Grow Bags 101 - Welcome to my Grow Bag Urban Homestead

[@jimmie200]

I use a kiddie pool. I drill two holes, one on each side, about four to five inches from the bottom. Tomatoes love to grow this way. They take the water they need. In the heat of summer, I add water each day until the water flows out the side holes. I put a shepard's hook on either side of the pool with two eight foot lengths of one by two wood. I grow cherry tomatoes, which are indeterminate. I start them from seeds. Put five or six bags with the potting mix and tomato plant in each. I use the green, stretchy plant wrap from Home Depot to secure the plants to the one by twos above. Great system. Remember to add Mosquito Dunks, though. You will get mosquitoes.

[@whyamigreen]

Hi Jimmie: Kiddie pools are awesome. Here's my link to the year I used them with an auto watering system so I only had to water once every 2-3 weeks: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g4qsd4aGd6uXppY Thanks for watching and happy growing... I also learned about the need for mosquito dunks the hard way. lol They can really be pests!

[@getitright3124]

I learned a tip from someone. He said to put pea gravel in the kiddie pool with the water and it will keep mosquitos away. Great idea and it works!

[@sueeason275]

..I set my grow bags in cat litter boxes with drilled holes about 3 inches up from the bottom , on the sides ..I fill the bottom with water and when it’s low , I water again …that way I don’t have to water every day..and excess rain water will drain out the sides …..I am doing pots the same way this year.

[@sandrawallace8995]

Wow. I'm glad I ran across this video. I used the bags last year, and wasn't satisfied at all. Everything stayed so dry. But I had the bags sitting directly on the ground,. I will definitely try your method of sitting the bags in a container. Thanks for the information.

[@joanflood530]

Where would you get them and what kind of containers would you use?

[@Sense2024]

@@joanflood530 Children's plastic pool works

[@pamelamoss6911]

Finally I understand the grow bag. Thank you. Especially for the "wicking" soil info

[@whyamigreen]

You're welcome Pamela. Happy growing :-)

[@TheSateef]

i love the idea of putting the bags in a water bath like your system, should stop them from drying out all the time

[@whyamigreen]

Exactly! Thanks for visiting. :-)

[@cowboyblacksmith]

I didn't do that last year but should have, normal top watering made them way too dry. I may have to lift the bags out and put them in a container of water just to keep them from standing in sitting water after heavy rain but it’ll be worth it.

[@mcmproductons]

Thanks I’m new into gardening and needed to look into these for my cuttings and herb plants 👍

[@whyamigreen]

Good luck to you. Let me know how it works out...

[@raelansmama]

This helped me a lot i have a bit of a black thumb and still try every year lol i like the idea of leaving them in water, so helpful thank you

[@whyamigreen]

Best of luck to you and may your black thumb turn green soon! :-)

[@nancylourose]

Just don't use too much water, after a while you get a feeling for how often to add more to keep the level a few inches deep

[@whyamigreen]

@@nancylourose I find 1.5 inches for 5 gallon bags works best for my soil mixture. good luck...

[@frederickvanpelt6393]

Thanks for the great information, I'm planting in grow bags for the first time this year and your post has a lot of good ideas.

[@whyamigreen]

That's great Frederick, good luck and keep me posted how you do with them...

[@danielleterry180]

Frederick how did it work for you? I have a bunch of these Walmart bags seems I can never remember to put them in trunk for next shopping hence my collection figure I can use them this way and leave 10 in trunk

[@Diane56ful]

I’m not new to gardening but I am new to using grow bags. I’ve ordered some from Amazon. Thanks for the tips!

[@whyamigreen]

Glad it was helpful! :-)

[@JessiesFamily]

This is a great video. I needed to see this video so badly today.

[@whyamigreen]

Thanks Jessie, I'm happy we could help. :-)

[@robinlewisart_1997]

Thats awesome thank you so much. My grow bags were so dry last year. I will be using this system from now on to wick water up to my plants.

[@whyamigreen]

Wish you the best of success :-)

[@cowboyblacksmith]

Mine dried too much too, bottom watering will solve everything and they’ll be perfect! I wonder if there’s a system to have them sit in a container to hold water to water them, but be able to have it let out when it rains a lot. I'm thinking even once a week lifting them into a tub to bottom water and then take them out, more work but better results.

[@craigjacob3704]

Some really good ideas. My first time experimenting with grow bags.

[@whyamigreen]

Good luck with then Craig. you'll really enjoy them...

[@gioknows]

Great set up and great video. Cheers from Ottawa, Canada.

[@whyamigreen]

Thank you Geoknows :-)

[@Nancy-zk9dj]

I've had 9 grow bags in the elements (Wisconsin) for 3 years. Root Pouch. They still look great. They don't last forever at Amazon, I searched this AM, most are "currently available". Good luck all 🍃🍃🍃

[@whyamigreen]

Thanks Nancy. Happy gardening...

[@CopperHueCollectionsChippewa]

I make my own grow bags 👐🏾

[@jolieharvey3587]

How? Design, material?

[@CopperHueCollectionsChippewa]

@@jolieharvey3587I use the material that is laid on the brown to stop weeds from growing. It’s in the garden isle. Then I sewed them into bag different sizes.

