Fabric Grow Bags For Vegetables. In some alternate universe, an older version of me is sitting in a rocking rocker on a large farmhouse porch, gaping at the latest gardening brochure. “Fabric grow bags?” I can hear myself saying now. What’s the deal with all these newfangled things? Back in my day, we just planted seeds in the ground.” Meanwhile, I’ve amassed a collection of grow bags, and my favourites are the Smart Pots, which retain moisture well and have solid handles for transporting.
As it turns out, these “newfangled” products have a number of advantages for gardeners. But, what is fabric grow bags? They’re also known as fabric pots, and they’re exactly what you think they are: fabric bags in which to grow plants. They can range from little one-gallon containers to big 200-gallon containers.
Fabric Grow Bags For Vegetables
Any gardening book will tell you that practically all plants require “well-drained soil.” This is especially true in container gardening, where there isn’t much room for excess water. Excellent drainage is one of the many benefits that many cloths grow bags provide. This drainage promotes healthier root systems.
Without getting too technical, the porousness of cloth grows bags results in dryer soil near the container’s borders, where there is more contact with the air. When the plant’s roots reach the drier soil and air, they stop growing, preventing root-bound plants. That is their claim to fame, but what additional benefits do they provide?
Advantages of Fabric Grow Bags
Let’s start with all the reasons we appreciate flowerpots: they’re portable, compact, and reusable, and there aren’t people or animals trampling through them like a traditional flower garden. A fabric grow bag provides all of these advantages and more!
1. Healthier Roots
Roots develop till they hit the wall in a standard pot. They then take a sudden turn and continue to grow alongside the pot’s wall, searching for water and nutrients. This eventually leads the roots to surround and tangle, resulting in less water and nutrients being taken in. As the condition worsens, this eventually causes structural damage throughout the entire plant.
When using grow bags, the root detects the drier dirt exposed to the air as it approaches the wall. This tells the plant that it has reached its growth limit. The root then prunes itself through a process known as “air pruning,” and begins to generate new fibrous roots from the main root. This allows the plant to absorb even more nutrients. This results in a far better root system, which leads to a more sustainable and robust plant.
2. Temperature Control
A fabric grows bag’s unique material is universally breathable, letting air flow in and cool the soil. This means that plants grown in grow bags may self-regulate their temperatures, keeping them from becoming overheated in the sun.
3. Efficient Drainage
The permeable fabric of a grow bag permits air in while allowing water out. Excess water automatically drains from the bag’s sides and bottom, keeping your plant from drowning.
4. Nutrient Conservation
Plants rooted next to each other in a conventional garden bed can have their roots fan out and take nutrients from each other. They can individually utilise their own fertilisers with fabric grow bags without their neighbours stealing from them.
5. Versatility for any Garden Size or Shape
Fabric growth bags are ideal for planting in tight quarters. This enables more dense planting while avoiding the need for your plants to compete for resources. They can even be stacked or hung to form vertical gardens, a novel method to plant in small spaces! If you don’t have enough room for a garden bed, you can use fabric bags instead. They can be planted directly into the ground because they are permeable and eco-friendly.
6. Easily Portable Fabric Grow Bags For Vegetables
Fabric grows bags are popular among RVers. Why? A standard pot must be secured to prevent it from falling over and breaking while on the road. Then you have to lug the heavy ceramic pot outdoors to enjoy it after you’ve arrived at your destination. Fabric growth bags do not have the risk of collapsing and fracturing. They’re also easy to hold and transport because of their lightweight and robust handles.
How to use Fabric Grow Bags?
1. Choose Your Soil
Local, organic soil can be acquired at a gardening or landscaping supply store. Specific soil types will vary depending on what you want to produce, however, most plants will thrive in Loam Soil. Make sure to include compost – if you don’t make your own, you can buy it. Make sure the bag has a 1-2-inch layer of Perlite or rough gravel at the bottom. This allows the soil to drain properly and prevents mould growth.
2. Plant Your Plant
Plant your plants in the same way you would in a regular pot or garden area. When transplanting a mature plant with an established root system, gently separate the roots before placing them in the hole. Surround the plant with just enough soil to cover the roots but not suffocate them. After that, lightly pat the earth down and water to let the plant establish itself.
3. Position Your Grow Bag
This is the exciting part: selecting where to place your grow bags! Find a location that provides enough sun or shade for your plants and position them accordingly. They will grow whether you display them decoratively, hang them vertically, or plant them in a bed.
4. Tend to Your Plant Throughout The Growing Season
Taking care of your plant in a cotton grow bag is similar to ordinary garden maintenance. Allow the bottom third of the bag to dry out completely before re-watering. Mould can grow in a moist bag. This is where Perlite or gravel comes into play. You may need to implement some weed or pest control or mitigation methods. When using cloth grow bags, you may also place companion plants together to help keep pests away.
5. Replant or Empty and Store
If you have a perennial plant in your fabric grow bags, all you need to do is decide if it can survive the winter outdoors or if it needs to be taken inside. For annuals, you can either remove the dead plant or allow it to disintegrate in the fabric bag and return nutrients to the soil. If you’re removing everything, make sure to wash and dry your bag. Then you may fold it up and store it till the following season. Washing instructions can be found lower down.
6. Repeat!
Prepare to get out those bags you stashed at the end of last season and report them! Refresh the soil nutrients in bags that still contain perennials with new compost. Alternatively, you may have elected to report it at the end of the summer season with a winter plant, or you may have decided to transfer it indoors to establish a houseplant. Remove the old plant or mix it into the soil for nutrients, add a little compost, and repeat the planting process if you want to plant something fresh in one of these bags. Have fun growing!
Pros and Cons of Fabric Grow Bags for Vegetables
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| On hot summer days, the breathable fabric lets heat escape, keeping the soil cool. | They are not necessarily environmentally beneficial. Surprisingly, many fabrics grow bags are not biodegradable. They are made of polypropylene, a petroleum-based polymer. |
| Fabric grows bags are convenient to store. When not in use, just clean and fold them up so they may fit into small storage locations. | They will not protect your plants while it is cold outside. The porous nature of the material allows heat to escape just as it allows water to evaporate. This means that if your plants are outside in early spring or late fall, you must pay close attention to the weather. |
| They’re adaptable. They include built-in handles that make them easy to move. | They do not last as long as other types of containers. While a stone container may survive for decades, all but the greatest cotton grow bags may only last four or five growing seasons. |
| They do not necessitate construction. Larger fabric growth bags can be utilised as raised beds without the need for special tools. | Large grow bags are difficult to transport. Consider picking up and transferring a 50-gallon container of soil. You’ll understand what I mean. |
| Transplantation is a basic and straightforward procedure. You can start your seeds indoors because fabric growth bags are so portable. When the time comes to transplant them, simply take up the full bag and “plant” it outside. | Fabric grows bags are not particularly fashionable. Yes, I understand that beauty is in the opinion of the beholder, but most of the bags are rather dull. You won’t get the range of shapes and colours that ceramic planters do. |
