Field Growing in Grow Bags

[coltranem]

I have gotten bags here. I am experimenting with them after learning about Telperion Farms.

Root Pouch - 3 gallon

Root Pouch - 3 gallon - 25 pack. Hydroponics indoor garden. Grow your own. Natural, organic veggies at home. Ask our experts. Get started now!

www.nehydro.com

 

[BuckeyeOne]

The Root Pouch brand does well.

@cmeg1 I've searched for the small Root Pouches, but the smallest any one offers is 1GL size.
Can you tell me where you bought the little ones you're using for your JBP?
Thanks!

 

[BuckeyeOne]

@cmeg1 I've searched for the small Root Pouches, but the smallest any one offers is 1GL size.
Can you tell me where you bought the little ones you're using for your JBP?
Thanks!

Found em!! https://www.greenhousemegastore.com...uches/root-pouch-black-fabric-pot-12-15-month

 

[cmeg1]

Found em!! https://www.greenhousemegastore.com...uches/root-pouch-black-fabric-pot-12-15-month

My pines are in the pints,Zelkovas are in the quarts.

 

[Mike Westervelt]

I have used root control bags when growing advanced trees for landscape planting. The bags make it so much easier to lift the trees when grown. The material the bag is made of allows feeder roots to grow through to get nutrients and water but constricts those roots as they get thicker and so root prunes all thicker roots. That root pruning means there are lots of new roots constantly forming just inside the bag so when the bag is removed and the tree planted there are lots of roots ready to grow out into surrounding soil. RCBs are also good because the trees do not need to be potted up after removal. They can be stored, sold and transported in the bags. That's great for landscape trees.

My only experience with Root Control Bags is also with Telperion Farms, I personally harvested 2 large pines, one JBP and one Scotts.
Both trees had 2-3 large escaped roots 1"-1.5" in diameter, once located and cut with loppers they lifted out easily, the bags were filled with feeder roots.
The JBP has an awesome 360 degree nebari, Scotts is so so about 270 degrees.

 

[Loup97]

Interesting thread. I listened to the telperion farms interview and I would like to know if someone have try their methods (last post here 2019). I mean, wich size of bag would give same growth in the ground (or close) to ground growing without bag ?
I think about preparing roots on young seedlings and then put them in root pouch and lift it out the ground every 3-4 y at the beginning to work the root if needed. I did that thing in th ground and it could be difficult, so bag is maybe the thing.
Other thing : for ground growing with bag, what kind of soil you use in the bag ? the ground soil or a bonsai soil ?

 

[Lorax7]

Presumably the per-unit cost of these grow bags is lower than for pond baskets. Aside from that, is there any advantage to using grow bags vs. growing in pond baskets and setting them on the ground so that roots can escape through the bottom?

 

[Loup97]

It's a good question... but it's hard ti find some comparative informations between in ground, un ground with pond basket or on ground with bag

 

[penumbra]

for ground growing with bag, what kind of soil you use in the bag ? the ground soil or a bonsai soil ?

Traditionally in ground grow bags were developed to be used with existing native soil. I have over 30 years experience doing this. But two years back I made several raised beds specifically for young bonsai want to bees, and those beds are filled with a soil-less growers mix and the bags use a bonsai type mix. This varies from bed to bed but frankly I like the bed with coconut coir the best. It certainly drains the best, is never soggy and is super easy to weed. Another larger bed has amended natural soil and those bags vary between use of the same soil and a bonsai mix. I am curious to see what the difference will be when they are re-potted next year. In growth I see no difference that is significant.

I would strongly suggest that anyone jumping in here on this thread should go back and read it from the beginning.

 

[Tieball]

Traditionally in ground grow bags were developed to be used with existing native soil. I have over 30 years experience doing this. But two years back I made several raised beds specifically for young bonsai want to bees, and those beds are filled with a soil-less growers mix and the bags use a bonsai type mix. This varies from bed to bed but frankly I like the bed with coconut coir the best. It certainly drains the best, is never soggy and is super easy to weed. Another larger bed has amended natural soil and those bags vary between use of the same soil and a bonsai mix. I am curious to see what the difference will be when they are re-potted next year. In growth I see no difference that is significant.

I would strongly suggest that anyone jumping in here on this thread should go back and read it from the beginning.

Interesting. Thanks for contributing your experience. I have several grow bags, Spring Pots, but have not used them yet. I thought I knew how to use them but then lost the ideas. Following this to learn more from experienced people rather than the marketing hype from manufacturers. Maybe I’ll find a use for those bags.

