Information about the Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension Program 2023
Gardening in a Grow Bag
Dr. Theoneste Nzaramyimana & Nat Colten
Introduction
Getting Started with Grow Bags
Gardening at home is a great way to grow fresh food for yourself and your family, and you don't need a lot of space or expensive things to enjoy this tasty pastime! Growing fruits and vegetables in grow bags, much like growing in other containers or raised beds, provides gardeners with better control of their growing media and eliminates the risk of heavy metal toxicity from soils in urban areas. Grow bags can also result in better root growth and higher yields when compared to growing in more compacted soils. A grow bag is like a garden pot but made from felt fabric or polypropylene plastic rather than ceramic or rigid plastic. Grow bags are less expensive than most garden pots and are also porous and breathable, which provides improved drainage.
1. Fill your grow bag with potting soil or another grow
media that will support root growth. Up to 25% native soil can be added to potting soil or soilless media such as peat moss, cocoa coir or compost. Native soil (soil formed naturally from biological and geologic processes) can increase biological
activity and nutrient holding capacity, but any soil should be tested for heavy metals before it is used to grow food. Soil tests can be submitted through your local Cooperative Extension Office.
What can you grow in a grow bag?
You can grow anything in a grow bag that you would grow in a raised bed or container. Because of limited space, it is best to select fruits and vegetables with compact growth habits that produce many fruits per plant. Trellising can optimize space when growing vining vegetables such as cucumbers or squash. Growing vertically, rather than horizontally along the ground, can also improve airflow and light infiltration around leaf surfaces, which can increase productivity and help prevent plant diseases.
The planting and harvesting calendar (Figure 1) is helpful for garden planning, but more detailed information for growing specific fruits and vegetables can be found in Extension publication ID-128: Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky (QR code linked below).
Figure 1. Reproduced from Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky (ID-128) by Richard Durham (ed.) et al. Courtesy of the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.
2. If you are direct seeding (not transplanting) vegetables like carrots, radishes, or greens in your grow bag, soak the grow media thoroughly, then simply place your seeds at the appropriate depth.