Growing Tomatoes In Grow Bags - My Process For Transplanting Into Fabric Pots
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- Опубліковано 11 вер 2021
- In this video I am transplanting 4 week old tomato seedlings into 7 gallon fabric grow bags. I grow most of my vegetables in the ground, most of the time, but sometimes it is more convenient to grow them in these lightweight fabric pots / grow bags that are easy to move around. I typically use 5 gallon grow bags for peppers or cucumbers, 7 gallon grow bags for tomatoes, and 10 gallon grow bags for squash/zucchini or sweet potatoes.
Here are links for many of the products I use in my vegetable garden. Many of these are mentioned in the video:
7 Gallon Grow Bags: amzn.to/3VdcOGs
5 Gallon Grow Bags: amzn.to/3TeMMjJ
10 Gallon Grow Bags: amzn.to/3VxtrNx
14 Inch Diameter Grow Bag Trays/Saucers: amzn.to/3tAkzqc
16 Inch Diameter Grow Bag Trays/Saucers: amzn.to/3AiP724
Dolomite Lime: amzn.to/3CbclIl
Sustane Organic Fertilizer (4-6-4) 20 lb Bag: amzn.to/3lztPHJ
Jobe’s Organic Fertilizer (4-4-4): amzn.to/3EdxeV2
Espoma Organic Fertilizer (3-4-4): amzn.to/3EbvJ9P
Seaweed Fertilizer (I mix this organic soil amendment with water for a liquid fertilizer that adds minerals, nutrients, enzymes. I use this occasionally, as a supplement to the regular granular fertilizers): amzn.to/2XfuK7l
The Following Organic Soil Amendments Add Trace Minerals To The Soil. I like to mix at least one of these amendments in my potting mixes and raised beds:
Green Sand (Organic Soil Amendment Adds Trace Minerals): amzn.to/3z5uG7B
Kelp Meal (Organic Soil Amendment Adds Trace Minerals): amzn.to/3tz2lFH
“Dynamite” Synthetic Fertilizer (Not Organic. I don’t use this anymore because I switched to organic fertilizer, but this is a really good one if you don’t mind using synthetic fertilizer): www.lowes.com/pd/Dynamite-Flo...
Shade Cloth (I use between 30% and 40% shade cloth): amzn.to/3C2z35a
Row Cover (This is a multipurpose plant covering that can protect plants from insects, provide some cold protection in winter, and can also provide a small amount of shade): amzn.to/3nreXh5
Feed Scoop for Scooping Potting Mix: amzn.to/3EaiKoS - Навчання та стиль
I love grow bags for tomatoes. When transplanting I don’t fill out the whole bag with soil only half way or less. I plant them deep and as they grow I continue cutting off bottom leaves and adding soil until I get to capacity
So u continuously fill the pot as the season goes on?
2 years ago i grew 80 tomato plants in grow bags and did great had all the tomatoes i needed gave all away to family and freinds
Hello, I bent the tips of my tomato cage into a round hook so it wouldn't make a hole in my grow bags and I was surprised at how much more sturdier it became. It made a big difference.
Interesting! I will have to try that. Thanks for sharing! 😊
Can you reference what size/type hook, and where you bought them?
@@Sullfla ??????Its a round ring tomato cage with 4 straight wire to poke in the ground. I bent the tips of the straight wire
Great idea 👌
I start out with bone meal and blood meal when I plant them then once they get about foot tall all hit them with fish fertilizer and once they get a little taller I hit them with triple 20
I actually use bagged soil for ground for my pots- but I do have a TON of holes at the bottom of my container. Our summers get hot & a large plant will actually drink the entire amount during the day and I will have to re-water by the end of the day.
I really love your videos even 2 years later.
I’m so happy to hear that! 😊💜. I’m working on a similar video to this, except it’s 5 gallon buckets made into wicking containers. I’m hoping to get it finished and posted this weekend. I hope you’ll like it!
*Wonderful gardening style, you are teaching me to be patient with plants,we will not get tired of watching this video, please don't stop gardening, continue like this, GO GO GOOOOOO!!!*
Thank you so much for the encouragement! I'm glad you liked the video. :)
What happened to being patient! Lol
Some great tips there for sure. Thank you from the UK.
You’re very welcome! 😊
Thank you, I love your channel! Very informative and educational! God Bless!
I’m so glad! You’re welcome 😀
Great video with lots of useful techniques for growing tomatoes.
