Growing bags are made of fabric or plastic bags. These are useful to develop shallow roots. Feel free to use them for small gardens or balconies. Remember, growing bags are ideal for the hydroponics system. They can put out little waste because of their re-usable qualities. If you want to use growing bags, prepare them for your favorite plant. Install a plant and care for a growing bag to improve the health of a plant. Here are some tips for using a grow bag.
What Will I Learn?
Purchase Growing Bags
These bags are available at home improvement stores or nurseries. Feel free to choose between fabric and plastic growing bag. The fabric bags may need more water than plastic growing bags. Consider the size of the roots before choosing a bag.
Each growing bag comes with special instructions, such as How to use grow bags. Read these instructions carefully before using them. Avoid a massive bag unless you want to plant something large. For instance, a 50-gallon bag is sufficient to plant a grapefruit tree.
Use Clay Pebbles to Line the Grow Bag to Assist Drainage
If your potting mix is not vulnerable to drainage, you will need something to put in the bottom of a grow bag. Feel free to use chunky perlite or clay pebbles. Put sufficient perlite or pebbles at the base of a bag. Cover this bag completely. Use almost 1-inch of perlite or rocks in a bag.
Mix Soil to Your Grow Bag
Feel free to use gardening soil (compost-like). You will need a compost created for containers or make your mix. For a grow bag, you will need a blend of 1/3 compost, 1/3 vermiculite (a moisture-retentive mineral) and 1/3 moss mixture (mushroom compost or chicken manure). Fill your growing bag up all the way. The top of your grow bag must have only 5 cm of space.
Shape and Loosen the Grow Bag
After putting soil in the bag, shake it well and knead it as a pillow. The shape of the bag must be similar to a low hummock. It is essential to spread the soil equally.
Prick drainage holes in your grow bag with scissors. Maintain a distance of 1.3 cm between gaps in the bottom. These holes are necessary to release extra moisture. If your grow bag has drainage holes, feel free to skip this step.
Add Plants
It is the right time to add plants, so pick plants with shallow roots. The base of the bag will not affect the roots. You can grow flowers, herbs, potatoes, lettuce, French beans, strawberries, marrow, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplants, capsicum (peppers) and tomatoes. If you want to grow large items, you will need large growing bags.
Choose the Right Location for Plants
It is easy to move your grow bags, so feel free to put them in a different location. You can put them in a greenhouse, garden, or balcony. Consider the availability of warmth and sunlight when selecting the location.
To make room for plants, you have to use a trowel or hands to scoop out the soil. Make sufficient space to add plants. You have to install a root ball in the soil. Put this ball on the scooped out place. The soil must cover the whole ball. Moreover, cover the top of this ball with dug out soil.
For the proper growth of the plant, you have to pay attention to the watering requirements, nutrient solution, and fertilizer. You can get the advantage of self-watering systems, such as a drip system. Fertilize your heavy feeder plants and prop up them as per their needs. In this way, you can grow healthy plants.
