Do I Really Love Fabric Grow Bags?

After growing some things over winter and using fabric bags, I am not sure I really love these bags anymore.

I strive to have good dirt for all my seedlings. I mix bags of soil with compost and perlite or vermiculite, and add organic fertilizer, or I use Happy Frog (paid link).

But the fabric bags are dark in color. The Florida sun is blazing hot, even in February. The dark color makes the bags hot, so they dry out quickly. Also, there is little in the way of rain here in winter. The roots are not uniformly watered when the dry areas remain dry. All roots around the edge of the bag will dry out and burn from the sun.

Grow Bags For Northern Summers

I’ve purchased lots of various types and sizes of fabric grow bags in my gardening years. Up north, in New England, I had the really big circumference bags (paid link) along with smaller ones. I never noticed them drying out fast. I think these bags work well for that type of climate.

For anyone who can’t dig a garden, or has very little time for garden maintenance, the bags are perfect.

Here are some old photos of my backyard in New Hampshire. I easily grew lots in my grow bags. Growing in Florida is a completely different experience.

Florida Gardening With Grow Bags

In Florida, I tried gardening again using fabric bags and didn’t have much luck. At the time, I was still trying to grow northern crops here in the south. You can’t do that. So I failed.

I used a combination of fabric bags and a wooden raised bed. This raised bed eventually rotted away, and now it is a lump of dirt in the side yard. Lately I am adding Vegega metal raised beds to the yard and have three set up.

The wood raised bed fell apart after a couple of years.

Problems With Using Fabric Bags in Florida

The Florida climate, even in winter, can cause fabric bags to stay too dry. Fabric bags are great for getting air to the roots, but the heat can also get to the roots. The dark colors of the bags work great in the north where soil needs warming. In Florida we really don’t need that.

Last year I had some pretty awesome pepper plants growing in fabric bags. They looked great, and then suddenly began to wilt. I was being careful to not overwater, but that was not the problem. I think the peppers were not getting enough water. I didn’t know. I lost them all.

I had no idea that the peppers were so thirsty. If I had dug my fingers down into the dirt, I might have realized the problem.

As I go through the filled bags that are currently in my yard – pulling carrots and onions – I am seeing lots of very dry dirt. It seems like I am watering plenty, with water running out the sides and bottom. But in reality, the dirt is very dry.

The Bags are Not a Complete Loss

I will still use my fabric bags, but only for certain vegetables, and only in winter. This is my plan.

• Use fabric bags for winter vegetables only.
• Grow shallow root vegetables, where roots don’t spread to the edge of the bags. Crops like onions, shallots, 1/2 long carrots, Tatsoi, and arugula come to mind.
• Create a section of the yard and place all fabric bags close together. This can minimize sun exposure to the sides, and keep the bags from drying out as easily. I’ve already done that for the remaining potted bags.
• Water crops using a soaker type system such as the Haws watering can (paid link) with the brass rose. I have this type of watering can and it is excellent for watering seedlings, or soaking a particular plant. Some other type of soaker system would also work.

Advice on Fabric Bag Size

I have 7 and 10 gallon fabric bag sizes. I prefer the 7 gallon (Amazon paid link). It’s faster to fill, and large enough for what I want to grow. Now that I have decided to grow shallow root crops only, shorter bags might have worked better for my needs. But I have plastic box beds for that.

If you are gardening in Florida, choose your bag size wisely. Add good soil, and maybe mix it with coco coir, or something to minimize dry out. Plan to water any plants in the bags DAILY when there is no rain. I don’t think it is possible to overwater crops growing in these bags.