Have you used these bags?

I just came across these plastic bags and wondered is anyone has used them and what you thought? I root a lot of (large) cuttings and donate them to various charitable plant sales. Generally I use recycled 1 gallon pots and I have a good supply as all my friends save them for me. Space here is limited and sometimes the yard can get pretty messy with pots; it seems several hundred plastic bags would be a lot easier to store.

Do they really hold up well?

http://www.4hydroponics.com/grow_room/growbag.asp

Personally I don't think they do as well as the plastic pots. I gave them a try and to me you really ha d to watch cuz the plastic so thin that in the summer heat, you can burn the roots of yoru plants easily. The soil gets hotter in the bags than in the pots.

The biggest problem was moving them around. The bags would fall over easilier, you couldn't handle carrying more than oen or two at a time, where with the plastic you can grab four or five. Was harder and messier to get plants out for transplanting too.

Thanks, I appreciate your opinion. They sounded too good to be true. It gets plenty hot around here also and I can see where the soil would get overheated.

I bought some plants this past summer that were packaged in something like this. I hated them -- some of the plants died when the packages tipped over and the plants didn't get water and baked -- or the plant slipped into the bag -- I don't remember the problem, but it was terminal.

Oh dear, it is back to having a messy yard again. I used to have a back corner where I could store hundreds of pots but they have cleared the land behind us and built a McMansion. I do not think the new owners will appreciate my junk heap in their view.

ardesia, I used them with very good results while I lived in a house and plan to do it again when I can move out of my apartment.

The thing is I propagated hundreds of plants and placed them in several rows, one attached to the other so they gave themselves support. This, for several months before I decided where to plant them (or share them with friends).

Nurseries here usually grow and sell their plants this way too. Of course, you don't let single plants in bags exposed to full sun. The best is you plant them right away after purchasing.

If you plan to grow many plants, it is a good (and cheap) solution. If you are not planning BIG, you better do it in pots. Since I live in an apartment if sow everything in pots.

Hope this info helps you to make a decision.

Hugs,

Ursula

Thanks, I am one of those folks who can't throw away a branch I might prune off or any plant divisions I can't use. So, I stick these things in pots and root them. In a few months I can donate them to a church or school auction. Been doing this for years and usually donate several hundred plants each year that way.

In the past it just wasn't a problem storing empty pots but it is now so you can see why I was thinking of this.
I can understand why the bags must be in a group to support each other. They are inexpensive, perhaps I will try just a few and see how they work out. Thanks for your input.

I bought some - don't like them - they tip over tear , burn , hard to water with hose .
I bought them because they store easy , I don't have to wash them and I can carry in car easy .
I still carry gorserery [ food ] bags in car . They are better for carrying cuttings in a suitcase on a plane thou . The people at airport have to look thou .

LOL, I always have bags, clippers, a small shovel, etc. in the car. You never know when you will need your supplies.

If I do decide to try them I will only need to use these bags for a few weeks at a time. As soon as something is rooted - off they will go to their new home. I don't intend to keep them around for months at a time.

I used the grow-bags last year for all my tomato and pepper plants, bought several different sizes. They worked great for me. I moved them without difficulty, they never tipped over or ripped. I had 1-gallon, 3-gallon and 7 gallon. Bought them all on ebay last winter. Did use a few for flowers but mostly it was veggies.

I plan to use them again this year. In fact I posted pics of my plants in the grow bags in the fall. I used 30+ bags all summer long. For me they were far more economical and much easier to store. End of the season I dumped the soil out, folded the bags up to re-use. I do plan on buying more of the 7-gallon bags to add to the ones from last year.

~Julie =0)

My take on these bags now.........

I bought 50 of these bags, just to try them, and for what I am using them for I think they are perfect. I only used about 6" of potting mix in them and that is plenty to get things started. This one bag has been on my table here in 40 mph winds and never budged; I thought for sure it would fly away. Because they will only be used for a short while I think they will work well I did turn down the top edge of the bag several times as they are about 14" tall.

For comparison the picture shows a gallon size plastic pot, the gallon size bag and the stack of the remaining 49 bags.

http://homeharvest.com/containergardenpotsplastic.htm
found this supplier much cheaper looks like a great idea.
Steve

Thanks moondogman, the ones on that site are less much expensive. I wonder if they are the same weight as the ones I bought. Some folks mentioned they fall over a lot but mine are pretty sturdy. Think I will order some of these and compare.

I LOVE that they take up so little space and since I am giving these plants away.................