Do I Really Love Fabric Grow Bags?

Rethinking my use of fabric grow bags. The Florida climate dries out the plants too fast. Certain shallow root vegetables, grown during winter, might be the answer.

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.

Holy basil and celery growing in a fabric bag
Holy basil and celery

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.

summer garden zucchini
Zucchini and Garlic – NH
potato plant leaves
Potato Plant – NH

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.
raised garden
eggplant in raised bed garden
end of summer garden

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.

growing peppers in fabric bags
Transplanting peppers
Ancho poblano pepper plants
Ancho poblano transplants
garden pepper plants wilting in sun
Pepper plants wilting in the sun

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.
10 gallon fabric bags with sweet potato and onion
Sweet potato, onion, sage and shallots
Keep the bags together & water every day

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.

Native Milkweed That Survived the Freeze

I’m still trying to fill my yard with native milkweed. After the cold spell over winter froze most things back, and killed many things, I have fewer milkweed plants. All the tropical milkweed is gone. Tropical milkweed is not native, and therefore not a great loss. Three of the four swamp milkweed seedlings I purchased…

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So Long For Now

I’ve given it a lot of thought and I really don’t have time to continue writing on this blog. Or, maybe I should say I’m cutting way back. My efforts need to go into starting a new online business. My knitting blog gets a lot of views and that is where I need to write.…

Pam's avatar by Pam

Why I Chose the Haws Watering Can for My Garden

I love my plastic Haws watering can. Don’t waste money on cheap cans that won’t last. I highly recommend the Haws brand.

When I first came across the Haws watering cans online, I wanted one very badly. I was looking at the metal cans and they were so expensive. Also, the Haws company is based in the UK. But, they have a USA site. I have linked to it below.

My cheap watering can rusted out after a few months. I decided that I needed to spend money on one that would last. Beware of cheap “metal” cans that will rust quickly. And cheap plastic is just as bad. It splits, breaks, and leaks. I do not want to replace my watering can every few months!

This is when I found the plastic Haws. Many companies sell them. A similar item to the one I have is sold on Amazon. The can is advertised as a Haws, but the name is Bosmere (paid link) which I guess is the company offering Haws products.

Haws makes many types of watering cans for indoor and outdoor watering. See the Haws USA site here. Some of them are very cute, and they come in all sizes.

Think about how much water you want to lug around and buy accordingly.

About My Watering Can

My watering can is 6.8 liters, or a bit less than 2 gallons (I think). I believe the name is the Cradley Cascader. It is not printed on the can. When full, it is a bit heavy for me, but the carry handle, on top, is very comfortable. The back handle is used for watering, or hold both handles together to water.

Haws name imprinted on green plastic watering can.
Haws watering can carry handle
The carry handle
Haws pouring handle
The pouring handle

The can came with two spouts. One is a brass faced rose – or rain shower head. (It was pretty and shiny when it arrived.) One reason I wanted this can was that I needed some way to water my seedlings. I’ve never used the other spout. It is plastic and directs a stream of water onto a single plant or into a container.

The rose, or shower spray spout, is perfect for watering small plants. In my picture I had just translated a Firespike. I do a lot of specific plant watering too. It is perfect for soaking a certain area. Without rain, I need to water every day here.

Haws brass rose head and angled full downspout
Comes with 2 removable spouts – the brass used to be pretty.
Watering plants using the Haws rose head
Rain shower watering

I think I purchased mine from Lee Valley last Fall (2024). If you live in the US, many places offer them, or something similar, for sale. Lee Valley had the best price (when I searched) and offer free shipping for orders over $50. I wish they carried the replacement spouts.

Pros and Cons of This Watering Can

The only problem I have with this watering can is the tiny holes in that rose spout. If any dirt – or sand – gets into the can, it will clog the holes. I store my can empty, and on its side, because of raccoons. If they play in the water I leave in it, and rinse their paws, dirt will get into the rose. Then I have clogged holes.

I will eventually need replacement spouts. Haws USA has them, but I hate to pay a lot for shipping. It’s good to know the replacements are out there.

I love everything else about this watering can! It has already lasted longer than the cheap metal one I bought. I use it nearly every day at this time of year. The injection molded plastic is thick and tough. It seems like a very good product that should last for years. I’m in Florida and I leave it outside, in a shaded location, by the water spigot.

One More Haws For Smaller Watering Jobs

This smaller size Haws watering can will take the place of an old glass pitcher I was using. This is the 2 liter, or approximately 2 quarts, size. This one is perfect for my seedlings in small pots. It also came with two spout options.

