Have you tried growing in fabric before? What were your results — better roots, faster growth, easier watering? Or did you run into challenges?
If you remember what brand or type you used, let us know! We’re genuinely curious how fabric planters have worked out for different gardeners and growing styles. 💚
by SmartPotOffical
21 Comments
I bought some and have used them, but not with much success. I will keep trying, but it’s been a slow go of it.
I’ve got the vivosun 15 gallon bags. Planted an orange tree, a lemon bush, a banana tree, and 2 blueberry bushes. I’m about a month in and so far so good. Also using ollas to make sure I get the watering just right.
Got a bunch of them. They’re great, but dry out faster.
They are made of plastic fabric and I prefer not to have edibles in them personally
This year, I grew tons of radishes and even pumpkins in fabric pots. They’ve worked great for me!
I have quite a few, previously I’ve had good results with the taller narrower ones, the shorter broader ones that I was oh-so excited for did okay with my potatoes, but the strawberries failed miserably. Not sure what brand, generic mass-produced and found everywhere on ebay
I live in a semi arid desert- very little grows here naturally; but the soil is rich and the weather hospitable if you provide a ton of water.
I had enough of a hard time keeping heavy feeding plants like tomatoes hydrated in plastic pots. So I’d never sign up for the stress of fighting grow bag evaporation too.
They work well in more wet/moist climates though. But if you also live where it’s dry and hot avoid
I use them for cannabis, tomatoes, and vegetables they require larger pots.
Edit: 10 to 15 gallon – Vivosun and a generic off Amazon that works just as well.
I use mine indoors. I’ve seen some people say certain brands deteriorate fast outside.
They’re here advertising and to trash talk their competition….do the mods allow advertising here?
My potatoes did well in fabric pots, but I think my tomatoes did better in 5 gallon buckets
Started using fabric pots 8 years ago. Everything from citrus trees to herbs and tomatoes. They worked great initially but they dried up the soil fast during summer and got moldy and dirty during monsoon season. Had to elevate them above the floor or put them in large catch plates to prevent moisture damaging the floor or roots piercing through the fabric. I’ve seen roaches crawl on the fabric because they were attracted to something in the potting mix ( i suspect the coffee grounds). Two years ago I switched back to recycled plastic pots which was easier to maintain and clean and was weather resistant. I still have a few potted trees out in the garden in worn out but still sturdy fabric pots. I don’t think I’ll ever use them again for every plant like I used to do before.
My Smart Pots did not hold up. I’ve had them for three years and this last spring the handles ripped off. I live in zone 9 and it has been a struggle to keep the watering consistent, because they dry out. Elevated or not, they get mold at the bottom.
I’ve also found that I need to fertilize (1/4 dose) once or twice weekly to sustain proper vegetative and flower growth. Trying to get the correct nutrients for my pots has been a learning process.
I’m not against them, but I do think they are better suited for growers in zone 6b. On the plus side, they are made in the USA and use sustainable materials. However, I’m turned off that they advertised here. Not cool.
I am using fabric pots exclusively. I have a heavily treed backyard and no feasible area for an in ground garden. I never thought I could have a garden until I saw YouTube videos of folks growing in containers. I have been using Vivosun purchased on Amazon. I just searched Amazon and they came up as a top seller. I am however aware of Smart Pot brand and would maybe like to try them as well to compare.
Reported
They tend to leak from the sides when I water them. Not ideal if you are growing from a balcony where water pooling is not allowed. Best thing is that they are lightweight and easy to store and move around.
I once planted a peanut in an old used pair of undies.
I am zone 6 in NW Ohio. I have several sizes from Empire Pots, and some from MiGardener. I used 10 gallon pots to grow eggplant (one plant per container). I have used 20 gallon pots to grow 2 or 3 grape tomato or cherry tomatoes plants. But only put 1 full size tomato plant in each of the large containers. The fabric bags tend to dry out quickly, so check often and water more frequently.
This was a drought year for us, so I set my fabric pots of tomatoes inside plastic wading pools once the roots were well established. I watered the plants thoroughly until there was an inch of water collecting in the pool. Doing this, I could water every 2nd or 3rd day and still had fabulous yields from my Juliet cherry tomatoes. My full size tomatoes did not do as well.
I didn’t try that method with my eggplant as they don’t like wet feet & didn’t want to risk rot.
Yes, and largely would not recommend.
While the breathable faces seems to help prevent root binding, you lose SO much water that it’s not worth it.
If I was a nursery and was tight stacking them it might be OK to keep plants separated, but I’m not, and even terracotta dries out slower and lasts SO much longer.
Great concept, impractical except for situations where you need to move the plants around a lot.
I’m a big fan
Grew potatoes in one this year
Yes. I have canna plants in mine. They love it! The ones I planted in the ground died. 🤷🏻♀️ over the years I’ve used them for all kinds of flowers and veggies. But then I built a bunch of large raised beds and mostly use them now. I place the grow bags on rock covered soil.