Cats_small
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cloth 'smart pot' planters

I'm just starting my seeds indoors. I'm a renter so I'm not going to be using the ground too much.

I was thinking of getting some plastic planters, cheap and light, but then I saw something about black cloth planters. They look enticing. I think a big one might make a neat faux raised bed in my drive way :)

Ostensibly the fabric helps with aeration and drainage, and help protect against plants becoming root bound. But I'm not sure how much of a problem that'll be for me cause I'll just be growing veges.

Any experience with cloth pots yay/nay?

internet_jen asked in Garden Design about 1 year ago | Report

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  • Dsc_0339_small
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    Master Gardener Andrea

    I have not personally used grow bags, and cannot honestly say "yay" or "nay". Many gardeners find them to be a great alternative to more permanent containers or raised beds, especially when you want to garden and have limited space.

    So, here's some info:

    1. There is valuable information about Smart Pots on www.smartpots.com. Three major universities, including Texas A & M, Oregon State, and Univ. of New Hampshire, have done research using Smart Pots (see www.smartpots.com/academic-studies) and their findings were quite positive.

    2. Gardener's Supply catalog sells their own patented polypropylene bags for vegetables and herbs. According to their catalog, you may store the bags and reuse the following year. Being able to use them 1-2 years is a clear disadvantage. Also, I wonder about the wisdom of using polypropylene to grow vegetables.

    3. Finally, with a little ingenuity, you could create your own grow bags. Check out http://www.ehow.com/grow-vegetables-in-bags for how-to information.

    Happy Gardening!

    Master Gardener Andrea answered in Garden Design about 1 year ago | Report
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