Haws plastic green watering cans in two sizes

Happy gardening y’all!

bees

More stories from the garden…

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Monarch Caterpillar With Strange Black Thing

I found a strange black thing next to one of the Monarch caterpillars. I need help identifying this.

I don’t know how to describe this image. I found the Monarch caterpillar on the underside of a Beautyberry bush leaf. This little Beautyberry is a small plant that sprang up next to the milkweed.

As I was checking for caterpillars the other morning, I found this one with a strange black thing. It looks like a shell or skin and the caterpillar was crawling out of it! This caterpillar was fairly good size, and I’ve never seen anything like this on my milkweeds.

If you know what is going on here, I’d love to know. And thank you for your input!

So one of my faithful readers said to look into caterpillar molting. I found this page at Naturedigger where they explain. Monarch caterpillars shed their skin, and eat it, five times before they become a chrysalis. I’ve seen many Monarch caterpillars and have never seen them shed their exoskeletons!

Monarch caterpillar on leaf with black thing

To date I have found three monarch butterflies, freshly hatched, in my yard. I can tell they are new when they don’t fly as I approach. A strong, healthy adult Monarch seems to never land, and will fly away if I approach. The only time I see them stop is when they lay eggs on the leaves.

Monarch #1 had a pretty chrysalis on my Rosemary. Butterfly #2 was seen one morning attached to an old Loofah plant vine. Monarch #3 was holding onto some dill.

When I sit outside and simply enjoy my garden, I see them flying over the yard. Sometimes two fly together, and once I saw three together. Was it these three? I like to think so.

Monarch butterfly
#1 Male
Monarch butterfly
#2 Unknown
Monarch #3 on dill
#3 Female

I recently learned that male Monarch butterflies have two black spots on their wings. They can be seen when the wings are wide open.

The photo below is not mine, but shows the spots a male would have.

Male monarch Butterly
Image by Graham Gladstone from Pixabay

Taking Care of the Monarchs

I need some good flowering plants to feed these butterflies. Although the caterpillars are only found eating milkweed, butterflies get their food in other places as well.

A lot of information can be found about feeding the caterpillars. I guess people will raise them inside and feed them stalks of milkweed. What I am looking for is information about planting to feed the butterflies without relying on milkweed flowers. I’ll write a new page about that.

Please keep reading…

One Summer Morning

July is nearing an end and the garden is teeming with living things.

My Three Vegega Metal Raised Beds Are Ready!

My three Vegega metal raised garden beds are now set up. They are all mostly filled, but only two are planted.

I have three Vegega raised metal beds. It has taken me months to set them up (only a day or two) and then get them filled (this is the hard part). Now, two of them are filled with plants and the third one is nearly ready.

The first bed was round, and easy to manage. The second, larger bed was not so easy, but I got it done. It was a long bed, called a 9-in-1, and it had so many pieces! I put all of them together by myself, and I’m not so young! If you have a partner to help, or if your husband does all the work, then it would be a breeze! LOL…

I was able to put my third Vegega metal raised garden bed together inside the house. Thankfully, it was a smaller one.

I’m sharing photos, and information, of all three of my Vegega beds on this page. I’m very happy with them, and so far, my plants are too!

metal raised garden bed
17″ tall, 3.5 ft. square Vegega bed with rounded corners.

I just signed up to become a Vegega affiliate because, why not? It’s super easy to sign up, and I am giving an honest review of a product I’m using, and that other gardeners may be interested in. If anyone clicks through and buys something, I could get a small royalty percentage. (Thank you if you do that, but I am not writing this page to make money.) I will mention it is a “paid link” whenever the link could earn for me.

Vegega Metal Beds, #1, #2, and #3

These beds are not cheap, and I really hope they do last many years (20 supposedly). It is work to peel the covering off each of the metal section. Then they are screwed together, placed in the yard and leveled. But the longest job is filling them.

Buy and begin the assembly and filling way before you think about planting. Especially if you are a one woman (older) gardener. My goal was to have the beds ready in March. I’m only a few weeks off.

So far, I am happy with the outcome. I have vegetables happily growing in two of the beds.

Bed #1

My first bed, or the first one I purchased and set up, is dark green and round shape. I have banana pepper plants, and an Everglades cherry tomato plant currently growing in this bed. Some holy basil, onions, and borage are growing around the edge.

Read more about the Vegega round raised beds (paid link) at their site. I like the 17 inch depth, and all three of mine are that height. It gives long roots plenty of space. This one was pretty easy to assemble and fill.