 

[Loup97]

Traditionally in ground grow bags were developed to be used with existing native soil. I have over 30 years experience doing this. But two years back I made several raised beds specifically for young bonsai want to bees, and those beds are filled with a soil-less growers mix and the bags use a bonsai type mix. This varies from bed to bed but frankly I like the bed with coconut coir the best. It certainly drains the best, is never soggy and is super easy to weed. Another larger bed has amended natural soil and those bags vary between use of the same soil and a bonsai mix. I am curious to see what the difference will be when they are re-potted next year. In growth I see no difference that is significant.

I would strongly suggest that anyone jumping in here on this thread should go back and read it from the beginning.

I read all and that's why I'm so curious. I probably miss some information but for the bag size choice, I don't see anything, maybe I'm wrong ? Curious to see the difference between your soil choices too. Thank you for sharing.

 

[penumbra]

I read all and that's why I'm so curious. I probably miss some information but for the bag size choice, I don't see anything, maybe I'm wrong ? Curious to see the difference between your soil choices too. Thank you for sharing.

Size of bags depends primarily on two things, size of plant and goals. For the work I am doing I use everything from 1 pint for seedlings to 2 gallon. They come is really large sizes that are not of use to me. As to the soil mixes, you just have to experiment a bit. Results are going to vary but I am happy with all of my growth now. I am really happy about how these in the ground (or in the bed) plants ease my watering schedule.
I have a lot of plants above ground in pond baskets and I need to water them just about every day. Occasionally I lose one. I had 3 crabs sitting together and one dried out and looks dead while the others are doing fine. Same size plants, same source, same mix and same location.
Ask questions certainly, but ultimately its own you, your individual uses and practices
Best of luck whichever road you take..

 

[BobbyLane]

the only benefit i can see for plastic bags is that they are cheaper than plastic pots. downsides being less durable, if you have to move them around you can easily damage delicate roots. i wouldnt waste my time.

 

[penumbra]

the only benefit i can see for plastic bags is that they are cheaper than plastic pots. downsides being less durable, if you have to move them around you can easily damage delicate roots. i wouldnt waste my time.

With respect I think you missed the point of these in the ground fabric grow bags that are not plastic.

 

[BobbyLane]

With respect I think you missed the point of these in the ground fabric grow bags that are not plastic.

first i saw fabric mentioned! the opening post talks about grow bags and then the two recent posts that bumped the thread mention cost and if they are effective. i assumed you were talking about plastic bags with holes in! my bad.

so this type of thing?

ok then, maybe if my ground growing space was limited it could be a temporary, 'portable' option.

 

[penumbra]

You are showing an above the ground fabric container. Those that are used in ground are unwoven fabric that allow hair roots to grow through them, restricting the woody roots. It is a whole different breed of animal. I don't think many people understand them unless they have used them.

 

[BobbyLane]

maybe if you all could enlighten us with some images of what the discussion is about
like what are you growing in them?
ive not seen anyone using them in my allotment. im lost

ok i see them in post 44. cool, so do they break down over time in the ground?

in my own experience of field growing. i find it very easy to lift trees that have been planted on a tile, because you can just go in with loppers and secateurs. snip all around the edges.

 

[Loup97]

We talk about that kind of stuf : https://rootpouch.com/ , it exist for in ground and above ground. Obviously this is commercial informations but I share it that you can see :

 

[BobbyLane]

We talk about that kind of stuf : https://rootpouch.com/ , it exist for in ground and above ground. Obviously this is commercial informations but I share it that you can see :

Thanks, i think i have seen them in a few commercial nurseries. i can see how it will be highly beneficial to the nursery industry. he said the main reason he started using them was because he found that the air baskets were drying out too quickly, ive had the same problem so i dont use air pots anymore. a few nurserys have trees in air baskets here but not all of the trees are. most big tree places i visit use drip irrigation in virtually all of the pots so they dont need to go around watering them, only garden centres here do that.
ive seen large plastic sacks used here a lot, the roots manage to escape those too, sometimes they need a fork lift truck just to remove the sack from the ground due to the escaped roots thickening and growing deep into the ground.
roots can escape most types of containers once laid on the ground, you can see this in a few of Peter chans videos.

 

[penumbra]

Quart size grow bags with 1 and 2 year seedlings in coco coir bed and 1 and 2 gallon with maple in raised earth bed.