A grow bag is a plastic sack-like container or a bag that is filled with soil or compost materials. These bags are used to grow plants, mostly vegetables, that can be fruitful for two to three seasons. There are holes cut on the top of the bag to accommodate the plants and their roots to feed on water and nutrients.
Grow bags are widely used for gardening and farming purposes and are easily usable through their lightweight designs. They can also keep the soil moist, strong and flexible, allowing the water to pass through easily applicable drainage holes. The grow bags are effectively useful and come in a variety of different shapes, sizes, colors and product materials.
These bags have various designs that are specifically applicable to a particular vegetable group, with different product outlooks for growing different vegetables. They vary in their shapes and sizes that, provide a huge variety of container volumes, allowing the customers to choose a grow bag that matches their needs and buy accordingly.
If you are confused about buying grow bags with a risk of choosing the incorrect bag sizes, you can take guidance from elaborate content that might inform you about the factors to keep in mind while buying a grow bag and help you to choose the correct size for any specific plants that you are willing to grow.
Standard Grow Bag Size:
Grow bags can be categorized by their purposes and sizes. The marketplaces around the world, both online and offline mediums have five most common categories of grow bag sizes that are widely available for sale and used by the majority of clients.
The standard Grow Bags sizes are of five types, namely the small grow bags, the medium ones, the large bags, the extra large grow bags and the super large products. Each of these is applicable to different plants and has to be used in various techniques to keep them healthy.
The small grow bags have an approximate volume of 5 liters, which includes a length and breadth of 16 cm and a height of 30 cm. Medium bags have almost 8.5 liters as their volume with a 20 cm cross 20 cm base area and 35 cm as height. Large grow bags provide up to 14 liters of container volume, that has a 24 cm long and 24 cm wide base, including a height of 40 cm.
Next comes the extra large grow bags that have almost 20 cm in breadth, 34 cm in length and 60 cm as the height of the container. These bags can provide about 28 liters of volume space for soiling and planting. The largest grow bags available commonly in the markets are the super large products that have a volume of 33 liters with a 24 cm long and 36 cm wide base and 60 cm height.
These are the standard Grow bag sizes that are most commonly sold in the markets, although different dimensions and customizable products are also available.
Different Plants And Their Ideal Grow Bag Sizes Explained In Chart:
 |
Popular Plants for 7 Gallon Grow Bag
|
 |
Popular Plants for 10 Gallon Grow Bag
|
 |
Popular Plants for 15 Gallon Grow Bag
|
 |
Popular Plants for 20 Gallon Grow Bag
|
There are different sizes applicable for growing different plants, as each plant has individual needs for sustainability and gaining nutrients since each of them has different structural designs. There is a standardized measurement of grow bags that is applicable for each plant type, and you can match its requirements to your grow bag’s dimensions before buying it.
The main factor of the grow bags is the volume of space it provides to put in the compost and allow the plants to grow, and hence one of the major modes of measuring the grow bags is by their volumes. A typical grow bag used to grow banana peppers has to be around 7 gallons in volume to allow the plants a healthy and sustainable life.
Several other commonly grown plants use similar volume measures of 7 gallons, like Basil, Beans, bee balm, black-eyed peas, celery, catnip, and so on. Another commonly used grow bag volume is the 10-gallon bag, which is applicable for growing Bell peppers, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, carrots, chamomile, butternut squash, and many other plants.
The 15-gallon grow bags are useful for plants like lemons, oranges, likes, cucumbers, eggplants, etc. A larger grow bag with 20 gallons of volume space can be applicable for perfectly growing boysenberries, cantaloupe, currant, elderberries, figs, gooseberries, grapes, hops, kiwis, and several other plants.
Small bags with 5-gallon volumes are applicable for growing plants like tomatillos.
Things To Consider While Choosing The Right Grow Bag Size For Your Plants:
Grow bags are an effective solution to gardening and growing plants in urban enclosures that provide little outdoor spaces. If you are willing to use these bags to grow your houseplants or you want to grow any seasonal vegetables, the bags you use have to be applicable for the chosen plants to allow their healthy survival and growth.