Round Vegega metal raised bed in dark green
42″ round, 17″ high Green Vegega bed

Bed #2

The second bed I bought is long and narrow. It is a light green color, and I’m not sure of the official color name. It is planted right now with sweet potatoes. I also have Zinnia seeds popping up along one side. There is space for other flowers or small herbs at the ends.

Long Vegega garden bed
Size 8 x 2 foot Vegega bed, 17″ tall, in light green. View this bed size at Vegega. (paid link)

This long bed was the most difficult for me to set up. It took longer to assemble and fill. This bed has two bars down under the dirt which help to keep the sides in place.

The metal is safe for growing food, and will hold up much longer than a plain, wooden bed. This is especially true in Florida where wood rots in no time. Some people complain that metal is not environmentally a good choice. Wood comes from trees, so how environmentally friendly is that? These metal beds are supposed to last for 20 years or more. Read more about Metal vs. Wood Raised Garden Beds here (paid link).

Bed #3

The third bed (featured on this page) is 3.5 feet square, with rounded corners. The color is Oyster White. Volunteer (squash or pumpkin) seeds have begun to grow, but nothing has been officially planted here yet.

Metal raised garden bed by Vegega in off-white color
3.5′ square metal raised bed. Volunteer squash or pumpkins are growing.

Although this Vegega bed has been sitting in my yard for weeks, it is not completely full. I have been cleaning up old vegetable plants and chopping the stems into this bed. The green beans are gone, and most of the broccoli. Because summer is coming, I’m not sure what I would plant in this bed, so I’m in no hurry. (I’m in Florida and summer is a tough time for gardening.)

To fill this bed, I have used the following;

  • Cardboard (in bottom – helps to level the bed) & random packing paper
  • Pine straw – also on the bottom over the cardboard. I chose this because they had it at my local yard shop. Straw would be a good choice.
  • Vegetation – old broccoli plants, stems, carrot tops, old vegetables for compost, and cuttings from the yard.
  • Purchased potting soil, my own compost, and Perlite.

Florida Vegetables For a Raised Bed

Summer is not a great time for gardening in Florida. It is our “winter” where we need to be inside where the AC keeps us cool. But gardeners know that the weeds never stop, so early morning garden checks are necessary.

Crops growing in summer should be hardy, drought tolerant, and love the heat. Sweet potatoes fit that category. My entire long bed is planted with sweet potatoes. They don’t need much attention. I have found old sweet potato vines in my yard, from years ago!

Okra, if you like it, is easy to grow and would probably love a raised bed.

Seminole pumpkins might work if the vines can travel over the edge to the ground without a problem. These pumpkins like some shade too, and root along the vine.

Even crops that like it warm may need some shade during a Florida summer day. My pepper plants are in the round bed which gets a lot of morning shade. I have an umbrella that can be opened to give them more shade as we heat up.

Eggplant will last for years here. An eggplant in the center of a round bed, or at the end of a long bed, would be a good idea. In fact, if you need the shade, put the eggplant at the end that blocks the sun. Eggplants attract ladybugs too, which is a plus.

In Fall, I will be using these beds to grow lots of crops. I have success with bulb onions, carrots, broccoli, beets, arugula, Tatsoi spinach, dill, parsley and basil. Radishes take up little space and could go around the perimeter. Tomatoes can go into the beds in early spring.

I plan to include flower seeds around the edges of all the beds, and seasonal herbs. Holy basil grows nicely in summer, but most others like cool weather.

I’m excited to get growing in my Vegega beds! I’ll keep you posted.

Get a 10% off code here (paid link).

bees

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Discovering a Monarch Chrysalis on Rosemary

It is not usual to see a Monarch caterpillar on a Rosemary plant. Monarchs like Milkweed. But this one had a purpose, and had traveled quite a long way to be there.

I have one Rosemary plant in a pot on my back deck. On March 24th I noticed this caterpillar climbing all over it. I recognized it as a Monarch caterpillar and wondered what it was doing on the rosemary.

My first thought was, “You poor thing, you must be lost.” I know he needed milkweed to eat. But, I also know that some caterpillars crawl away from the host plant to create their pupa. I left him alone, and didn’t see him the next day. I figured the birds got him.

Monarch caterpillar
Monarch caterpillar on rosemary plant.
March 24th

I worry about cardinals eating the caterpillars, but I guess birds don’t like the taste. I do see lots of caterpillars, and then they disappear. I always figure something ate them.

A day or two later I was at the Rosemary plant to cut a piece for my tea. And there it was. A beautiful green chrysalis! It had what looked like a gold band near the top and little gold specks. The caterpillar chose a spot down under a branch, which makes it difficult to see. The caterpillar had not disappeared. He, or she, had morphed and was no longer a caterpillar.