😊
Some good advise. Thank you
You’re welcome 🙂
Your video is great❤
Thank you! I’m glad you liked it 😊
New grower here, doing research on bags/pots. I have 23 tomatoes up for transplanting here in alabama (late is better then never)😅
Thanks so much 😊
You’re welcome! 😊
Thank you!
You're welcome!
Good tips 👌
A new Subscriber here 👍
Great! Thank you 😊
Yes, you do want to plant tomatoes deep but not peppers.
Peppers should be planted at the same soil line they developed as a seedling.
Trust me.
After planted like you did in bag….do fertilize again, and how often? Thanks!
Hi Jacqueline, I'm new to your channel. So happy to find a channel for Floridians. I have 18 indeterminate tomatoes to plant, and can't afford to buy 18-7 gallon fabric pots. I do have qty 11- 15 gallon fabric pots, Can I plant 2 tomatoes per 15 gallon pot? Thanks.
Hi! My name is Elizabeth. I’m glad you are enjoying my channel 😊. Yes, it’s not ideal, but you can grow 2 tomato plants in a 15 gallon pot. Just be sure to give them double the amount of fertilizer. I think it would be a good idea to prune the plants a lot to try to keep space for airflow. Disease will spread more easily when the plants are close to together. You may also need to water more frequently and give additional feedings of fertilizer when 2 plants are sharing the same pot. Good luck! 🙂
like your video.
I'm at the other end of the world Darwin wet and dry seasons.
have you made a video for the potting mix you use for the grow bags.
I'm finding general potting mix is too heavy in density and looking for a lighter density mix.
what is your blend for the grow bag potting mix?
Thanks! Yes, here is my video about how I make my potting mix. I agree that many of the commercial potting mixes are too heavy. I do prefer making my own. ua-cam.com/video/f3-bITp3ESI/v-deo.html
Thanks for a very informational video! Where did you get your straight-sided circular cages? I can find only tapered ones. Thinking ahead to next year!
You're welcome! I got my tomato cages from Home Depot.
you bend the bottom tines out straight. Her cages are still tapered from circle to circle. Tractor Supply has a variety of cages available, as well as Lowes.
Can you make a video of you making your own potting mix because I also make my own want to see if I learn something different
Yes I have actually been planning to do a video of making the potting mix next time I do a batch. Hopefully I will get a chance to do it soon. Maybe even next weekend 🙂
Hi! I was finally able to finish a video of me making my potting mix. This is the video here: ua-cam.com/video/f3-bITp3ESI/v-deo.html
I will try growing the improved bush early girl tomato in fabric pots and compare it to a kratky hydroponic 5 gallon bucket method.. The advantage of Kratky method is less maintenance and no potting mix.
I’d love to hear how your comparison turns out. I’ve always wanted to try the kratky method but haven’t gotten around to it.
Where did you purchase the pan from
Hi, just found your channel, what do you use to make up your soil, I have some grow bags but not sure about the soil to use in it.
Hi. This video shows how I make my potting mix and what I use to make it. This has worked well for me: ua-cam.com/video/f3-bITp3ESI/v-deo.htmlsi=ANmH9kxjbbvSRH-Y
Hi, enjoyed r video, where did you get your trays?
Hi! Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I got the trays on Amazon. These are the ones I have. I think the one in the video is the 16 inch:
14 Inch Diameter Grow Bag Trays/Saucers: amzn.to/3tAkzqc
16 Inch Diameter Grow Bag Trays/Saucers: amzn.to/3AiP724
....HIGHER NITROGEN FOR GROWTH... THEN SWITCH AFTER WHEN BLOOMS
metal cages for determinate - 6' plastic trellace &/or stake with plant clips
hi! how do you make your potting mix? nice videos :)
Hi! This week I am working on a new video showing how I make the potting mix. Hopefully, I will have the video up this weekend. I will try to remember to come back and post a link to it here under your comment. Thank you! 😊
Hi there. I finally was able to make a video about how I make my potting mix. You can see it here: ua-cam.com/video/f3-bITp3ESI/v-deo.html
Thanks. After adding the 2 cups of fertilizer, how often then do you still have to fertilize?