In the case of common vegetables like tomatoes, capsicums, brinjals, green chilies and ladies’ finger plants, the perfect size of grow bags is the standard small to medium sizes with base areas ranging from 12 inches to 18 inches. The commonly used grow bags for these plants have surface areas of 12 cm x 12 cm, 15 cm x 12 cm, 15 cm x 15 cm or 18 cm x 18 cm.
For herbs and plants like coriander, methi, spinach, celery, chives, lettuce, and son on, the most perfectly applicable grow bag size is small to large bags, with surface areas of 9cm x 9 cm, 18 cm x 6 cm, 18 cm x 9 cm and 24 cm x 9 cm. These plants usually require rectangular bases to flourish and gain suitable nutrients from the compost matter.
Gourds, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, squashes and watermelon plants work best with square-shaped grow bags, that commonly have base areas of 15 cm x 15 cm, 18 cm x 18 cm, 18 cm x 24 cm and 24 cm x 24 cm, which typically lies under the small, medium and large grow bag categories.
Broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage plants grown in indoor spaces are cultivated in grow bags that have small to medium sizes, with average surface areas being 12 cm x 12 cm, 15 cm x 15 cm and 15 cm x 60 cm which is larger than its commonly used counterparts.
Potatoes, beetroots, onions, gingers, radishes, carrots and turnips can be grown in cubical grow bags that provide an average base area of 9 cm x 9 cm, 12 cm x 12 cm, 15 cm x 15 cm and 15 cm x 12 cm. These bags are usually considered under the small or medium grow bag categories.
Lemons, papayas, bananas, guavas and some other plants need medium to large grow bags for healthy growth that include commonly used surface areas like 18 cm x 18 cm, 24 cm x 24 cm, 18 cm x 24 cm, 24 cm x 36 cm and 36 cm x 36 cm.
Using a different grow bag size might hamper the growth and sustainability of your plants. Hence, you need to consider measuring the dimensions of your grow bag before buying it, by matching its attributes to the requirements based on the plant you have chosen to grow.
Other important points to keep in mind while buying grow bags are the product material, shape and colors that can affect the growth of your plants.
Grow Bag Size Chart, Dimension And Comparison:
The different sizes of grow bags available in the market can be compared based on their uses, outlooks and dimensions. Bigger bags have bigger base areas and are usually cubical or cylindrical in shape. Medium grow bags have standard dimensions that are most commonly presented in rectangular or square-shaped bases.
The small grow bags can be cylindrical, cubical or conical based on their uses. Besides their shapes, these bags can also be compared by their materials. Smaller bags are made of fabric and plastic materials. Medium and large sized grow bags are usually made of fabric and jute.
Should You Use Different Grow Bags For Vegetables And Fruits?
Grow bags are cost-effective and efficient ways to grow plants in indoor enclosures and places with little outdoor exposure. They can be used for gardening and growing houseplants, useful for floral houseplants, vegetables and fruit plants. You can choose the type of plants you want to grow and get a grow bag accordingly that meets the specific needs for your plants.
You have to use different sizes and shapes of grow bags based on the vegetables or fruits that you have chosen. The same sizes of grow bags are applicable for use to plant several varieties of vegetables and fruits that can grow under similar conditions based on their sustainability and skills to gain nutrients from the components.
Some plants have more specific needs on water drainage, which needs to be kept in mind while choosing a grow bag for them. Hence, as you can understand, similar sizes of grow bags can be used for growing vegetables and fruits, provided that the chosen plant species are capable of growing in a healthy manner under the provided dimensions.
So, you do not require to use different grow bags for vegetables and fruits; all you need to ensure is to maintain the desired grow bag dimensions for your chosen plant species.
Types Of Grow Bags:
Based on their sizes, the grow bags available in the market can be categorized under five types, namely the small bags, the medium ones, the large grow bags, the extra large bags and the super large grow bags. The standard Grow bags can hold upto 15 kg of compost matter, the medium ones are applicable for holding about 35 kg of potting mix. Large grow bags can carry upto 80 kg.
There are several types of grow bags based on their materials, like plastic grow bags and fabric grow bags. In modern times, more sustainable materials like jute are also used for making grow bags.
