Kitchen Garden: Fabric Grow Bags- The Best Choice for Home Gardeners

Growing vegetable and flowering plants in fabric grow bags is getting increasingly popular all over the world, including Pakistan. Fabric grow bags are used not only in nurseries in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad and other big cities of Pakistan but home gardeners also use grow bags for kitchen gardening, especially on their rooftops.

But still there are many people who ask me why they should spend extra money on grow bags when they already have clay or plastic pots to grow plants.

Actually, there are many good reasons to use a grow bag instead of a plastic or clay pot. Here are some of them.

Healthier Roots

In a clay or plastic pot, the roots of a plant grow in entangled circles. This can create air or water stagnation problems, especially if the pot doesn't have proper drainage or is a large size. Gradually the roots become constricted which leads to less water and nutrient uptake. The stem of the plant also become compressed leading to tissue damage which further restricts uptake of vital nutrients. Thus, plant growth gradually becomes stunted.

On the other hand, grow bags are porous and they require more frequent watering. However, it is harder to over-water grow bags because any excess moisture will come of the bag. When you over-water a plant in a traditional pot, it is possible to actually drown the plant and it may also promote the development of mold or fungus in the container. It is also likely to result in the eventual death of the plant.

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Temperature Control

During hot, summer days, plastic pots placed in direct sunlight may become quite hot. Since they are not made of a breathable material, they trap all that heat inside which then cooks the plant's roots. This is not the case with fabric grow bags. Because of their breathable quality, grow bags regulate the inside temperature. Excess heat is able to escape from all sides of the bag.

Easy Storage

Plant pots need to be stored somewhere when not in use. But they take a lot of space? Don’t they? Most pots are stacked on top of each other to be reused and can easily be broken or crushed when stored over a long period of time. But grow bags can be easily folded flat and stored in minimal space.

Versatility

Grow bags are lightweight and usually come with attached handles so they can be easily moved around to different locations in your yard or garden. Besides, fabric grow bags are biodegradable, and therefore they can be planted directly in the ground.

Grow bags come in all sizes from 2 gallons to 100 gallons. You can choose the one according to your requirements. The following table will give you a good idea of what size grow bags you need.

Advantages of a grow bag:

Grow bags promote a healthier root system that encourages root pruning rather than root circling,
Fabric grow bags also help to control soil temperature as they shed excess heat through the breathable fabric.
Grow bags prevent over-watering since excess water percolates out through the fabric material,
Grow bags be folded flat and stored in a small space.
Grow bags can be easily moved and even planted directly into the ground.