Ikea Tote Bags for Container Gardening

[jazzy]

i thought this guy was pretty good. ive seen people use the plastic kiddie pools, water barrels but in half and the really nice wood sided containers for gardens. i liked this guys ideas. especially in light of the 'mega drought' we are in in the SW and the weather changes from solar minimum. the standard row crops might not be the best for everyone anymore. using containers you use less water, thats a big deal for me tho i save rain water for my small garden and use that first before using the well water.

i think i could do this real easy for taters, carrots, onions, greens, squash, beans, tomatoes, those are the basics. besides maybe it will be less fighting with the gophers those buggers are a royal PIA every year.

anyway, i liked this guys plan


.

 

[Grimm]

Those bags will only last a year or so before they fall apart.

I had garden bags made out of the same stuff and they were a waste of money. I like the felt style ones.

 

[jazzy]

thanks for sharing that---did you cover the bags to protect from UV? ive had some other grow bags that have lasted a cou0ple years but arent very big.

 

[Grimm]

thanks for sharing that---did you cover the bags to protect from UV? ive had some other grow bags that have lasted a cou0ple years but arent very big.

The bags I had (like the ikea) claimed to have a coating against UV. The felt ones are made by Victory 8 and are 1 foot square. They make other types but I opted for these.

https://victory8garden.com/home

 

[jazzy]

thanks grimm, i hadnt heard of the other ones. think ill do some more exploring on this all.

 

[joel]

 

[joel]

 

[JustMe]

I'm not sure how growing anything above ground, such as in bags or even raised beds would save on water since whatever container used the water will drain out and needs watered more frequently than in ground growing. In ground, the plants & roots have better access to any moisture around or under the plant....that in a container would block and depending on how the raised bed is constructed, it would as well.

Not trying to be argumentative, just considering the whole picture......unless I'm missing something, I just don't see how it would save on water.

 

[SWolf]

i thought this guy was pretty good. ive seen people use the plastic kiddie pools, water barrels but in half and the really nice wood sided containers for gardens. i liked this guys ideas. especially in light of the 'mega drought' we are in in the SW and the weather changes from solar minimum. the standard row crops might not be the best for everyone anymore. using containers you use less water, thats a big deal for me tho i save rain water for my small garden and use that first before using the well water.

i think i could do this real easy for taters, carrots, onions, greens, squash, beans, tomatoes, those are the basics. besides maybe it will be less fighting with the gophers those buggers are a royal PIA every year.

anyway, i liked this guys plan


.

I saw the same video and I am going to give it a try this year.
For a couple of bucks, I think it's worth the effort/time.

 

[Caribou]

I'm not sure how growing anything above ground, such as in bags or even raised beds would save on water since whatever container used the water will drain out and needs watered more frequently than in ground growing. In ground, the plants & roots have better access to any moisture around or under the plant....that in a container would block and depending on how the raised bed is constructed, it would as well.

Not trying to be argumentative, just considering the whole picture......unless I'm missing something, I just don't see how it would save on water.

in the one video it was set up to drain into a rain gutter. This could be run into a bucket and be put back on the plants, recycling water and fertiliser.

 

[JustMe]

in the one video it was set up to drain into a rain gutter. This could be run into a bucket and put back on the plants, recycling water and fertiliser.

Thank you. That is a good idea.

I have some buckets and may try planting in one with drain holes, sat inside of another bucket without holes........anything to have more planting space

 

[backlash]

This just gave me an idea. I'm going to plant cucumbers in bags this year. For the past 2 years all of the cucumbers I have grown are so bitter you can't eat them. The neighbors goats won't eat them. No idea why and I grew 6 different varieties and they were all bitter. I'm thinking it something in my soil but I don't really know. I'll buy some garden soil and not use soil from the garden. I was always able to grow cucumbers in the past but 2 seasons ago it went bad. I gave my daughter a start and hers were good.
Now if someone has an idea for an easy way to get rid of squash bugs I would try growing squash again.
I'm starting to get Spring gardening fever.

 

[jazzy]

i have a nice deck that gets good sun, i have a couple of the half barrels i plant greens, another with snow peas, some chamolile for tea, lovage, so far the location has worked good. i want to try the bags with some things like garlic, bush beans maybe, . one year i made a potatoe tower, actually it worked pretty good. still some things i want to experiment with but im liking the grow bag ideas for my deck.

 

[SWolf]

Here is another grow-in-a-bag idea that has me intrigued.

 

[jazzy]

Here is another grow-in-a-bag idea that has me intrigued.

thank you that was really neat!

 

[Weedygarden]

i have a nice deck that gets good sun, i have a couple of the half barrels i plant greens, another with snow peas, some chamolile for tea, lovage, so far the location has worked good. i want to try the bags with some things like garlic, bush beans maybe, . one year i made a potatoe tower, actually it worked pretty good. still some things i want to experiment with but im liking the grow bag ideas for my deck.

I recently watched a video about growing potatoes. I've grown them in 5 gallon buckets. Evidently they are heavy feeders, which I did not realize. I need to fertilize the soil before I plant potatoes in the buckets again.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

These days, I wouldn't be wasting those plastic bags. Get those carrots out without cutting the bags. It looks like they can be used a few more times.

 

[jazzy]

well i ordered a swt of 10 of the large ikea bags, im going to put them on my sunny deck. not sure i can fit all 10 but im gonna try some out.

 

[SWolf]

well i ordered a swt of 10 of the large ikea bags, im going to put them on my sunny deck. not sure i can fit all 10 but im gonna try some out.

Very cool!! Please keep us updated.

I will be ordering mine this Tuesday.

 

[jazzy]

i knew an old lady who lived in the suburbs, had a small back yard, enclosed with tall fence, just a nice average little place. she was i n her 80s didnt feel like digging, row garden so got some of the plastic kiddie pools, poked holes in the bottom and put them around her yard and patio. she grew tomatoes , corn, green beans, onions and a small type of potato and the short carrots. i thibnk she had at least 8 , one also had greens and lettuce. it really was beautiful to look at, she said it was very easy to take care of and she mulched heavily. and used less water far less work she said as she did regular vegetable gardens for years. said she felt too old and tiored to keep doing it and started these as her container gardens. i just always liked her garden.

 

[SWolf]

I thought it was...
I knew an old lady who lived in a shoe.

I use totes to good effect out in our greenhouse.
They are 12 gallon totes, which cost somewhere around $8.00.

 

[jazzy]

That is really cool swolf!

 

[SWolf]

That is really cool swolf!

Thank you kindly!
My other half has bad knees and has a hard time getting down in the dirt.
So I brought it up to her.