"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands........" 1 Thessalonians 4:11

Monday, January 2, 2012

The new garden method is not so new to some..............

but it is new to me.  I found out about this after a conversation with an elderly friend of mine, which led me to do some research.  My friend has just moved from her large home, which she could no longer handle alone, and into an apartment which has a small fenced backyard. She had commented about how she still would love to garden, perhaps along the fence border of her small yard, but did not want the task of digging up hard grass grown soil..................
the new method,............. maybe one you folks are already familiar with, is
"bag gardening"..........have any of you heard of this?

It is so easy and wonderful for the beginning gardener or for someone who wants to grow things, but does not want to have to dig up hard ground. You simply purchase a bag of garden soil, with fertilizer included in the mix,  and you have an instant raised, good quality bed, to grow whatever you might wish
. Here is how to get started: Please note, I have not started this as of yet............these are borrowed pictures from the Internet.

You can grow a plant directly in the bag your potting soil is sold in, eliminating the need to purchase a bucket or construct a growing box.

Select a bag of potting soil that includes fertilizer and is pre-mixed with an aerator like perlite. You can purchase either a small bag for growing an individual plant, or a large bag for growing a couple plants per bag or seeds if you desire. Purchase as many bags as needed to grow all your plants.

 Spread dampened newspapers along the area you wish to place the bags. Lay the soil bags in an area you have designated as your garden. Be sure to leave a pathway between the bags if you have several rows. Slice multiple slits into the side of each bag for drainage, then flip all the bags over so that the drainage holes face down.Cut square openings in the bag, leaving the sides and ends intact to ensure no soil leakage.
Sprinkle the seeds or insert the seedlings into each bag. Consult the plant or seed's packaging for the appropriate depth. Water the seeds or plants.

Maintain your grow bag garden the same way you would a normal garden. Water when necessary. Remove any weeds that may have been transmitted to your bags. Harvest the fruit or vegetables when fully grown. After harvesting, remove the plastic, shaking out the dirt onto the ground. You will have enriched soil to feed the ground over the winter .

Although I have my large garden areas tilled and waiting, I am still planning on using this method along some hard ground problem areas, where I want to see things to grow and bloom. I will be showing my progress when planting season comes to my area. I plan to plants flowers and vegetables using this method. Garden soil bags can be somewhat costly, if you plan to use a lot of them. I have a substantial compost pile ready for use..........I plan to use thick bags to put that soil in and have somewhat of a homemade bag....................I will find out how this works..............as well as you, as I post this garden journey.
How about you?...........have you heard of this bag method before?..........if so, have you worked with it?    I would love to hear/.

22 comments:

The Woodbury's said...

I had seen an article about this a couple of years ago and had thought about trying it and then promptly, totally forgot. Thanks so much for reminding me and for posting better pictures than what I had seen. I am going to try this in my garden this year! We can keep in touch and let each other know how it goes. Thanks again, and I hope you are having a great new year!

Jenny said...

I have heard of this method but never tried it. I grow too much to use bags this way but from what I've seen it works very well.

I've had tons of problems with squash bugs the last few yrs. I may try growing squash some where else in my yard with this method.

Unknown said...

Interesting. I have tried the hanging bags and watering was a problem for me. I tried the sweet taters in a 5 gallon bucket with success! I just turned the bucket over to harvest my taters, easy peasey. You got me interested to try this in my raised gardens which I am having problems with soil and my ability to bend and work the soil (muscle problems). I am excited now for Spring! Thank you!!

Elaine/Muddling Through said...

That looks like a great idea, Kathleen! I may just have to try this. I, too, have some problem spots where things don't seem to be happy with the soil. Thanks for the info.

Gingerbreadshouse7 said...

Kathleen,
I have seen that method used and I know it works. A friend in NJ used to put down paper to stiffel the grass and make flower beds. I'm growing out of space for gardening ..I may use this idea this year.

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

I think it's brilliant! We can only have raised beds here because of hard caliche soil filled with rocks and boulders. Plus, since we live in the desert, we have to be able to control our watering to make sure the plants don't dry out. These bags would probably help with that issue, too.

Thanks for sharing!

~Lisa

Connie said...

I've never heard of this type of gardening, Kathleen. I'll be interested in seeing how it works for you. :)

grammy said...

That is so cool. It really motivates me!
Happy New Year!

peggy said...

I've seen this done with impatiens, they soon cover the bag to hide it. Just cut Xs and plop in the little plants, with drainage slits in the bottom of the bag. Let's all try it this year.

lil red hen said...

It does look like something that would be good for a flower bed; my veggie garden would be too big. I read on a blog about someone using cat food bags (they are plastic you know); a person could put her own compost inside them. When planting time comes, keep us posted about your success.

Tammy@Simple Southern Happiness said...

Never have seen this but boy would it cut out all that labor tilling. HUM??? I think this is worth a try.Thank you for the info and I will be watching.

Anonymous said...

Never heard of this. Want to try it...keep us posted for sure...i don't want to forget.

Vickie said...

Never seen this before, Kathleen. It's almost genius. Why haven't most of us thought about this sooner! I'm going to have my rows planted with my bigger crops - peas, beans and cukes, but for most everything else, I'm going to try to some raised beds this year. This bag method is similar I guess, and you COULD elevate these beds onto something else, making it much less tiresome on your back.
Neat idea - let me know how it works! I could probably use this method in some areas myself!
Happy New Year, Kathleen!

Stevie Taylor said...

Have you heard of gardening in a straw bale? (Hay, not straw.) Just discovered it myself and plan to use it in my greenhouse for tomatoes. Check it out----good for crops with larger roots and leaves plants at a nice height for weeding, watering, and harvesting, etc.
Stevie @ ruffledfeathersandspilledmilk.com

Nancy M. said...

I have never heard of this before. It sounds like a really neat way to plant things. I'll bet you don't have nearly as many weeds with that like you normally would. I think I may have to give this a try this year!

Michaele said...

Will wonders never cease! That doesn't even cost anything to make!

Hill Top Post said...

Having read this, I am now ready to get out and start my garden. Actually, last week I did work some in my flower borders...can't keep my hands out of the dirt! I look forward to seeing how this works for you.

Diana said...

I haven't tried or heard of it til now but it definitely sounds good to me. I don't have much luck we don't have the sun for gardening. I'm still trying though! happy blessed new year Kathleen, love,Diana

Anonymous said...

I know a couple of people who have done this and had great results. If you do it...please blog about it.

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

Brenda Kay Ledford said...

This is such an interesting posting. I've heard of this method but never tried it. Sounds like a wonderful way to garden. Thanks for keeping in touch. I hope you have a fantastic New Year.

Paula said...

I've never heard of this Kathleen, but what a wonderful idea!
My compost pile is really growing right now as I'm having to clean the sheep barn out about once a week since they spend most of their time in there in the winter.... it should make for some wonderful fertilizer this year.

Conni said...

Oooh, looking forward to reading about your progress with this method!