Grow bags are notoriously large, fabric-like bags that can be filled with a growing medium and used to grow plants and vegetables. They typically come in plastic varieties but they also are available in many more breathable fabrics.
Grow bags work best with shallow-rooted plants such as tomatoes, potatoes, salad greens, herbs and vegetables like peppers. The rule of thumb is anything you can plant in a container can also be planted in grow bags – plus they’re perfect for containers indoors or on balconies but can also be used in raised garden beds for a more traditional look.
Growing bags are usually used to start plants, while plastic containers often hold finished plants.
The Pros of Grow Bags
Grow bags offer a lot of advantages over traditional potting soil. Here are just a few reasons that you should give these eco-friendly containers a chance.
- They can be used anywhere: Grow bags are great for people who don’t have space in their yard and live in a rental since they can be used just about anywhere.
- You can move them around: One significant benefit to grow bags is their easy mobility, since they are lighter than plastic pots and have handles on top of them.
- Healthier root systems are formed: Roots are less likely to circle, which is also known as root bound since they were grown in potting soil rather than a plastic pot. This makes the plants easier to prune.
- They regulate the temperature: Plastic pots get hot beside the sun. However, grow bags are designed to be breathable and can easily escape excess heat.
- You can’t overwater them: Grow bags will release any extra water through holes in the material, avoiding overwatering and mould which can happen when a hyper tolerant plant is overwatered in a plastic container.
- They’re not difficult to store: Plastic pots occupy a ton of space to store. However, they fold flat for easy storage until you need them.
- Some biodegrade: Some grow bags are fully biodegradable, so if you choose to plant them in the ground they will break down.
- You don’t have to worry about your ground soil: Since you will be adding soil of your choice to the grow bags, the quality of ground soil is not important.
- You’ll save time: The quickest way to make planting a flower garden is by using grow bags – time and money effective.
The Cons of Grow Bags
One drawback of using grow bags is that they have a shorter life, which means you have to buy them more often.
- You need to water more frequently: The grow bags are porous, and water can easily leave them. This means that you need to keep watering them more often than pots made of plastic. If you have a bad tendency to forget about watering plants, these might not be the best option for you.
- They aren’t as durable: As with any other garden growing material, grow bags will have to be replaced periodically. Replacement pots should last 2-3 seasons at the most.
- The costs add up: Since you’re replacing them so often, the cost of using grow bags can be more expensive than traditional pots.
- You may find them unattractive: Grow bags are sack-like containers and tend to come in darker colours such as black, brown, or grey. They’re not quite as attractive as some hard-sided pots.
- Some aren’t biodegradable: Some varieties of garden waste biodegrade, but others do not, meaning that they must be removed from the ground to avoid rotting and spoiling the plants.
- They can get heavy: One advantage of grow bags is the ability to move them around, but any bag that weighs more than 25 pounds may be difficult to move and needs a place where it can stay.