Grow Mediums Drain Holes in Grow Bags

[Drownomatic]

I first started growing in plastic nursery pots, and after hearing about grow bags, bought a bunch of generic non-woven bags.

I found that the top dries out quickly, and the bottom almost never dries. If I wait for the container to get light, the top is so dry that it repels water.

The bottom of the bag is elevated.

I also found that they don't drain well if you are trying to water till runoff. I always ended up with the bottom soggy and muddy. It makes me worry about rot.

So, the idea is to put some holes in the bottom of the bag. Has anyone tried this?

As an alternative, do woven bags like @Rain Science drain better?

 

[Original Lowryder #12]

I had similar issues with my AC Infinity fabric pots.

My rain science bags have made a night and day difference in my growing. Root mass is off the charts and my plants love them almost more than me. Even in soil it can be hard to overwater, although difficult it can still happen. During full flower my 3 gals require watering once a day and 1 gals sometimes need it twice so plenty of airflow and medium dry cycles. I have some of their pheno bags, 1 gals, 3 gals and one of the 3 gal autoflower bags im trying out. They can be used in autopots or bottom watering systems too. Couldn't recommend them any more highly! After a grow I let em dry out outside for a day and spray them off in the sink and they look brand new. They are a bit pricey compared to others but 100% worth it IMO. I won't grow with other pots anymore.

 

[Talonxracer]

So, the idea is to put some holes in the bottom of the bag. Has anyone tried this?

As an alternative, do woven bags like @Rain Science drain better?

You could add a few grommets to the bottom of a fabric grow bag for additional drainage.

The Rain Science bags are not woven but rather a plastic mesh with fairly fine holes in the material, they look small enough to prevent gnats from using them as entry points, unlike the Airpots whose holes act like veranda's for gnats

 

[Original Lowryder #12]

You could add a few grommets to the bottom of a fabric grow bag for additional drainage.

The Rain Science bags are not woven but rather a plastic mesh with fairly fine holes in the material, they look small enough to prevent gnats from using them as entry points, unlike the Airpots whose holes act like veranda's for gnats

On the topic of gnats I can concur on this. They only use the top layer and the plastic mesh is tight enough to keep them out. Although if you're like me and lift your pots to check for water weight if can create some space between the bag and soil on the sides and I've caught one or two in there before but that's still just in the bag and those ones don't last long.

 

[Del boy]

I first started growing in plastic nursery pots, and after hearing about grow bags, bought a bunch of generic non-woven bags.

I found that the top dries out quickly, and the bottom almost never dries. If I wait for the container to get light, the top is so dry that it repels water.

The bottom of the bag is elevated.

I also found that they don't drain well if you are trying to water till runoff. I always ended up with the bottom soggy and muddy. It makes me worry about rot.

So, the idea is to put some holes in the bottom of the bag. Has anyone tried this?

As an alternative, do woven bags like @Rain Science drain better?

Hello i use rain science bags they are far better then fabric bags they dry out nice and even and dont stay soggy on the bottom never had prob with rot and they drain off nice and quick for run off never had a gnat problem with them and you can put them in washing machine to clean them at end of the grow