[@eddiespagetti8395]

Coool. I love free or next to nothing prices. Coool. I'm do a bag and 5 gal buckets of many veggies. Veggies cost too much nowadays to buy at markets. Ripped off inflation and it's still rising. Don't believe government saying it's down. Hell no. Wise tips. Do you share how you make the grow bags ?? ..cool edit I see your use that matterial. Beautiful. Your wise. Thank you for the tips

[@oregonpatriot1570]

Those reusable shopping bags are great. Don't need all that space? Fold it down on itself. Don't want the store logo? Turn it inside out. Under a dollar almost everywhere.

[@whyamigreen]

Thanks for sharing...

[@nisigate]

Thanks for your thorough instructions. I finally got it of all the videos yours is the best

[@whyamigreen]

Thank you, I appreciate that :-)

[@giojared]

We love grow bags for potatoes! Stay safe, stay healthy, and grow on!

[@whyamigreen]

How big a bag do you use for potatoes. Haven't tied them for that yet :-)

[@giojared]

@@whyamigreen we use a big 20 gal bag. I use three whole seed potatoes evenly spaced like a triangle. We fill the first 2-3 inches with wood mulch or shavings at the bottom for drainage. Then 2-3 inches of potting soil on top of that. Place your 3 seed potatoes down in the triangle and then cover them up with soil about 8 inches.... After the plant breaks through when it is at least 4 inches above the soil we top of with soil until we have1- 2 inches from the top. Best part is harvesting! tip them over on a sheet of plastic, and remove the potatoes without digging! Then use the plastic to put the soil right back in the pot! I will do a video on it in the morning when it stops raining, as I have 1 big fabric pot left. I promise it will become your new favorite way to grow taters! Stay safe, stay healthy, and grow on!

[@whyamigreen]

@@giojared I'll look forward to seeing the video. I may order a larger bag and try it myself. :-) Thanks

[@TwoSense2640]

do you add any water?

[@TwoSense2640]

i didn't see any video

[@blinkspacestudio8892]

I had massive success last summer so I grabbed another 20 plus bags for this year. Bags are really easy but the watering is very time consuming I would recommend having a large water source close to them....water is heavy too. I grew tons of potatoes using bags and they were delicious.

[@whyamigreen]

Sounds Great Susan. You may want to look into some type of auto watering system for them. Best of success for the coming year...

[@AntonyReed]

I'm definitely sharing this with the wife! Thanks Rene. Great video.

[@whyamigreen]

Yeah, I love grow bags. So much better than buckets!

[@gailbancer1571]

Humans are soooooo creative! The envy of the Galaxy! TY.

[@NataliMorris]

Oh show us some Walmart bag plants! I'd love to see that! Great hack!

[@NataliMorris]

Oh I saw at the end one of them was a Walmart bag. Would you use these for small trees too?

[@whyamigreen]

I wouldn't because Walmart bags usually only last a year if you're lucky. They breakdown very quickly.

[@suzycowan5072]

I have been doing a lot of research this past year because of all of the problems I had with my grow bags last season. I spent a great deal of money on grow bags and had one of the worst seasons ever due to an over abundance of rain. My grow bags were still so very dry and lacking in nutrients, I got to a point I was ready to just chuck it all in for the season because I was just so darn frustrated. I originally got into all of this because of all the wonderful things that Larry Hall showed all of us on his KZbin channel before he passed away. Unfortunately due to his passing (God Bless his very giving soul), I was not able to write and get the help I needed to solve my many problems. Hopefully this year and with all of the knowledge I have gleaned from KZbin, I am going to have a more successful season for 2022. I am very interested in your Alaska buckets and your watering bucket set up and will be looking at your channel to see what you can teach me. Thank you so much for sharing your ideas with all of us, your knowledge is extremely helpful and I look forward to my crops not being so dried up and nutrient deficient this coming 2022 gardening season. Blessings to you always. ~SuzyJC-in-Pataskala-Ohio/USA_02.27.2022~

[@whyamigreen]

With the proper recipe for soil mixture that should have never happened. The soil should wick up as much water as it needs if it is siting in about 1.5 inches of water constantly. Good luck this year.

[@Oyinscorner]

Lots of useful tips thanks for sharing. I try using a plastic bag for my sweet potatoes.

[@whyamigreen]

Thanks for watching and happy growing! :-)

[@lindaparker4950]

Grow bags are so economical ! Love them ! Thanks for the share !

[@whyamigreen]

Glad you enjoyed it Linda.

[@michaelleaming7559]

Thanks for your practical advice. Lots of good ideas.

[@whyamigreen]

Thanks Michael, I appreciate that. :-)

[@StacySelah]

Shalom from Florida 🕊just watched & subscribed!!! So I Pray to learn more from you along the path to gardening bliss! God Bless you Brother... StacYs in ThE Resurrection of The Bountiful Harvest 🌾

[@whyamigreen]

Thanks for subbing!

[@rhondabaker3143]

Thabnk hyou so much for taking the time to reply. Will check it out.

