Is it Time to Ditch the Plastic Pots and Go for Biodegradable Grow Bags?

To clarify what we mean by plant grow bags, I’m talking about fabric bags you can put plants in before you plant them to help maintain stability of the root structure while it’s growing.

Sort of like a plant pot, except lighter and decomposes in the ground.

The environmental benefits of plant grow bags speak for themselves — they break down, they return nutrients to the soil, they reduce carbon footprint, they facilitate the growth of new plants. 

But what about the other factors?

Practical Savings for Plant Nurseries

If you own a greenhouse or plant nursery, you’re in the business of growing plants. Not bulk ordering plastic (or clay) pots from overseas at exorbitant rates.

It’s nobody’s fault, but nowadays it’s more profitable to ship cars overseas than it is to ship plant pots, and the person who foots the bill is you when you’re looking into gardening supplies.

You have to deal with buying, storing, and adequately reusing the pots — and remember, not every plant is the same size. Funnily enough, one of the items we find most commonly littered when cleaning trash? Plant pots.

Fabric bags have downsides, but they are far lighter, easier to store, easier to transport, more eco-friendly, and even…allow you to care for plants better??

That’s right — you actually have the ability to observe the roots as the plant is growing to identify issues ahead of time and maintain the health of your plants.

So what about those drawbacks you mentioned?

How to Properly Use Biodegradable Plant Grow Bags

The drawbacks…aren’t really drawbacks, provided you just use them right. First of all, the bags come in different sizes. Just buy the size you need and all is good.

As far as preparing the grow bag, just carefully unfold it and put the plant in. Boom. You’re done. As always, there may be some concern of the bag ripping, but by handling with caution you avert that risk effectively.

Finally, when you’re ready to put the plant in the soil, you just….put it in the soil! The bag maintains the structural integrity of the plant, and over time, it degrades away into the soil in an eco-friendly manner. 

Besides that, water as usual and monitor the roots for anything that catches your eye, at least if it’s growing in a raised surface environment.

Using plant grow bags nets cost savings, environmental savings, and even hassle savings. If you’ve tried them before, you may already know, but if you haven’t, you may be missing out.

Try them for your own nursery or greenhouse and see if you like them. You can always go back, but you’ll never know if you don’t try!