Tomatoville® Gardening Forums


Notices

Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old February 12, 2011   #1
Stepheninky
Tomatovillian™
 
Stepheninky's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 682
Default reusable shopping bags as a grow bag?

Anyone tried using the reusable shopping bags to grow plants in yet. Seems like they would work well and pretty cheap at 0.50 to 1.00 a piece.

If you buy in bulk heard the price can be as low as 0.25 each.

The Sun leaves Grow bags I can get 5 gal ones for about 0.53 with shipping cost included.

Anyways wondering if anyone here has tried it yet.

Here is a link to a non profit group that uses them in their growing projects.

http://www.globalbuckets.org/p/grow-bags.html
__________________
tomatoprojects.blogspot.com
Stepheninky is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 12, 2011   #2
bcday
Tomatovillian™
 
bcday's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: NY z5
Posts: 1,205
Default

Some of those reusable bags have lead in them. They've been in the news for the past few months. You just need to be careful which reusable bags you buy.
bcday is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 12, 2011   #3
Stepheninky
Tomatovillian™
 
Stepheninky's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 682
Default

Ahh Guess its good I ordered a 50 pk of the sun leaves plastic grow bags already. I was planning to test out the reusable shopping bags but I guess I will have to wait and see what the grocery stores do.
__________________
tomatoprojects.blogspot.com
Stepheninky is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 12, 2011   #4
Chucker
Tomatovillian™
 
Chucker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Illinois
Posts: 180
Default

Do the sunleaves plastic grow bags breathe like fabric pots/bags?
Chucker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 12, 2011   #5
Stepheninky
Tomatovillian™
 
Stepheninky's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 682
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chucker View Post
Do the sunleaves plastic grow bags breathe like fabric pots/bags?
No they have holes for drainage but they do not breathe
__________________
tomatoprojects.blogspot.com
Stepheninky is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 12, 2011   #6
maf
Tomatovillian™
 
maf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: England
Posts: 512
Default

Here is a report from the Center for Consumer Freedom giving the lead and cadmium content of various reusable bags (pdf format): http://www.consumerfreedom.com/downl...bag_report.pdf

I was going to use some Ikea bags next year so good to know they are low in lead. Another good idea, if you have any leftover landscaping fabric you can sew or staple it into a pot shape for an even cheaper (ie free) grow bag.
maf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 12, 2011   #7
husker nana
Tomatovillian™
 
husker nana's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Wisc. 5A
Posts: 197
Default

I did read in Jerry Baker's book that you could plant in paper grocery bag and while plant is still small the bag can be folded shut to protect it from a cold spell.

Plant the paper grocery bag into ground in the tomato hole.
husker nana is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 13, 2011   #8
frogwash
Tomatovillian™
 
frogwash's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Zone 8B or 9? Castaic, CA 91384
Posts: 122
Default

Some of those reusable grocery bags are also made out of a cloth like paper (which tear rather easily) and I'm sure they wouldn't last a whole season. Also I wouldn't count on the fabric ones to last a full season either as I doubt they have UV blockers and the Sun can be a harsh mistress. But who knows--I could be wrong as I'm just making a semi-educated guess.
__________________
happy growing,
Theo
frogwash is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 14, 2011   #9
BlackestKrim
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 147
Default

Has anyone tried bags like these before?

They seem pretty inexpensive, but I've never tried them. I am thinking of getting some to try dwarfs in.

I was thinking that since they were for indoor use, they might not hold up well to outside weather... but then again, they are meant to be filled with water, so how bad could they be?
BlackestKrim is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 14, 2011   #10
sfmathews
Tomatovillian™
 
sfmathews's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Allen, TX
Posts: 398
Default

Wow, those are cheap!! Nice find! And close by too!
sfmathews is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 14, 2011   #11
Stepheninky
Tomatovillian™
 
Stepheninky's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 682
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by BlackestKrim View Post
Has anyone tried bags like these before?

They seem pretty inexpensive, but I've never tried them. I am thinking of getting some to try dwarfs in.

I was thinking that since they were for indoor use, they might not hold up well to outside weather... but then again, they are meant to be filled with water, so how bad could they be?
I ordered the Sunleaves ones they are 0.02 cheaper but the reason I ordered them is the inside is black but the outside is white, so its supposted to keep the roots from getting as hot from the sun. Other than that same thing I will be using this year.

Those are cheaper in lower quantities though I guess.
__________________
tomatoprojects.blogspot.com
Stepheninky is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 14, 2011   #12
RinTinTin
Tomatovillian™
 
RinTinTin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Seattle
Posts: 581
Default

White (or black) poly 5 gal. grow bags are available in 10 packs for $3.80
Hydro-Gardens
They also sell 5 gal grow bags with enough coco coir to fill them for under $3 each, but are out of them until May...must be waiting for the ship to come in from Sri Lanka.
RinTinTin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 14, 2011   #13
Stepheninky
Tomatovillian™
 
Stepheninky's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 682
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by RinTinTin View Post
White (or black) poly 5 gal. grow bags are available in 10 packs for $3.80
Hydro-Gardens
They also sell 5 gal grow bags with enough coco coir to fill them for under $3 each, but are out of them until May...must be waiting for the ship to come in from Sri Lanka.
That is about the same as I paid depending on shipping cost. The link you gave says they charge the actual shipping cost and can not tell you the price in till the item is weighed. So with shipping the price per unit goes up.

My cost per bag ended up being 0.53 (including shipping) theirs is 0.38 (plus shipping) so without knowing the shipping rate its hard to compare the prices.
__________________
tomatoprojects.blogspot.com
Stepheninky is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 15, 2011   #14
BlackestKrim
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 147
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by BlackestKrim View Post
Has anyone tried bags like these before?

They seem pretty inexpensive, but I've never tried them. I am thinking of getting some to try dwarfs in.

I was thinking that since they were for indoor use, they might not hold up well to outside weather... but then again, they are meant to be filled with water, so how bad could they be?
I was just at that store for pearlite and took a look at the grow bags. They are just black plastic bags, not a breathable fiber or anything. I think I'd go with another site for grow bags.

Did get some 5gal plastic pots and spray painted the outside white.
BlackestKrim is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 1, 2011   #15
Quickstrike
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada!
Posts: 37
Default

What are you guys using to support the tomatoes in these plastic grow bags?

I was thinking of buying 10gal [for single tomatoes] and 25gal [for two tomatoes] - in bulk.

I would imagine that cages inserted into the mix wouldn't work too well .
Quickstrike is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 08:36 PM.


★ Tomatoville® is a registered trademark of Commerce Holdings, LLC ★ All Content ©2022 Commerce Holdings, LLC ★