[@normamead4511]

What a great idea 💡😺🐶😊👍

[@whyamigreen]

Thank you :-)

[@anthonyflair]

Do a wicking bed design. Put the bags in the center of the circler tubes. Tubes will be covered with a little dirt. Or just put the bags on the wicking bed. Water should still move up. Then you don’t have mosquitoes.

[@whyamigreen]

Thanks Anthony... :-)

[@flowerfairy1950]

I am awaiting some bare-root roses and have just bought 10 x 45L grow bags which hopefully will be okay for them for a bout a year.

[@whyamigreen]

Keep me posted how they work out for you....

[@flowerfairy1950]

@@whyamigreen Will do 🙂

[@rjones4748]

Wow this is awesome 👌🏽

[@whyamigreen]

Thank you :-)

[@dianehall5345]

Rene- First time visiting your channel. I "just" bought 3 and 5 gallon grow bags. I planted Scarlet Runner beans in the 5 gallon , inside a bean tee pee. So glad I watched your video. I have been hosing the bags, but I do have round tray bottoms from plastic pots. I will use those under the bags. Beans came up and are VERY happy :-) Thanks for sharing. My cottage garden will be a combination of wood raised beds and any other containers. I have a tote tub on an old wood wheel barrow. Planted squash and that will work well and look nice. I have seen folks also using kiddy pools. Plus they would work to bottom water grow bags! Have a great day! ~ Diane

[@kennethkirby2533]

Larry hall on KZbin has a self-watering float pump that will keep the water between 1/2 in to 11/2in of water in your setup. this allows me to never water your garden. it is pretty cheap like 11$. I have used it 3 years with no problems I say this because my beds are just like yours.

[@poetmaggie1]

The answer to some bags that seem to melt after exposure to extreme temperatures of. Heat and cold and even when I am nice they only last a couple of years.

[@whyamigreen]

Personally I look at all the bags as disposable. This way I don't have to worry about lifting the bag by the handle and having it break and hurt the plant because it was old. Not very thrifty but safe. lol

[@nancylourose]

Bags sewn from professional landscape fabric last much longer

[@kimberlybahrs7165]

Beautiful

[@whyamigreen]

Thank you Kimberly :-)

[@debc.8925]

Great info.

[@whyamigreen]

Thanks for watching!

[@patriciasmith9039]

Great video...will def try these...

[@whyamigreen]

Hope you enjoy

[@ozzinator2013]

Thank you for the video

[@whyamigreen]

You're welcome :-)

[@candypodratz]

As I watched this video I thought of about 9 different things I can use as "grow bags" this year. Including some heavy duty cardboard boxes, like the one my AC came in. I can cut that sucker in half and I have two things to fill up with dirt to grow some corn or whatever. I'll just punch some holes in em, they'll last one season and I'll toss em after I eat my delicious veggies. I have reusable grocery bags aplenty.... I even have some grow bags I got years ago that I just never used (don't ask why, I don't know). My dogs old cloth toy bag that he doesn't use since he's not a puppy and is too sophisticated for stuffed animals - perfect for a grow bag! Plastic totes? Perfect. My neighbors are surely gonna think I've lost my mind. But my yard has terrible drainage and can even stay flooded for days at a time after it rains.... so my in-ground space for planting is pathetic. This year I'm gonna grow ALL the thing! :D HAPPY GROWING! Thanks for the motivation!

[@candypodratz]

I especially like the idea of CORN in grow bags.... with pole beans growing up them. Oooh come on Spring! I got stuff to plant!

[@whyamigreen]

Best of success with your gardening...

[@AnnaRosaEverythingEnergy]

You are full of plant wisdom. Thanks again. About the saucers you use, I was looking around for larger ones to handle bigger bags. What is the largest size bag you used with the plastic saucer...and where did you find them? I was all over the internet..no luck. . BTW.. I just complete my first "pool fill" :)

[@whyamigreen]

Largest bags I use are 5 gallons. I don't use saucers; I have them in plastic wrap or in kiddie pools. They may even fit in the plastic trays from Walmart of seed startling but you'll have to squish the bag to fit.

[@FarmerG]

Really good video. Very informative. Wicking the bags. Great idea. I will try that next time I break out the grow bags. Btw channel trailer is awesome. Lol. 😆😆

[@whyamigreen]

I'm glad you liked it Farmer G.

[@MsBestsunshine]

Great information thank you for sharing! I learned a lot!

[@whyamigreen]

Glad it was helpful!

[@joanneganon7157]

Hi I'm JO JO , I didn't know Amazon had the felt bags dang! The felt ones here are very expensive so I went to Amazon and they sent these tarp like bags . Did I mess up my dream to have a patio garden Thanks JO JO IN VT 💕😄

[@whyamigreen]

Sorry Jo Jo, even if they're tarp material; if they're breathable they should still work out for you. Best of luck...

[@joannenardoni17]

Just add your tomato plant to the soil bag, instant grow bag. Also ,some people are sewing their own grow bags out of land scape fabric Good luck

[@whyamigreen]

​@@joannenardoni17 good luck to you as well...

