reused to grow your garden, not our landfills! (Feel free to request a certificate of authenticity for verification).  The Dirt Locker® is also food-friendly because HDPE is one of the few plastics approved by the FDA for food storage and preparation. HDPE is found in milk jugs, plastic bags, and refillable bottles (labeled #2 plastic for recycling). The benefits of HDPE also include acting as an effective barrier to repel or hold in moisture, does not rot, resists insects and chemicals, creates no harmful emissions during production or during its use by the consumer. Most importantly, HDPE does not leak toxic chemicals into the soil or water so it is an excellent choice for fruit and vegetable gardens, and technically, it will last forever! 

With Dirt Locker®, you don't have to worry about nanoplastics or micronanoplastics. Nanoplastics form from moving plastic, like plastic bags or plastic packaging, whereas the Dirt Locker® is installed into the ground and do not move. Even if someone felt compelled to sand down the Dirt Locker®, they are non-toxic. HDPE is actually approved for food processing so the cutting board you use to chop veggies, or a chef uses to prepare a meal at your favorite restaurant is probably prepared on a cutting board with HDPE plastic. There are a few pros when using 100% recycled HDPE plastic - it's non-toxic, does not break down over time, doesn't lose its strength during the recycling process, and the Dirt Lockers themselves can be can be recycled.

Fun fact! Each Dirt Locker® purchased saves the equivalent of 13 plastic milk jugs from entering our landfills and oceans. Each month, HillGrow Inc., owner of Dirt Locker®, helps recover nearly 100,000 plastic milk jugs monthly. Read about our global impact in the Group of Nations online publication 2021 (PG 134-135) & 2022 (PG 118-120) to learn more about our pledge to stop erosion, save water, recycle plastic while growing trees, plants and food all at the same time!

We also partner with Eden Reforestation Projects to plant 6 trees for every 10 Dirt Lockers sold! Learn more about how Eden Project's tree planting initiatives are impacting our environment in a positive way by tackling deforestation and providing millions of people with employment opportunities throughout Central America, Indonesia, Haiti, Madagascar, Kenya, Mozambique, and Nepal!