Grow Bags

Meag is using grow bags instead of commercial pots. I would love to hear feedback from Meag and anyone else who has or is using them. Here is a weblink that sells them. The price is what got my attention. I wonder if Bamboo stakes could be shoved down into them? Will they hold up/stand up if there are 3 stakes inside the bags? If so, what size bag would be suggested. I liked these particularly because they are white on the outside and look light-weight and easy to move.

Meag gave me another source, but I couldn't get into it. But I found another site that is probably very similar:
http://www.4hydroponics.com/grow_room/growbag.asp

I would love some feedback from anyone that has used these. Thanks in advance.

Becky, I love the grow bags! I don't think that I will ever go back to pots. For my morning glories I use the three gal. size, and yes you can use bamboo stakes in them. They are white on the outside to reflect the sun's heat away from the roots. Most of all they come in many sizes and are soo affordable!
Here is a picture of one of my mg's.

Thanks for the info Melanie! How stable are they? Do they stay upright or get blown/knocked over easily? How many times can you use one? Just once or multiple times? I saw the prices. Pretty darn reasonable. (Though shpg. is ridiculous as always! lol)

BTW - Beautiful Morning Glory in your grow bag!!!

This message was edited Sep 13, 2008 9:08 AM

These would be great for experimenting wit different seeds/plants and moving them, in a situation where it gets too hot, I move some of my plants mid-Summer for that reason~the thing I wonder is one 7 gallon about right for on full grown plant or may be two is all...? Meag, what size growbag is in you photo?Smaller than the 7 gal. size would be ok for plants with smaller roots, but morning glories grow out good size root sustem don't they ? (Ron?) ...and Bamboo is perfect. that is what I use! They look teriffic! So what size to try out then...?

Ok, this will sound really dumb, when you are ordering them, is it 10 bags for 1.50 or 1 bag for 1.50? These would be great for morning glories, moonflower vines and other plants like that.

Hi intrigue3! The grow bags are actually 10 for whatever price is listed. I did a trial order to see shipping costs. If I ordered just 10 bags of one size it was between $7 - 8 for shipping. But the more I ordered, the shipping price only went up a little. To give you an example:

If I ordered:

10 - 1 gallon ($2.25) + 10 - 2 gallon ($2.75) + 10 - 5 gallon ($6.50) = $11.50
Shipping was only $8.18 (vs. $7 for just 10 bags of a particular size!)
Total order would be $19.68

So that is 30 bags of different sizes for less than $20. Not bad at all in my opinion!

I am still hoping to hear from Meag as to how long the bags last and if they are re-useable. I'll tell you ... I like that they are white on the outside to keep the roots cooler and being "bags" that are probably folded before use for easy storage which is nice because they won't take up a lot of space. And they are portable! Great idea!!!

Becky - I got some of the grow bags (black ones, though) recently in a co-op. People were saying they had been using them over for 3-4 years already . . .

How would they support a trellis like a tomato cage? They seem like they would tip over easily. I like the price tag compared to more traditional containers.

Nichole - I saw the black grow bags, but the heat here is so intense that it would fry my plant's roots! These white ones seem much better suited for my climate and zone. That's interesting that some folks have used them over again for that many years. That definitely beats the price of those plastic pots that plant nurseries use.

Good question Joseph concerning your question about tomatoe cages. I wonder if the bags could be partially buried in the ground for added support? Or maybe the tomatoe cages could be placed around the outside of the bags which might also support the bag and the plants? I don't know. All good questions!

The prices can't be beat if they are as good as the claim!

The heat can be intense here, too . . . I'm thinking of using them more for overwintering purposes. The ones I've got have holes in the side . . . I saw them and thought of Joseph and his allysum project this summer . . . depending on the type of plants, they may possibly provide additional protection to the black bags.

Nichole - Holes in the sides? Hmmm ... I wonder why? To retain water in the bottom of the bags for added moisture for the roots?

Joseph - I got to thinking about your question (and mine, too) about the bag tipping over. I bet the larger bags would not tip. I have some of my bags of potting soil sitting up and those bags aren't moving. The soil in them is so heavy that when they get wet I can't hardly move them! So I bet the larger grow bags like 3, 5, or 7 gallons are pretty stable once they are filled with dirt or whatever potting medium you are using.

Becky,
With my black ones, when filled, the side drainage holes end up on the bottom. The first row in on the bottom of the "pot" and the second row ends up just above ground level when filled. I am just started to use a few of mine so I don't know at this point how well they will do. I would have preferred the white over the black.

Hi Jan! Oh that makes sense... when they are folded up the holes would appear to be on the sides. If I order any, I'll post here how the white bags do. I know you are not too far away from me, so your heat is just as intense there too!

small rocks for extra drainage and stability would help not tipping....
:Darren

Yep
I have to grow alot of full sun plants in part shade if they're in pots because the roots bake in the black pots. I try to bunch them together as much as possible to minimize the about of pot sides exposed to the sun. Seems to help.

I went to visit my daughter this past weekend who lives at the beach. When I came home I found out something else about these wonderful grow bags, they don't get along with a weedeater! My husband was so proud of himself for doing all the trimming, so today I will try and repair them with white ductape. LOL and crying at the same time.