[@trumptv1527]

Thank u watching u from korea

[@genericjesus8803]

6:53 how long will they last? Forever!! Since they are “assemble in the USA and are Factory Certified”

[@marykrigbaum9021]

How do I know what plants go best together in one grow bag? Do you have a guide that tells a new gardener what to plant in each bag? Great video 😊

[@whyamigreen]

I don't know other than the corn and string beans that I found by accident. Good luck.

[@teresawilson4733]

Look up companion plants.

[@davidtansy4814]

Holy cow, you planted corn, on the cob!? What's next, give this guy a cigar.

[@beatricebrown8221]

Great tips. Thanks

[@guangden9071]

Advantages of growth bag: 1) Made of environment friendly non woven fabric, allow roots breathable and healthier. 2) Booster better roots aeration and access to oxygen, resulting in a vigorous plant with more flowers and fruits. 3) No-strap water design prevent over watering of plants. 4) Keep roots warmer in winter and cooler in the summer 5) Sturdy handle straps easier transportation. 6) Decrease risk of transplant shock.

[@whyamigreen]

That's right but don't trust the handles. They break by surprise quite often lol

[@guangden9071]

@@whyamigreen Yes, the handles of grow bags with different specifications should be reinforced.

[@Endtimeprophecy11]

So the root pouches are ok to use outdoor? The grey color is dark enough for the roots not to be effected by the sunlight?

[@whyamigreen]

That's the whole idea! You want the roots to grow through and have them separated enough for the sun to burn the roots that are protruding. This is called Air Pruning and what keeps the plants growing healthily in a grow bag. Otherwise they'd get pot bound and die. With this process I've been able to grow 10' tall corn plants and a 27' long string bean plant from 5 gallon bags.

[@judya.shroads8245]

Do you have an overflow for your setup? I did Larry Hall's baby pool with walmart cloth bags. I didn't have an overflow on my pool. The problem is when it rains too much, it drowns the plant. Even a hole about 3" from the bottom could be an overflow for extra water in pool. Good video.

[@whyamigreen]

Yes I did. When using this setup of the wooden frame I made a hole through the plastic and wood and inserted a PVC elbow to drain the water if it rained about 2 inches above the bottom. Did the same in my kiddie pools by drilling a hole about 2 inches from bottom as well.

[@HomeGrownVeg]

I like to recycle whatever mix I am growing in so at the end of the year I have a stack of plastic grow buckets filled with the mix standing outdoors. After sitting through Autumn and Winter I empty them out into a wheelbarrow in Spring add some fertiliser then re charge and 'plant up' the buckets again. This year I am trying fabric bags. I have nowhere else I could sit the mix over the colder months so it's my intention to overwinter the mix in the bags. Have you ever done that? Will the bags 'hold out', what do you think. Jim.

[@whyamigreen]

Hi Jim, yes I've done the same thing with my grow bags for a few years. I only really changed the ones that may have grown green stuff on the outside of the bags. All the others I mixed in more juice as you mention and use them over. This year however I'm starting from scratch so I can have the right mix/formula again. I think it gets diluted over a few years with the wrong percentage of each ingredient and doesn't absorb the water properly. All the old soil goes in my raised bed. Hope that helps

[@HomeGrownVeg]

@@whyamigreen Thanks for replying so quickly. This is how I usually do it with buckets and how I intend to do it with bags: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHnWdIOLl9J0j6M

[@ashleynicole4547]

Great video! I’ll totally be trying this in the garden this year! Would it be possible to add the exact mix you add to the grow bag for reference in the description? Also maybe a link to some of your favorite grow bags to purchase?

[@whyamigreen]

Hi Ashley, I used to buy my grow-bags on Amazon (VIVOSUN 5-Pack 5 Gallon Grow Bags} and they're all pretty good with similar prices but now I make all my own from landscaping cloth. Here's a great video showing how to make your own grow-bags which I do now: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKKWknWdncx6nNE. I'm going to try to make a video on my process of making them sometime before spring if I can :-) Here's my recipe for great wicking soil: 2 five-gallon buckets of Peat Moss 1 five-gallon bucket of cow manure or compost or worm castings 1 ½ cup of garden lime ¼ bucket (of a 5 gallon bucket) of Perlite Handful of Epsom salt Sometimes I add in blood meal or other things I may have around to raise the calcium or potassium levels a bit. Anything around that mix should work for you.

[@AhmadKoutiani]

@@whyamigreen did you ever try jean trouser or useless T-shirts??

[@whyamigreen]

@@AhmadKoutiani No, I haven't but great idea Ahmad, Thanks.

[@TomPalissade]

Walmart bags break in one or two years, because of UV and thinness. Grey bags needs to be 300g per square meter, my older ones are 5, 6 years old

[@whyamigreen]

Nice to have choices. Grey ones are better all around but Walmart ones are usually about 50 cents each. I use the grey ones (actually black) but still change them each year anyway.

[@TomPalissade]

@@whyamigreen There are few qualities of fabric. Make sure it's 300g per square meter in the shops

[@whyamigreen]

@@TomPalissade That's pretty much the standard in most fabric grow bags from Amazon or stores if you're going to use them as stand alone bags. If you want to use them in a bucket system you can just use any landscape fabric as well.