Although I do have some milkweed in my yard, it is pretty far away from the rosemary. It is a long way for a caterpillar to crawl!

I had to look this up. One notation mentioned they will crawl as far as 30 feet from the host milkweed! I don’t know how this little guy made it to the rosemary. My best guess is that it is 20 to 30 feet, from my milkweed.

The day after I found the chrysalis, we had a huge, windy rain storm. The wind blew hard, from all directions and I was a bit worried. The attachment was good and the chrysalis remained.

Monarch chrysalis
Monarch green chrysalis on rosemary
On Rosemary plant

Today is April 5th and the chrysalis is darker in color (see photo below). I can see a wing inside! It has been 11 days since I saw the caterpillar. The Life Cycle, Monarch Joint Venture page says this stage can last 8-15 days.

I should expect to see a butterfly soon!

monarch chrysalis is getting darker
Can you see the wing?

Even if I miss the butterfly emerging, I’m happy to have had this chrysalis in my garden. I might get more rosemary and put it nearer the milkweed. The sturdy branches might be what drew him all this way. It makes me wonder if the caterpillar somehow knew the rosemary was here and purposefully headed to it.

I’ll be watching this one closely.

*Update – The next day…

The chrysalis was very dark the next morning. I had some vegetable plant watering to do, but finally went to get my iPhone for a picture. I was too late! The butterfly was already out and on the Rosemary.

If you see a very dark colored chrysalis, sit and watch! It wasn’t long at all. I’m sorry I missed his emergence, but I got to see him before he flew away.

In fact he has been sitting on the plant for hours now.

Freshly hatched, Monarch butterfly near open chrysalis.
newly hatched monarch butterfly
A new monarch
Waiting to fly
butterfly divider flowers

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How to Grow a Flowering Hedge in Five Years

Propagated cuttings created this flowering hedge in my front yard.

Here is the simple way I grew a bushy hedge full of flowers. I did it in five years time.

Actually, I did very little. I took cuttings from the tall shrubs in my backyard. When they rooted in water, I put them into pots. They kept growing. Once they were large enough, I planted them in the front lawn. I gave each shrub plenty of space.

I had considered putting a few bottlebrush trees between them, but it never happened.

Premna serratifolia cuttings planted in the lawn
Seedlings planted
Growth of the Premna Serratifolia cuttings after five years
After five years

The Premna Serratifolia is Quite Awesome

I had no idea what this shrub was until I researched it for this blog post. The Premna Serratifolia is fast growing and blooms profusely in March and April where I live, but only for a short time. The leaves supposedly have health benefits and are edible.

At the time I am writing this page (April 2), The blooms are already going by. The clusters of tiny white flowers smell wonderful, and attract all kinds of beneficials.

flowers in April on the premna serratifolia shrubs
Flowers appear end of March
white flowers of the Premna serratifolia shrub

If I were a better photographer, I could show you the bee variety and even a few Monarch butterflies that were all around those flowers. This shrub is loved by the pollinators.

When we bought our house in 2016, the land across from us was wild. Once it went up for sale, I realized that we could have neighbors soon. That’s when I took cuttings from the shrubs in the back. I had no idea if I could root them.

It turned out that this plant is very easy to propagate. Every cutting grew roots in water and then grew nicely in a pot. After a few weeks I ended up with five new plants.

The big mistake many people make when planting crops and new trees and shrubs is that they put them too close together. I gave these little cuttings a lot of room. The roots would not have to compete for water and nutrients.

Below is a photo of the old plants behind our house. As you can see they are very tall. A lot of vines have taken over too. Typical of Florida.

The flowers are now falling like snow from the tall shrubs.

Old plants

The “baby plants” are now taller than I am. I’m guessing they have reached 8-10 feet – in five years time. I think that is pretty fast growth.

The plants outback were probably planted when the house was built.

Premna serratifolia hedge 2025
Growth in 5 years.

So now we have new neighbors where a Florida forest used to be. Three new houses went up, and every bit of vegetation was removed. Perfectly beautiful oak trees, pines and other things were torn up and removed. This is just one reason I dislike living here. Why not leave the trees that are not in the way of where the new house will go? Builders don’t care – just make it easy and remove everything.

My new, and free, hedgerow is growing up nicely and blocking the view. I also love that I’ve provided food and nectar for the insects. A living border also provides places for birds and other wildlife to hide.

I’m not sure if this shrub is available in local nurseries, but I think it makes a very nice addition to the yard. The Premna serratifolia is not a Florida native.

More stories…

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