by Elizabeth Spence.
You can grow plants in just about anything. But how about a method where you hardly have to lift a finger?
Why not grow your favourites directly in bags of soil mix???
Why bother emptying the soil out into containers or digging it into the beds as some people do?
And if you put the bag on a table or even on the top of a raised bed, rather than directly on the ground, you won’t have to bend or anything! Whoa!!
What To Do
- First of all loosen the soil by wiggling and jiggling the whole bag;
- Make sure the soil is even and a bit mounded along the middle;
- Punch some holes in the bottom for drainage;
- Cut holes in the top of the plastic to put the plants in, or cut out a rectangular section along the whole top to create a little open bed.
- Plant the transplant making sure the top of the root ball is just below the top of the bag.
- Or, if you’re seeding, just place the seeds onto the soil with the appropriate spacing;
- Water in;
- Mulch if you like;
- If required, use your preferred fertilizer as you normally would every couple of weeks or so.
- At the end of the season you can add the spent soil to your garden beds.
What To Grow
This method is ideal for plants that don’t have deep roots: tomatoes, zucchini, squash, etc. Plant three plants per bag and stake if required. The smaller the plant, obviously the more you can put in.
It’s also great for greens and annual herbs.
I’ve only ever seen this method used for vegetables, but why not try annual flowers? If you include a creeper in your design it will soon cover up the unsightly plastic. How about these – all available at our local garden centres, or can be grown from seed:
Here are some pictures to inspire you:
March, 2025