[@tarapath5099]

It looked like you had some drip irrigation system going on. Can you do one on how to do that with raised fabric beds?

[@whyamigreen]

Hi Tara. Later in the season I'll be building a small one for my deck-garden. I'll record it for you and post it then. Not sure exactly how I'm going to do it yet. I love the creativity of gardening. Happy growing.

[@tarapath5099]

@@whyamigreen Thanks! I have my drip system being shipped to me now. I know I will be able to figure out the raised bed drip, but I wonder if it will be different for the fabric bags since they are not sturdy. Thanks!

[@charmaineLewishines]

🏃‍♂️ to wally (Walmart)

[@DoreenMarchetti-creativemonkey]

Great video Rene!! I learned a lot and plan on doing this.

[@whyamigreen]

Great Doreen, good luck with it... :-)

[@tasst2674]

Thanks for your video. I like your no nonsense approach. I checked your video list and did not see one where you discuss grow bag sizes for different types of veggies. So many sites say you need a ten gallon grow bag for almost all plants, but that gets very expensive fast. Do you really need to do the huge bags? Would appreciate your insights. Thanks!

[@whyamigreen]

I appreciate that! I have never used a 10 gallon bag, I always use 5 gal and 3 gal bags. With the concept of air pruning for grow bags you can grow virtually any veggies in small bags. I'll try to do a video on the process to help understand shortly. Have a great day...

[@tasst2674]

@@whyamigreen thank you so much! Some presenters insist on the 10 or 20 gallon bags for one plant. They must be in the soil selling business. Thanks again and happy Independence Day,🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@whyamigreen]

@@tasst2674 Indeed they must be lol. The video explaining this will be out by tomorrow if not sooner. :-)

[@brandyeverett7778]

I know this is a bit weird but my nanny (great-great grandmother) used to put goldfish in her water troughs. The horses would leave them alone and they would eat the mosquito larva. I don't know how much water you put in the containers for your bags but if it's enough to support a goldfish the poo from the fish would help fertilize your bags (not much, admittedly, with just the one fish but if its enough to support several it would be better, obviously).

[@whyamigreen]

Hi Brandy, you're grandmother sound like a smart lady that's ahead of her time. :-) Mu water's about an inch and a half but since it's plastic lined, sometimes the plastic bubbles up taking up lots of the room for swimming. I've had frogs take up residence in the water but haven't done fish yet. Thanks for the idea... You can also fill in between the bags with crushed rocks to eliminate mosquitoes moving in and still keep enough water there for the plants but that c an get quite expensive and heavy to lift with a bad back. lol.

[@atlantic2233]

I truly appreciate your very helpful detailed tips and advice; great information, thanks! Also what is your opinion of using burlap bags/sacks as gardening bags?

[@whyamigreen]

I really don't know much about burlap but I would imagine it would be a great option as it's sturdy and it breathes well. If they're big ones you may want to cut it length wise and make a big one unless it's already has an opening.

[@rhondabaker3143]

I would like to know more about the buckets in the background with all the holes. What is growing in them and do you have a vidoe on the bucket watering system? I would like to make an inexpensive self-watering system for our new greenhouse. Thank you for sharing!

[@whyamigreen]

Hi Rhonda, those buckets were from a Dutch Bucket system I did last year, unfortunately I didn't seem to make a video on it. Oops. You can look up the topic on KZbin and you'll find lots about it.

[@theresasgobba630]

Thanks so much, just finding this! Going to try grow bags for the first time this summer/fall, as we are in between homes and I want our garden to be mobile when it needs to be. We want to plant all kinds of greens, as well as some root vegetables like beets, carrots, and then bigger plants like green beans and peas. How do I know what sizes to get? I imagine greens don't need a very big/deep bag, but how about the root veggies and the beans and peas? Do you recommend the grow bags with the open panel for potatoes? THANK YOU!

[@whyamigreen]

Best of success with your mobile garden Theresa :-)

[@nancyates9822]

can you do a video showing your how you plant in the Wal-Mart bags. Thanks.

[@whyamigreen]

Hi Nancy, I don't really use the Walmart bags anymore as they're only good for one year. They fall apart easy and rot too quickly. They're great for .50 cents each but I now make my own with landscape cloth. Just fill them with 50-75% peat moss and lots of manure plus whatever you got laying around like starter mix, soil etc so they can wick the water and place them in something that holds water like a kiddie pool, shallow pan etc. Keep it filled with water and the soil will take what it needs. If I didn't cover what you were looking for please let me know. Happy gardening...

[@AhmadKoutiani]

@@whyamigreen So if you put your pots into pool, their roots dont get rot ?? I heard that i shouldnt overwatering pots.

[@whyamigreen]

@@AhmadKoutiani no problem of over watering. I fill the pool to about 2 inches deep and have an overflow hole in case it rains. The pots suck in the water they need and it's always constant.

[@littlelamb6804]

@@whyamigreen Learning so much about planting in bags. Thanks for the great info!!!

[@gottawatch]

Why Am I Green How do you make a bag out of landscape fabric? Do you have a video?

