If you love the idea of planting your own garden but hate having to deal with those cumbersome eyesores that are plastic or ceramic plant holders, then you are in luck.
In this article, we are going to be reviewing various grow bags for you. These helpful alternatives to ordinary planter pots are a good option for any would-be gardener.
In addition to reviewing various grow bags, we will also explain why grow bags are a good alternative to traditional planters.
If you want to know what we think the best grow bags are, we say it is the WINNER OUTFITTERS 6-Pack 10 Gallon Grow Bags/Aeration Fabric Pots with Handles.
A Spotlight On Some of The Best Grow Bags 2019
Best Grow Bags Reviews:
WINNER OUTFITTERS 6-Pack 10 Gallon Grow Bags/Aeration Fabric Pots with Handles
The first review on this best grow bags list is going to be of the WINNER OUTFITTERS 6-Pack 10 Gallon Grow Bags/Aeration Fabric Pots with Handles. This is a very good set of grow bags that is great for experienced gardeners looking for a change and new gardeners who are just getting started.
As with any grow bag, the first thing that needs to be talked about is the quality of the fabric used to make the grow bag. The grow bags from WINNER OUTFITTERS are made some very high-quality fabric. It is tough, it keeps its shape, and it doesn’t crumple easily.
In other words, it checks all the boxes when it comes to finding a high-quality set of grow bags. The fact that this is made with nonwoven fabric is essential since nonwoven fabric is much stronger and more durable than regular, woven fabric. So, you can trust that the grow bags from WINNER OUTFITTERS are going to be reliable and be able to be used for quite a few years.
Another great thing about the fact that these grow bags use nonwoven fabric is that it makes it easier for various things to get through the bag. As we will explain later on in this article, one of the best things about grow bags is that they allow things like water and air to pass through the bag.
In the case of these grow bags, the nonwoven fabric allows air to circulate through the bag, which helps to keep your plants healthy. Likewise, the fabric also allows excess water to get through the bag, which prevents your plants from drowning if you water them too much.
The package that you get if you decided to go with these grow bags is quite impressive. Each bag is 10 gallons (if you want less, there are smaller options available) and you get 6 bags per purchase. All-in-all, that’s a pretty good deal. 6 of these bags is more than enough for a respectable garden, especially if you live in a smaller space. If you want even more, the bags are fairly reasonably priced, so getting a few more isn’t a big deal.
Moving the bags around (say if you want to rearrange your garden) is simple thanks to the fact that each bag comes with a handy handle on each side. Just pick it up like a shopping bag and move the bag around. The plant won’t be disturbed because the bag keeps it sturdy and protected.
The only major downside to these bags is that they dry out very quickly, especially in the sun. It is normal for many of the best grow bags to retain moisture so that you don’t have to water them daily, but that isn’t the case with these bags.
- Convenient handles on the side.
- Keeps plans very safe and secure.
- Tough, durable fabric.
- Nonwoven fabric lets air and water circulate through the bag.
- Lots of size options to pick from.
- Dry out very quickly.
- Must be watered often.
Grow Bags, Root Pouch, 5-Pack 10 Gallon Plantmate Flower Plant
For the next review on our best grow bags list, we have a set of grow bags from Plantmate. This is another set of really high-quality grow bags that are sure to be very useful for gardeners of all different kinds.
The fabric used to make these grow bags is very similar to the fabric used to make the WINNER OUTFITTERS grow bags that we reviewed earlier on this best grow bags article. So, a lot of what we said in that review will also apply to these bags from Plantmate. For example, the fabric is very tough, and it holds its shape well.
The fabric doesn’t crumple easily, so the bags will always remain upright. Likewise, the fabric is made in such a way that both air and water pass through fairly easily. The air helps to keep the plant at a healthy temperature and the flow of water helps to prevent the plant from drowning because of over-hydration.
The bags are lightweight and incredibly easy for you to store when you are done with them. When the gardening season ends, it is very easy for you to clean out the bags and get them stored away. Even when they have plants and dirt in them, the bags are so light that it is still very easy to pick them up and move them.
In terms of size, the bags are 10 gallons each, so good enough for most gardening needs. However, unlike many of the other entries on this list, there aren’t really a lot of options when it comes to picking out a size. If the 10 gallon size is good enough for you, then this isn’t a problem, but it would have been nice if there were other options to pick from.
- Lightweight.
- Easy to clean and store.
- Keeps your plants cool and hydrated.
- Allows excess water to easily run out.
- Handles aren’t very sturdy.
- Lack of size options.
247Garden 5-Pack 7 Gallon Grow Bags/Aeration Fabric Pots w/Handles
If you want a lot of options when it comes to your grow bags, then this next product on our best grow bags list is right up your alley. The 247Garden 5-Pack 7 Gallon Grow Bags/Aeration Fabric Pots w/Handles (Black) offers an absurd number of options when it comes to size.
So far on this best grow bags list, the largest option that we have reviewed has been the 10 gallon bags that we reviewed early on in the review list. These bags blow that out of the water. They offer bags as large as 200 gallons.
If that is too large for you, can go for a more manageable size like 100 gallons, 50 gallons, and so on. Even though most gardeners won’t make use of all the different size options, having that sort of variety is still very nice.
Obviously, the quality of the bags is also very good (they wouldn’t be on our best grow bags list otherwise). They are durable, while still being made of a light, breathable material. The bags make it possible for air to keep easily flowing throughout the bag, which prevents the plants from drying out too quickly.
If you need to move your plants, the bags make that very easy. Not only are there really strong handles on the side for you to use, but the bags are designed to prevent your plants from being disturbed. So, you can pick up and move your plants without fear of damaging them.