Grow bags can also be categorized based on their shapes. They can be cylindrical, cubical or conical, depending on the plant’s requirements for soil flexibility, solidification and water drainage.
Another classification of grow bags is done according to their colors and outlooks. While the bags applicable for commercial uses are made of solid colors, usually in greenish tones, the household purposes of grow bags have allowed a variety of designs to enrich this market. There are different designs and textures of grow bags available in the offline and online shops.
Why Grow Bags Have Distinct Upper Hand Over Plastic Pots Or Plant Pots?
Grows bags have several advantages over the typical plastic pots and planting pots used for gardening purposes. To begin with, they are easily manageable and do not need much space, making them suitable for use in places that lack outdoor areas. The grow bags are portable, they can be easily moved around and stored according to your desire.
Besides, the regular plant pots do not allow proper temperature control and drainage systems that are available in the grow bags. They also help the plants in growing healthier roots that do not undergo unwanted circling. Overall, grow bags are a more versatile method of planting trees or decorating your home with houseplants.
These bags allow the plants to enrich themselves with minerals without unwanted water clogging inside the compost matter, which is evidently achieved through a proper drainage condition that comes in handy if you are using a grow bag for your plants.
Another important difference between the plant pots and grow bags is that the latter requires regular watering and can maintain the temperature regulations of the soil, allowing the plants to sustain in a healthier manner.
How To Use Grow Bags?
Grow bags are widely used in urban areas to grow houseplants and vegetables indoors. They provide a spacious volume to grow the plants. To begin with, using a grow bag, you need to ensure you have the correct size that is applicable to your chosen plant. Once you are sure that the grow bag dimensions are suitable for your gardening purposes, you must put them in the soil.
The soil used in grow bags is made of compost matter and potting mix that allows a plant to grow and develop in a healthy way. Once you have the soil ready, you need to make holes in it to plant your vegetables or houseplants. The structure of the grow bags allows sustainable water drainage to the soil, making it suitable for plants to grow.
With your plant inside the grow bag, you have to water it on a scheduled basis and you can acknowledge it to grow and develop. This is how you use a grow bag efficiently for gardening or decoration purposes.
In What Interval Should You Change The Grow Bags?
While most grow bags last for almost seven to eight seasons when kept under proper care, some of them can last for longer time periods if maintained efficiently. Plastic grow bags need to be replaced earlier than their fabric counterparts. Although the polymer bags have strong build and structures, they can eventually grow toxic to the soil with time.
However, the fabric bags like jute grow bags are also durable using their unwoven structures that are pressed together, and can be used for a longer time unless the bags get damaged on their own.
Why You Should Always Make Sure To Have Holes In Grow Bags Regardless Of The Sizes?
Grow bags include drainage holes that allow the excess water to flow downwards and eventually escape from the bottom of the grow bag. Hence, these bags can efficiently provide better drainage systems for the plants to thrive in a healthier manner. These holes are also effective in maintaining the air and particles in the compost matter as per their desired quantities.
If you buy a plastic grow bag that has no holes for drainage, you need to implement them before you put compost in the bag and plant a vegetable or houseplant in it. Without these drainage holes, the water residue that has accumulated from the excessive watering might be stored inside the bag, affecting the composition of the potting mix and harming the plant growth.
Hence, it is very important for you to ensure that your grow bags have drainage holes, no matter what their sizes are, to maintain the soil ecosystem that helps the plants to grow and gain nutrients efficiently. You can use fabric grow bags in case you do not want to make the drainage holes yourself, since these bags allow water passage. Also, some plastic bags already have holes in them.
Since a grow bag has its prior advantage being the effortless drainage system that keeps your plants healthy, ensuring that your bag has holes is urgently necessary before you plant a tree in it and start watering it. Stored water in the grow bags that cannot escape due to the absence of drainage holes can even kill your plants.
Bigger grow bags also have similar requirements as they include more amounts of compost matter that can lead to more water residue, which is ultimately more harmful to the plants. So, as you can see, holes for drainage are highly important in grow bags, irrespective of their shapes and sizes.