[@rpavlick3]

Can you say a little more about how you built the frame? What plastic did you use?

[@whyamigreen]

I just made a frame with some 2x8 studs I had lying around and connected them to 1/2 inch plywood for a floor. I then make the pool by lining the inside with 65 mil plastic from Home Depot.

[@rpavlick3]

@@whyamigreen Thanks

[@tanyajuli4145]

how long will the blue plastic walmart bag last? Depends on UV exposure. In the california desert where its hot, dry and high UV, those bags will not last more than a few months outside. Holding any weight? 2 months tops. The handle will give way after a short time out there. The bag you got off amazon is a demin scrap material so it will last a few years. Same stuff as used by Uhaul etc for furniture blankets. Instead of the cheap plastic walmart bags, use landscaping fabric from hardware store, available in a variety of strengths and can tolerate wide range of temps and take the weight you are proposing.

[@whyamigreen]

You get what you pay for. Walmart bags cost about a dollar each and have always lasted me a full year. The Amazon ones last a couple years but rather than cleaning them up I just throw them away and get new ones each year anyway. Last year I made all my own from landscaping cloth as you mention but with the work involved in how many I use each year I prefer to just buy them already made. So it's really about how much you want to spend or how much work you want to do. Each has their purpose which is why I showed the variety I did. Thanks for commenting.

[@rulerofthelight]

Adding coffee grounds to water prevents mosquitoes

[@whyamigreen]

Really? I didn't know that! Now my plants and I have something else in common. We both like coffee. I hope it doesn't keep them up at night ;-)

[@Sky-vh6fp]

That's good info if it works. I like to catch rain water; and mosquitoes are an issue. Thanks!

[@rjs69]

It changes the acidity and prevents them laying eggs

[@littlelamb6804]

how much coffee grounds do you add to the water?

[@rulerofthelight]

@@littlelamb6804 unpresice, I just have 3, 45 gallon water barrels after my morning coffee I dump the ground in them instead of the compost, when the barrels run out of water, I clean out and start again...

[@themisplacedcountrygirl8923]

Where did you find your Root Pouch bags?

[@whyamigreen]

These are 5 Gallon bags I got from Amazon. 3 Gallon bags work great for most average size plants as well.

[@earthmanlivingsoil5024]

Nice video, my experience though I always put the smart bags and milk crates that way the bottoms can be air pruned

[@whyamigreen]

They are air pruned on the sides but in water they have the benefit of wicking the water they need.

[@TheVictor89656]

if i put ten gals grow bags in kiddy pools how many inches must i maintain in these kiddy pool

[@whyamigreen]

I always put about 1.1/2 inches. Works good for me.

[@maryspringer1442]

how much corn do you put in the walmart bags or a 5 gallon bag?

[@whyamigreen]

It's up to you. I only put one as they get about 10 feet high and I surround them with string beans that climb the corn.

[@skinnyway]

unless a person is a renter with a jerk for a landlord if I have ground thats were my garden goes. I like grow bags and even make them but if I had a piece of land that was mine - the ground is the best place to grow green.

[@whyamigreen]

It has it's advantages. My neighbor plants his in the ground and I do it in grow bags and usually get twice the crop as him or more. With grow bags you can't over water, even if there's heavy rains, it's off the ground so I don't get cutworms or half the normal insects that he does and I can control the soil I have in them. We have heavy clay everywhere. Plus there's the advantage of air pruning. Happy growing :-)

[@bookie7316]

Have you ever used the bags that are used for sandbags in placed of fiber grow bags?

[@whyamigreen]

No, I never have. As long as they're porous enough to dram when too wet I imagine they'll work. Try a couple and let me know . Good luck.

[@skatingcanuck9837]

I do not have a backyard and started a grow bag garden in 2020 during covid. My biggest challenge has been dealing with squirrels. If I had a raised bed garden I could put a barrier, but I don't have that option. Do you have any recommendations on how to deal with squirrels with grow bags?

[@whyamigreen]

Depending on how large your plants are, you can cover the top of the soil with crushed rock which they hate digging in. I had problem and actually started to feed them peanut butter treats, like the ones for birds that you hang. They would swing on it, eat and leave. If you feed them nuts they'll surely bury then in your bags. Also you can sprinkle cinnamon on the soil, or even estremely hot pepper. I grow Carolina Reapers so one bite of them and nothing will ever return... even neighbors lol Best of success to you.

[@barbarakuhlmann2786]

Oh

[@joannenardoni17]

Can the moles and voles eat thru them

[@whyamigreen]

I imagine they can eat through just about anything but the bags are sitting in water and I've never had problems with them.

[@angelawalker7582]

I noticed my soil is getting low in grow bag. Do I suppose to add more to bag

[@donnajoyner1474]

Yes

[@whyamigreen]

As it settles it will get more compact. You can add a bit as needed but not to the absolute top so the water can seep in rather than roll off.

[@angelawalker7582]

@@whyamigreen thank you so much. I'm learning so much from your channel

[@richardmassey1555]

​@Why Am I Green have you grown herbs in these? I'm thinking of doing an herb garden. I can get 12 of them for $10. Also could you post what your growing medium you made has in it.

