Planter bags are an ideal alternative to boring planters or planters. We show you how easy it is to make them yourself.
City people often miss it, their own garden. There is no need to do without the cultivation of fruit and vegetables or an attractive display of flowers on the balcony and terrace. With "Urban Gardening" a new trend has arrived and everyone can bring a piece of green home by considering cultivation in plant bags. The pretty plant bags replace boring and outdated balcony boxes and tubs. If you make your own plant bags, you can also adapt the color and style of the living environment and thus create a plant paradise according to your own ideas in a small space.
What are the advantages of plant bags?
Plants have needs. In order for them to grow well, their roots must be able to spread sufficiently and there should be a balance of air, water and nutrients.
➭Plants usually feel less comfortable in narrow planters, since plastic planters let neither light nor air through. Plant bags are made of a light and water-permeable material. The soil remains correspondingly loose.
➭A plant bag offers far more flexibility than a rigid plant trough. This allows the roots to spread better. Last but not least, plant bags are eye-catchers and create an atmospheric and personal atmosphere on the balcony or terrace.
➭The hobby gardener can be creative when it comes to planting, because almost all plants can be grown in plant bags. This can create an attractive ornamental or kitchen garden in a small space.
➭Planter bags can be set up flexibly and allow space-saving use. This makes gardening possible for everyone and everywhere.
An overview of the advantages and disadvantages of plant bags
| Advantages of a plant bag | Disadvantages of a plant bag |
|---|---|
| ✔ space-saving ✔ can be placed flexibly ✔ can be hung up ✔ weatherproof ✔ water-permeable ✔ dimensionally stable✔ easy totransport ✔ offer optimal growth conditions | ✘ Purchase associated with costs ✘ Material not always sufficiently weatherproof ✘ only suitable for a small harvest |
Make small plant bags for the balcony yourself
Space is usually limited on the balcony. The instructions presented here refer to plant bags that can hold a flower pot and can be attached to the balcony railing.
What is needed for a plant bag twelve centimeters high?
- Pants leg of a pair of jeans (about 22 centimeters wide)
- Denim fabric (20 by 10 centimetres)
- Round rods (note the height of the balcony railing)
- about three meters of strong cord for hanging
Instructions step by step
1. Turn the pant leg inside out
2. Sew the tube together at the bottom
3. Place the side seams on top of each other and sew off
4. Cut off the superfluous fabric
5. Upper fabric edge outwards fold over (two centimetres)
6. Sew the edge of the fabric with a zigzag stitch (sewing twice gives more stability)7. Turn pocket inside out
8. Fold denim into a square
9. Wrong side of fabric facing up
10. Sew open sides together
11. Turn fabric
12. Fold the fabric square in half
13. Sew the ends of the loop to the sides of the plant bag
14. Push the rod through the loop
Planter bag instead of flower box
If a flower box seems too clumsy and boring, you can make a plant bag that can replace the classic flower box.
What is required?
- Fabric piece (30 x 140 centimeters, suitable for outdoor use)
- coated cotton or oilcloth (width- 30 centimeters)
- Ribbon or lace (120 centimeters long)
- Sewing machine (overlock)
- Iron
- Scissors
» Step 1: Cut fabric and oilcloth
The fabric suitable for outdoor use is folded in half and cut at the breaking point. This gives you two parts measuring 30 x 70 centimetres. The oilcloth is also divided in the middle and there are two pieces with identical dimensions.
Tip: The dimensions of the balcony bag can be changed individually.
» Step 2: Sew fabric and oilcloth together
One piece of outdoor fabric and one piece of oilcloth are placed on top of each other, right sides together. The fabrics are sewn together along the long sides. Here comes the overlocksewing machine to use. A simple straight stitch will do.
After sewing, turn the fabric right side out again. The outdoor fabric should now be on the canvas in front of you.
» Step 3: Finishing work
The open edges on the short sides are folded over by 2.5 centimeters towards the outdoor fabric side. Pin the ribbon or prepared lace at the desired location and topstitch with a straight stitch.
The short sides are folded so that oilcloth lies on top of oilcloth. Approximately 16 centimeters should be calculated to the middle.
The folded sides are finally sewn together. Then the balcony bag can already be filled with soil and planted.
Waterproof plant bags
The finished plant bags hold the irrigation water better and defy wind and weather if you make sure that the material is waterproof. Of course, this is not the case with conventional fabric.
Hobby gardeners can use a simple trick here. The fabric can either be impregnated with candle wax or treated with vegetable wax.
The treatment with carnauba wax or sunflower wax must be done before sewing. Only wax with a high melting point is suitable for impregnation, because it can get very hot on the balcony in summer.
A layer of thin paper is recommended to avoid contaminating the sewing machine when working with the waxed fabric. This is sewn on as described and can then be easily torn off the finished plant bag.