Gardening in Grow Bags: 5 Tips for Success
Gardening in grow bags is a simple way to begin gardening almost anywhere. Pick up a few bags, fill them with soil, and you’re ready to go.
It’s easy to see why grow bag gardening is becoming popular for new gardeners and gardeners looking to add more space to their gardens.
Advantages of gardening in a grow bag
Some of the advantages of grow bag gardening include:
- Grow bags are an inexpensive, easy way to add growing space. Look for good quality grow bags that will last many seasons.
- Gardening in grow bags prevents overwatering. Excess water drains through the fabric and prevents soggy soil and roots. Look for good quality grow bags; they should have excellent drainage. (These are the ones I recommend on Amazon.)
- Grow bags are easy to store when not in use. Clean them out by spraying off well, and then fold them up and let them dry.
- Unlike most containers, grow bags allow plants’ roots to breathe. Happy roots mean a happy plant. This is one of the biggest advantages of grow bag gardening.
- The ability to move grow bags easily to the best location. Look for a sunny spot in cool climates or give them shade in hot climates.
- When gardening in grow bags you can make a big difference for bees and butterflies. See how in my posts, Planting for Pollinators: Create a Simple Insectary Border in Your Garden and Perennials for Pollinators in Your Desert Garden.
Disadvantages of gardening in grow bags (and what to do about it)
Grow bags require more watering than traditional pots and the soil can dry out quickly.
- For thirsty plants like tomatoes and squash, use a grow bag with a watering reservoir or add an olla to the grow bag.
Larger grow bags can be hard to move when full of soil.
- To make grow bags easier to move, choose good quality bags with heavy-duty handles and get help. Be sure of the location before filling it.
Grow bags require more frequent fertilization than raised beds or in-ground beds. Similar to other containers, plants grown in grow bags require more frequent fertilization.
- Use a half dose of a liquid fertilizer every few weeks during the growing season for most crops.
5 Tips for Successful Grow Bag Gardening
1. Choose the right plants to grow in grow bags
Because grow bags limit the size of the roots and available water, some plants are better suited to grow in grow bags than others.
When choosing which plants to grow in grow bags, look for “dwarf” varieties. These are smaller versions of full-size plants that do better in grow bags. Also, select “bush” or “compact” varieties rather than vining types.
If you’re exploring what to plant in grow bags, don’t miss this guide to the Three Sisters Grow Bag Garden—a space-saving way to grow corn, beans, and squash (or their alternatives) together in a single container.
Crops that grow well in grow bags include:
- arugula
- radishes
- lettuce
- peppers
- carrots
- strawberries
- potatoes
- kale
- green onions
- cucumbers
- eggplant
- beets
Herbs that grow well in grow bags include:
2. Use oyas or self-watering grow bags for thirsty plants
Because grow bags dry out more quickly, certain crops will do better if grown with an oya or in a self-watering type grow bag. I use oyas from Growoya.
3. Choose the correct size grow bag
Wondering which size of grow bag to choose? Look at plant spacing guidelines for the plants you would like to grow. The chart below gives general guidelines about the size of grow bag for common vegetables, fruits, and herbs.
Extra small grow bag (holds up to 2 gallons/7.5 liters of soil) is a good choice for many herbs like sage, rosemary, thyme, and basil.
This size grow bag is also good for many vegetables such as kale, green onions, radishes, lettuce, chard, and arugula.
A small grow bag (holds up to 3 gallons/11 liters of soil) is a good choice for many herbs like dill, cilantro, and parsley. (These are the ones I recommend on Amazon.)
This size grow bag is also good for many fruits and vegetables such as kohlrabi, carrots, beets, strawberries, and celery.
Medium grow bag (holds up to 5 gallons/19 liters of soil) is a good choice for many herbs like lemongrass, ginger, and turmeric. (These are the ones I recommend on Amazon.)
This size grow bag is also good for many vegetables such as beans, broccoli, cabbage, okra, potatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, and peppers.
Large grow bag (holds up to 10 gallons/38 liters of soil) is a good choice for tomatoes and sweet potatoes. (These are the ones I recommend on Amazon.)
Using a grow bag larger than 10 gallons? Great! They are well-suited to most types of vegetables and can often have several different types in the same bag. Read this article on companion planting for some ideas.
4. Fill your grow bag with the best type of soil
Regular garden soil is too heavy for grow bags; it will become compacted. The best soil for grow bags is a combination of:
Look for bagged potting soil that has a combination of these ingredients, or make your own. I use the Growing in the Garden Raised Bed mix from Arizona Worm Farm in my grow bags and raised beds. This blog post details the best soil for raised beds, which I use in grow bag gardening.
When using this mix, the soil remains light and airy; it does not get crusted or compacted. Plants’ roots need oxygen and water, and roots love this mixture.
It is important to fill bags all the way up with soil to take advantage of the room inside the grow bag.
5. Put your grow bag in the best location
A major advantage of gardening in grow bags is the ability to put the bag in the best location based on the sunlight it receives.
Most plants grow best with at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight. Morning sun is preferred, and a little afternoon shade is ideal, especially if you live in a hot climate.
Growing in the Garden container gardening resources:
If you’re looking for more resources, I have several videos and blog posts that provide step-by-step guides, tips, and tricks for successful container gardening. I even wrote a book about container gardening, which covers everything from choosing the right containers to harvesting your first crop. You’ve got this!
- Container Gardening for Beginners: 10 Steps for Success
- Guide to Container Sizes: Which Size Container Should I Use?
