June 30, 2026, 3:57 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
Many gardeners simply toss plants they want to get rid of into the compost bin. However, there is often someone who would take them. Here’s an overview of the many ways to find a new home for plants.
After dividing perennials in the fall, suddenly there are eight pots on the terrace, and there’s no room for half of them in the garden bed. Or the rose grows so abundantly that it falls over the path and needs to be removed. A plant you want to get rid of is sometimes at the end of its life. Often, it is perfectly healthy but no longer desired for various reasons. Before digging it up, consider what should happen to it.
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Getting rid of plants locally: often the quickest way
The easiest and fastest way to pass on plants is locally, whether given away or for a small fee. In neighborhood networks like nebenan.de, you can often find takers within hours or a few days, as well as in giveaway and plant exchange groups on social media like Facebook for many regions. On Kleinanzeigen.de, you can list the plant in the appropriate category and decide whether to charge a price or give it away for free using the “To give away” option. Public bookcases and exchange cabinets are also occasionally used for plant exchanges, even if not explicitly intended for that purpose at every location.
Local handovers have a nice side effect: buyers and recipients usually come from nearby and pick up the plants themselves. For larger specimens, you can leave the hard digging to the new owner.
Seasonal plant exchange markets and garden fairs, organized by many clubs and initiatives in spring and fall, require a bit more planning. There, you can hand over cuttings and young plants directly and often receive something in return that your own garden is missing. Dates and locations are easy to find online.
Schools and daycares, community gardens, or allotment garden associations are sometimes interested in fruit trees, berry bushes, herbs, young plants, or perennials. However, you shouldn’t just leave the plants at the entrance. Be sure to ask beforehand if the plants are wanted.
Also interesting: 5 common mistakes when propagating houseplants
Selling: allowed, but not on every platform
Selling often uses the same channels as giving away. However, not every platform allows the sale of plants. On Vinted, for example, “living plants, seeds, aquatic plants” are explicitly among the prohibited items, as are chainsaws and axes.
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Private or commercial? When it gets tricky
As long as you occasionally give away a few of your own plants, you generally don’t have to worry about formalities. It only becomes problematic if you sell regularly and have a profit motive. Then a hobby can turn into a business, with all that entails. The plant passport usually only affects commercial trade, not the occasional giving away, exchanging, or selling of surplus thyme over the garden fence or on platforms like nebenan.de. If you’re unsure or have larger quantities to give away, it’s best to check with your local municipality.
If no taker is found
Sometimes a plant is sick or simply can’t be given away. Healthy plants can, if necessary, be shredded for use as material for your own compost or as mulch. Thicker branches and entire shrubs can be stacked into a deadwood pile, providing shelter for hedgehogs, beetles, and birds, and the straight rods of some willows and hazels make good supports for beans or can be woven into fences.
Not everything should stay in your garden. Material infested with fungal diseases or persistent pests is better disposed of in the compost bin or even the regular trash. Special caution is needed with invasive species like Himalayan balsam or Japanese knotweed: if they end up in the compost, they can spread uncontrollably from there.
For larger plants or thick root balls that won’t fit in the compost bin, the recycling center is a suitable option.