- A ton of different size options.
- Very well-made bags.
- Inexpensive.
- Prevent root circling.
- Encourages airflow.
- Material makes them a bit heavier than other bags.
HONEST OUTFITTERS 5-Pack 7 Gallon Smart Grow Bags for Potato/Plant Container/Aeration Fabric Pots with Handles
For this next review, we are going to be taking a look at the HONEST OUTFITTERS 5-Pack 7 Gallon Smart Grow Bags for Potato/Plant Container/Aeration Fabric Pots with Handles.
There are a lot of good things to like about these bags, which is why we felt that they deserved a spot on our best grow bags list. They aren’t perfect; for example, the bags do seem to tip over easily if you don’t fill them all the way, but otherwise, they are a very good option.
These are great bags to use if you want to garden on a budget. They are very affordable and come in large packs. However, just because they happen to be affordable, doesn’t mean that they are of low quality.
They use the same sort of high-quality nonwoven fabric that you have seen used in other bags on this list. The fabric provides the good airflow and water drainage that make grow bags such a good option for gardening.
- Very cheap.
- Good nonwoven fabric.
- Sturdy handles.
- Don’t rip or tear easily.
- Bags could afford to be a bit sturdier.
VIVOSUN 5-Pack 5 Gallon Grow Bags Heavy Duty 300G Thickened Nonwoven Plant Fabric Pots with Handles
For the last review on our best grow bags list, we are going to be reviewing the VIVOSUN 5-Pack 5 Gallon Grow Bags Heavy Duty 300G Thickened Nonwoven Plant Fabric Pots with Handles. These may not be our choice for the overall best set of bags, but they are still a good option and a great way to end off our list.
There are a lot of size options to pick from when it comes to these grow bags. You can stick with smaller sizes like 5 or 10 gallons or go to bigger sizes like 20 or 30 gallons. As we mentioned in other reviews, having this level of choice is helpful.
There isn’t too much that is special about these bags, they are just some very well-made grow bags. The material is just the right combination of strong and light. The material isn’t too thick, so air and water can still move through the bag. Plus, like most other grow bags, the VIVOSUN bags encourage root pruning instead of root circling, so you won’t lose any plants to overgrown roots.
- Lots of size options.
- Water drains easily.
- Encourages airflow.
- Good size variety.
- Handles tear easily.
Grow Bag Buying Guide
Hopefully, you found our selections for the best grow bags to be helpful when it comes to picking out grow bags for your own garden. In this second part of the article, we wanted to move away from reviews and instead focus on a question that many of you may have, which is why you would use a grow bag in the first place.
Many of you are probably familiar with stone, ceramic, or plastic planters as the best method for housing a plant, but grow bags have a lot of helpful advantages. As you will see in this buying guide, grow bags are a great option for all kinds of gardeners; it doesn’t matter if you are growing a big garden on your front lawn or a small garden on your balcony, they are equally helpful.
Why To Choose Grow Bags Over Planters
So, the first thing that we want to cover is why you should go for grow bags in the first place. To a certain extent, we already gave a few reasons to do this in the reviews on our best grow bags list, but we wanted to lay out the argument for using them in more detail here.
Easier To Water
With potted plants, you have to be extremely careful when it comes to watering the plants. If you put too much water into the plants, they will drown. On the other hand, if you go too stingy with the water, the plants die from dehydration.
This can cause major issues for those of you who are new to gardening, as it can be hard to know exactly how much water each plant needs (this isn’t even mentioning the fact that different plants require different amounts of water).
As you saw from our best grow bags list, many bags help with this by letting excess water flow out of the bag. Plus, the water that has been absorbed by the bag will also help to sustain the plant. So, there is no need to worry about over-watering plants when you use grow bags.
Better AirFlow
Many pots can end up being really constrictive to your plants. They prevent any air from hitting the bottom parts of your plants (parts of the stem, roots, etc.). This can damage or even kill your plants. Pretty much every grow bag out there is made in such a way to encourage the flow of air through the bag.
This keeps your plants healthy and it helps to keep them at a good temperature. Excess heat will find its way out of the bag, which will keep your brand-new plants from dying.
Storage And Space Considerations
Other factors that got mentioned a few times during the course of our best grow bags list was how much better grow bags were when it came to both storage and space considerations. Think about a typical planter, what do you do when the gardening season is over?
You either leave them out until spring comes around again, in which case the planters remain there for months getting dirty and acting as a general eyesore. You could also move them but depending on how many planters you have this can be a major hassle, not only because you have to lift them, but also because you have to find space for them.
With grow bags, this isn’t an issue. You can empty them, wash them, and then fold them up. You can store dozens of grow bags in a very small space because they are so easy to fold. This is a large part of what makes grow bags such a good option for those in smaller houses or in places like apartments.
They make setting up a garden in small areas like balconies easy. Plus, if you want to move your plants after planting them (because you found a better spot or because of adverse weather), then it is much easier to do if you are using grow bags. They are lighter and they don’t need to be dug into the ground, so you can easily pick them up and move them.
Root Pruning
A major issue for those trying to grow plants with particularly strong, fast-growing roots is that planters tend to encourage what is called “root circling.” Basically, because the roots don’t have anywhere to go, they slowly start to circle around the plant itself. If you know anything about plants, then you know that this will result in the death of the plant because the roots will cut off vital nutrients.
One of the great things about grow bags is that they help to prevent this issue. The grow bags make it a lot easier for you to prune roots and they also prevent the roots from growing around the plants and killing them.
Conclusion
If you still have any questions regarding these useful tools and how you can go about picking out the best grow bags, we would recommend leaving us a comment down below.