- 20 Best Vegetables for Container Gardening
- The Pros & Cons of Container Gardening
- The Best Way to Water Containers
- Grow Anywhere: Smart and Creative Gardening Container Ideas
- Container Gardening Playlist on YouTube
- Three Sisters Grow Bag Garden
If you enjoy container gardening, you’ll love the benefits of elevated beds—check out my guide, How to Grow in Elevated Garden Beds, to learn how to get started
To learn more about gardening in containers, read my book on this topic. Learn more about the book “How to Grow Your Own Food: A Beginner’s Guide to Container Gardening” in this post or purchase the book here.
Thank you for this article. I’m in Tucson and just started a bunch of grow bag gardens and I was wondering (after the fact) if grow bags work in our environment. This is reassuring. Grow bags are such a great idea! Not as big an investment as raised beds or livestock tanks or even containers/pots. Except I’ve run out of soil mix. That’s an investment in itself.
They really are an economical way to get started or add more space. I agree the soil is an investment. Best of luck to you with your new bags.
Funny thing– I’m in Tucson too, and using my first grow bags! I’ve planted onions, pak choi, arugula, turnip greens, dandelion greens, scarlet runner beans, sweet peas and will be planting potatoes and gourds soon. Everything’s growing like crazy; I wasn’t sure how well the greens would do but they’re all really growing well. Have to say, I love how I can just keep the extra bags folded up til I need them; I’ve been using them to tote mulch and so forth around my backyard too, they’re so tough!
Wow! That’s a lot growing. Good for you.
Whew you open bags and fill with more dirt. Do I close the bad back up.
Yes, I would close them back up.
@Liz, yes. Otherwise you may find a mouse, living or dead, as I did once.
Thanks for all the wonderful information you post on your YouTube videos and blog!
We are in North Phoenix and I purchased 10 gallon grow bags for our starter Garden.
I used the Mel’s mix formula but I’m worried I screwed up the proportion as I counted the three cubic feet of compressed peat moss as 3 cubic feet.
My ratio was 3cu ft peat moss, 3 cu ft vermiculite, and 3 cu ft composted steer manure.
Then I read one of your footnotes that explained that the peat moss expanded and now I’m not sure if I need to unplant my peppers and remix my soil. The transplants were put in Tuesday and Wednesday.
If there’s any way you have time to help on this I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks in advance!
You’re probably ok, check the watering. It will hold water pretty well because of the extra peat moss. In the future I would also combine different types of compost rather than just the composted cow manure to add a variety of nutrients.
Thx! The recent cool days combined with the extra peat moss have kept the grow bags reading “wet” when the water meter is fully inserted. I will figure it out and recalibrate in the fall season. Your answer is very much appreciated
What are some ideas on how to transfer carrots from a small grow bag to a large grow bag
It’s best not to transplant carrots or other root vegetables (except beets) – I would leave them in place in the smaller grow bag.
@LeeAnne F. Skorich, sow in place, they are extremely difficult to transplant successfully.
My potatoes in 10 gallon bags are growing like crazy. Their stems and leaves are near two feet tall above the top of bag. I got concerned a strong wind would not them over, so I dug small holes to place them in for stability
How tall will the stems and leaves grow too?
My first attempt with growing potatoes
Wow! Those are some tall potatoes. Hopefully your bag is filled all the way up with soil. They should begin flowering and dying back at some point. That seems taller than any I’ve grown. You may have a lot of nitrogen in your soil.
Hi,
I live in Converse, TX. The heat out here is also pretty intense, would all of your great ideas/suggestions work for gardening in my area zone 8B ?
Hi Karla, Some of the dates will be different, but the general principles will be the same.
I like the grow bags featured on this page. Where can I buy them?
Gardener’s Supply – If you click on the images of the grow bags it should take you to the type of grow bag pictured.
can we grow fig , lemon in grow bag?
It would need to be a large grow bag. Keep it well watered in the summer.
I am interested in growing herbs and vegetables in grow bags. Can you start small plants in a grow bag or only seeds? I live in Forest Hills, New York
Hi. Yes, you can start by transplant in grow bags as well. Keep seedings well watered until they settle in.
I recently sent a question regarding the plant bags. This will be my first attempt. Can you put small plants or just seeds.
Hi Leslie! You can start seeds or small plants in grow bags. Either one works well. Keep them well watered until seedlings emerge or the plant gets established and make sure you have good soil.
Hi. Is it better to have the grow bags off the ground or can they be directly on gravel or a paver? Thank you for all the great information.
There are benefits to both ways. It depends on what you have underneath; if they can be on the ground, that is usually better.
Would like to try grow bags, can’t seem to find the lighter colored ones, any suggestions? Do you do talks for garden clubs, like in Sun Lakes? Thanks
I’ve used these https://amzn.to/45j1sme and these https://amzn.to/3GZMvuC My schedule is booked for the fall season, but you could email me for details to book something next year for your garden club.
Ten gallons is still small for tomatoes, unless you grow all determinates, especially in the desert. The moor soil, the more moisture is retained and available for the plant. I use 15 gallon ones, which is the largest I can handle.
Good point. 10 gallons is the minimum I recommend, but I like that you made the distinction about which type of tomato for that size.
Yes please
i have been using grow bag for 5 yr now I love them I used to grow vegetables in raisin bed but my legs r to bad now the grow bag r great I plant spring and fall vegetables i have 30gals 25gals 20gals and 15gals and smaller which I use for letters
Thank you for your soil combo suggestion. I would have probably used a ‘better’ potting soil which would have gotten heavy. what size bag would you suggest for a zuke plant suited for patio gardening, and regular sized tomatillos? We are in Lake Havasu, zone 9B I think. Thank you! Laura
at least 10 gallons, 20 would be even better.
Thank you for all the great information. Because of your YouTube video I decided to try growing peanuts. Do you think they would be ok in a grow bag? I am just starting my garden and growing everything in pots and gallon milk jugs. Thanks again!
Yes, that should work. I would use at least a 10 gallon size.