[@whyamigreen]

Never tried herbs in these as I think it's overkill as herbs grow in "anything". lol You can find my soil recipe at our website: whyamigreen.com/plans-and-downloads/

[@richardmassey1555]

@@whyamigreen the price was good for the bags. They are 7 gallons each, plus it was 13 for $10. I also plan on eventually doing banana peppers, various tomatoes, bell peppers, etc until I am able to buy a house with a greenhouse and all.

[@whyamigreen]

Sounds like a great price. I've used them in the greenhouse as well. I've started my tomatoes in them in the house until they're about 15" tall then brought them outside for a headstart in growing. Good luck.

[@lindaparker6102]

Amazing !

[@whyamigreen]

Thank you Linda :-)

[@ertfgghhhh]

Im new to this and live in an apartment in the south. So i get the walmart bag. What is the makeup of soil i put in? What exact soil do i put in and how much? What else do i put in with soil? What is the soil recipe? Im gonna buy plantlets and put them in soil

[@whyamigreen]

I placed the recipe in the description below this video.

[@johngaweda1515]

Hi I just joined your channel and would like to know how many cucumber plants can I grow in a 20 gallon grow bag and also tomatoes??? Thanks😜

[@whyamigreen]

I never used one that bag. 5 gallon is the largest I go so I can plant one plant and move them around to have room. You can grow a lot in a 20 gallon but when they git big they may crowd each other. I guess you could try 4 tomatoes or the same in cucumbers but try to give them distance. (not too close together).

[@johngaweda1515]

@@whyamigreen Hey thanks for the advice!!!👍👍👍

[@blissfulacresoffgridhomest2098]

I am wondering if this would be a good way to grow vegetables in the desert? Any insights at the love to do this but don't know if I could do this outside or if I'd need to put in a greenhouse

[@americanschoolofhypnosis]

I wish I could answer that but I've never been to the desert before. We're in Maine so the warmest we get is in the 80 - 90 range a bit. What would be the difference between outdoors or in a greenhouse? Wouldn't the greenhouse be warmer? The great thing about this is that you can regulate the water levels. If you have too much evaporation you can fill between the bags with crushed rock and fill to your water level using less water.

[@robinr5337]

I'm in NM, high desert here. They work great! Especially like putting them in the kiddy pool. Makes sure they get more even watering.

[@justinmiller576]

Do you always water from the bottom even when you first plant? Or do you need to wait for the plant to mature? New to this

[@whyamigreen]

Hi Justin, I put them in the bags as seedlings and begin watering from the bottom from the start. They still get water from the top when it rains too.

[@superspecialty5169]

Do grow bags rot / how long do they last?

[@whyamigreen]

It all depends on how wet you have them, how sunny the area is, the ventilation and on and on. I have some cheap ones that fell apart after a year and others that lasted 4 - 5 years. It's hit or miss.

[@jelaineaprile5256]

What are all the bags sitting in to contain water? Is it vinyl lined?

[@whyamigreen]

6 mil plastic from Home Depot

[@paulinedulnua]

Do you have a video of how you made the bed for the grow bags?

[@whyamigreen]

No I don't. It's just spare lumber I had lying around that I make into a rectangle and lined it with plastic from home depot. No specific size or plans. Anything that will hold a couple inches of water will do fine.

[@paulinedulnua]

@@whyamigreen awesome! Do you think using some tarps that I have laying around would work?

[@whyamigreen]

Sure it would. I used 6mil plastic but tarps are thinker than that so they would be fine.

[@CreativityRV]

help please! I have a group of these in a plastic bin, but several plants died from root rot. the water just sat un-absorbed in the base. they just didnt drain at all and there was only an inch of water. i spaced them more and elevated them which helped, but now i cant wick the water up. any suggestions? thanks!

[@whyamigreen]

Sorry to hear about your bad luck with the growbags. Although it's really hard for me to tell you what went wrong without actually seeing what you're using and how you put it together, I'll give you a few suggestions that may help. First of all the growbag water wicking process will not work with just "any" soil. You'll need to mix your own soil that will have a good wicking action to draw the water from the bottom reservoir through the soil up to the plant. It will eventually need to be fertilized too. If you're using a 1 or 2 gallon grow bag which should be approximately 9 to 10 inches tall you should have a minimum of an inch to an inch and a half of water. Your bag should be filled with soil to about an inch from the top. When you’re filling your bag it's important to wet the soil in layers so when the bag is filled with the plant in it, the soil is already wet to help the wicking action. A bag full of dry soil will have lots of difficulty wicking the water from the bottom if it works at all. In fact once I fill my bags and get the soil wet I like to compress the soil in the middle of the bag a bit to help the wicking action. You can push it down a bit with your hand to do this. Most important is the recipe of the soil you're using. Below is a rough recipe similar to what I use. You'll notice that there is twice as much peat moss as there is cow manure in the bag. I know some people like to roll their bag down so the roots are actually setting in the water level of the soil but this will cause the roots to rot and die. By filing your bag the roots will be above the water, only pulling in the amount of water they need so they can grow down and outwards as they wish. Raising the bags may not be a good idea as your lowering the water level in the bag which will change the effectiveness of the upwards wicking. I hope there's something in all the rambling I just said that can help you with your situation. I wish you the best of luck and growing of plants. The basic recipe I use for wicking soil: 2 five gallon buckets full peat moss 1 five gallon cow or horse manure / compost 1 and 1/2 cup Garden lime 1 quart of perlite 1 handful of Epsom salt Let me know how it works out for you.

