Are you familiar with home and kitchen gardening?. Then you probably know grow bags. Grow bags are typically referred to as fabric pots and are normally used to grow various vegetables and plants, including small-sized trees. Grow bags are very effective for gardening with limited space, such as in estates or city homes.
Pros of grow bags
1. Place of use: Grow bags have a great advantage because they can be used anywhere. It comes in handy when you live in a rental estate or a home in the city where it is limited as you can grow your plants or vegetables with much ease.
2. Portable: Grow bags are easy to move around, especially when moving to another rental, apartment, or own built house away from the city.
3. Healthy root system: Plants that grow in grow bags have a healthy root system compared to those grown in a plastic pot where roots are likely to circle. A healthier root system makes it easier to prune the plant and aids in nutrient uptake, resulting in healthy plants.
4. Easy to use: Grow bags are cost-effective and reliable in how they are made. You won’t have to incur an extra cost of preparing beds or removing grass. Even those new to gardening, can give it a try, and you will be amazed by a flourishing garden that you can make with grow bags.
5. Alternative for areas with poor soil: If you live in an area with poor soil or are prone to being waterlogged, getting a pro bag for your gardening could be a good option. Grow bags can be of much success for growing crops of root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes
6. Temperature regulation: Unlike plastic pots that can have high temperatures when placed in the sun, grow bags are made of breathable material and are less likely to overheat. It is great for the health of plants.
7. Environment friendly: With environmental pollution concerns, especially with plastic, grow bags could be a better alternative. Some of them are biodegradable, and you won’t be worried when you dig them in the ground.
8. Easy storage: Grow bags are quite easy to store in the house as you can fold them flat until you need them. Unlike grow bags, plastic pots occupy a lot of room space for storage.
9. Less worry about ground soil: Unlike making a bed where you have to worry about whether the ground soil is right for your plants, you get to add better quality of the soil of your choice in grow bags.
10. Less likely to overwater plants: A great advantage of grow bags is that they release extra water through the porous material they are made of. It reduces the occurrence of mold and fungus when you overwater plants in plastic pots.
11. Improved aeration: Grow bags are breathable, allowing better aeration than traditional pots. With better aeration, soil compaction is prevented; hence plants can absorb nutrients from the soil. Great aeration allows excess heat to escape on sunny days. Better aeration also allows more water to penetrate the soil with much ease
12. Improved drainage: Grow bags enhance better drainage in that the drainage holes allow excess water to escape to the bottom of the bag.
13. You get to have more gardening space: Grow bags enable one to carry out gardening where there is limited space for gardening, like in an estate or apartments.
14. Grow bags are available in various colors: The good thing about grow bags is that they are available in many colors. The color variety is important in a way that those living in cooler climates they can go for dark colors as they absorb more sunlight and heat needed by plants. On the other hand, those living in warmer or hot climates can choose light-colored grow bags as they reflect sunlight and absorb the most heat. You get to have a grow bag of your preferred color.
Cons of grow bags
1. High water consumption: You will have to water your plants more frequently than when using a plastic pot. Grow bags are made of porous material; therefore, water gets out of them faster. It requires much effort and time compared to when using a plastic pot.
2. Not long-lasting: Unlike plastic pots that can last for many years, grow bags are less durable and need to be replaced every 2-3 growing seasons.
3. Extra costs: Unlike plastic pots that are long-lasting, you have to change grow bags more frequently. It means incurring extra costs than your planned budget for gardening.
4. They might not be much attractive:
It can be a challenge to make a really attractive home garden. Grow bags may not be as attractive compared to Terra Cotta pots or ceramic pots. They are normally of a solid color and may luck patterns or any attraction.
5. Some can’t decompose: Some of the grow bags commonly used are not environmentally friendly as they are non-biodegradable. It causes more effort of removing them from the ground each time you have to replace them
6. They can be heavy: Grow bags are normally easy to move around. However, the larger the grow bag, the heavier it can become when you plant, hence building them a permanent place for them.
7. Challenge with rodents: There’s a possibility of squirrels, mice, or rats chewing through the grow bag. Pot is less likely to be damaged by the rodents; hence a better alternative
8. Insulation difficulty: During the cold night, grow bags lose excess heat from the soil to the environment causing the soil to cool faster other than retaining the heat. It can be unhealthy for some plants
9. Interference with the root system: Grow bags are normally easy to move around. However, you end up interfering with the root system of the plants. Therefore, it results in low yields at the end of your harvest season.
10. Prone to ripping off: Most grow bags are made of the best quality. However, the grow bag handles can rip off when carrying them with increased weight, especially when transferring them.