[@bryansiepert9222]

@@whyamigreen *Excellent* info! This is worth putting in a new video.

[@faith6978]

This happened to me as well; I lost all my plants. I changed the soil like he says here to a water wicking recipe and it worked much better. Also, I used the wrong Walmart bags! hanged the bags out as well.

[@NYCisland]

These bags are also easy to make with heavy weed barrier fabric and basic sewing skills.

[@whyamigreen]

A few years ago I made quite a few. They did work great as well. Thanks for sharing & visiting.

[@soylayazz12]

Do you think that placing small rocks at the bottom of growing bags will also help with contained water? Love your video by the way. Thanks!

[@whyamigreen]

Not at all. The bags already have perfect drainage and if you want to use them as wicking bags the rocks won't allow it to work. There's really no advantage to rocks in grow bags at all that I can see.

[@tonystephengrayson]

@@whyamigreen wouldn't the layer of rocks keep the roots from sitting in water?

[@whyamigreen]

@@tonystephengrayson They're not sitting in water. They're in the soil and only pull in the amount of water they need to survive. The proper soil mix allows the wicking process to take place. That's the proper purpose for using the grow bags as wicking bags.

[@261sunshine]

I have a question about the grow bags

[@pearlbrown177]

what do you plant to keep pest away?

[@whyamigreen]

Marigolds and mosquito plants

[@pearlbrown177]

@@whyamigreen Do start with seed and plant right in the same bag with your vegs mine collards and cabbage?

[@whyamigreen]

You can if you want to. I just buy mine fully grown from Home Depot and transplant them in.

[@anthonykenny2631]

What did you line your box with? Thank you for the videos they’re very helpful.

[@whyamigreen]

6 mil plastic from Home Depot

[@anthonykenny2631]

@@whyamigreen thanks buddy👍🏻

[@unconventionalforager6389]

Hi there, thanks for the tip. To know I can use even a bag like Walmart!

[@whyamigreen]

You're welcome

[@hellestinebeamon1717]

Do you put holes in the bottom of the fabric grow bags.

[@whyamigreen]

No holes, they're porous...

[@sheejathomas7148]

Hi, good video. Do we have to drill holes under the grow bag if we want to plant seeds?

[@whyamigreen]

No reason to do that as the bags drain very well on their own.

[@sheejathomas7148]

Why Am I Green Thank you Sir

[@TruthMatters357]

I'm just starting the seeds but I have on my amazon wish list the Brut worms Farm 30 lbs casting soil the fabric bags, having a hard time getting pepper seeds from peppers to germinate so I'm going to start them in a napkin, wet, cover like I have my lemon seeds doing now, would be nice for tips. Thanks in advance, I'm a beginner

[@whyamigreen]

I just use seed starter soil from Walmart and h ave great success. I also use a heat mat as the seeds need to be kept at about 80 degrees to germination.

[@TruthMatters357]

Thank you ☺

[@jeremyadams3538]

what if i double up the 50 cent walmart bags would that make them better to use?

[@whyamigreen]

If you want to use Walmart bags I'd leave them as singles. You want the advantage of air pruning which will be affected in a double I would think... Good luck

[@jeremyadams3538]

Why Am I Green makes sense. Thanks

[@alyssac2285]

Do you reuse the soil the next year?

[@whyamigreen]

Sometimes I do but find that years I start out new I always have a better crop. Sometimes I just mix in the old soil with more manure and pear moss to liven it up a bit. Good luck

[@hellestinebeamon1717]

Do.you put drain holes in the bottom?

[@whyamigreen]

No drain holes. The bags are porous and the dirt only sucks up the water it needs.

[@janelleharms1556]

I am about to pot golden zucchini in a 5 gal grow bag. How many should or can you plant in one pot? It looks like at the end of your video you have about 4 in one. I would love to be able to do that with the zucchini I have. Also can you mix green zucchini with the golden so you can have 2 green and 2 golden zucchini in one pot and they grow and produce?

[@whyamigreen]

I've planted 3 - 4 before but with hindsight I wouldn't do more that 2 now as they really need the sunlight and as they get growing they get so big that they shade each other too much. Need to be careful not to get mold form lack of light.

[@janelleharms1556]

@@whyamigreen Great thank you so much for the advice.

[@sharniekent1362]

Curious- garden soil with compost work ok ? with plenty of holes for extra drainage? 5 gallon size for broccoli , spinach , Tatsoi , and mustard greens? ( not sitting mine in water) I’ll be watering from the top

[@whyamigreen]

Sounds great to me. Just make sure it's not too compact as you want the water to get tho the roots and not just run off the sides. Mine is about 40 - 50 % peat moss, then manure, soil etc. Good luck with your grow...