You shouldn't have to add any more fertilizer for at least 2 or 3 months, and when you do add fertilizer, it shouldn't be as much as you added at planting time. If I'm adding an organic granular fertilizer then I only use about 2 TBSP when I do an extra feeding, and I only do it once after about 3 months from when I transplant. However, I don't usually add more granular fertilizer. Instead I usually use some liquid organic fertilizers every couple of weeks after my plants start to flower, just to give my plants a boost with some supplemental nutrients. I will typically use one of these water soluble/liquid fertilizers (mixed with water) for supplemental feedings:
Neptune's Harvest Fish& Seaweed: amzn.to/38AXDRs
Maxicrop Soluble Seaweed Powder: amzn.to/3wx8GTH
Miracle-Gro Organic Blooms Water Soluble Fertilizer (This one I usually only use at half-strength for supplemental feedings): amzn.to/3wy3b7g
Thank u so much. I'm looking to plant Cucumbers. How many seeds should I put in one fabric bag
You’re welcome. If your seeds are new and fresh then you can just plant 2 seeds in each bag. If they both germinate then you’ll need to cut one of them at the soil line and only keep 1 cucumber plant in each pot. Or you can try just planting 1 seed but sometimes they don’t all germinate and then you’ll need to plant another seed which takes more time. If the seeds are a few years old then I would plant 3-4 seeds in each bag, but again cut any extra ones away, so you only end up with 1 in each 5 or 7 gallon pot/bag
@@floridavegetablegardening this is silly question but how do I know if more than one plant is growing
@@lzshow if there are 2 plants then there will be 2 stems sprouting up with a couple of leaves on each stem. Wait until each sprout is about 4 inches tall and has several sets of leaves and then decided which seedling looks the biggest and healthiest. Keep the best looking one and remove any extras. This is called “thinning seedlings”. I did a video about thinning here if you want to see what I do. In this video I am doing tomato seedlings in small pots but the process is the same. ua-cam.com/video/Fr6U6ylbuzY/v-deo.html
How often do you reapply the organic fertilizer and how much do you add? Also, is it okay to still give the tomatoes Miracle Gro liquid if using Sustane?
Hi. I don't reapply very often. The amount of fertilizer I use when I transplant is usually enough for the season. Sometimes I will add some more organic granular fertilizer after 3-4 months if I see that the production is slowing down or the leaves are less green. This might happen if we have had a lot of rain. When I reapply, I only add a few Tablespoons (2-4 TBSP, depending on how long it's been since I transplanted and how much the plant seems to be lacking in nutrients). Usually I will also use some Neptune's Harvest liquid fish/seaweed fertilizer a few times during the growing season, so that helps too (amzn.to/3KqBino or amzn.to/3r8OJ40). I think it would be ok to use a little liquid miracle grow if your plants need a little boost during the growing season, but I would suggest only using it at half strength or less if you already have a granular fertilizer like Sustane in your growing container. You don't want to give too much fertilizer and burn the plants.
@@floridavegetablegardening that’s very helpful! Thank you! I’m ordering some Neptunes now, and will follow your advice!
How much soil does it take to fill a 7 gallon pot?
Very nice video i had a question did you pre moisten the homemade potting soil mix? Or what you showed on the video when you watered it was that all you watered?
It doesn’t really matter what you are planting, you should always a slightly pre-moisten the media you will be planting in.
Thanks! Usually I do pre moisten my potting mix, but I don’t think I did when I filmed this video because I don’t have a water source in the area where I was potting. I think it may have been slightly moist already from when I made it. Generally it is a good idea to pre moisten your potting mix whenever possible. Also, I always pre moisten the media when I am planting seeds.
How do prevent rodents from tearing holes into the grow bags. They destroyed them all. Also they tire chunks out of my tomato fruit even those I tried to protect by covering in bird netting or an old piece of cloth.
What type of po did u use for your seedlings cause i noticed that you left it in the countainer when transplanted
I did take it out of the container before I planted it, I just didn’t record the part where I removed it from the pot since I needed both hands to remove it. It’s just a standard plastic pot so I definitely wouldn’t leave it on.
I see you are in Florida…when do you start and grow your tomatoes
Yes I’m in west central Florida. I start tomatoes twice a year. I start my spring tomatoes in early January (indoors) to plant out in late February/early March and I start my fall tomatoes in late July/early August.
Will a 7 gal planter be enough for the entire season. Would it eventually need to go into a bigger pot?
Yes 7 gallons should be big enough for the season. I don’t move them to bigger pots. You could use 10 gallon bags if you want them to have more space but I wouldn’t try to remove them from a grow bag once they get big. The roots will attach to the sides of the grow bag and the roots would most likely get torn up if you tried to move the plant to another container after it’s established in the grow bag. I have a couple of my tomatoes in 10 gallon bags and I haven’t noticed any significant difference except that they don’t dry out quite as fast.
Hi there, perfect timing I just ordered fabric bags for my root vegetable. I planted tomatoes delicious seeds and they are growing very slow. I can't tell if there is something wrong. Could you please tell me what tomatoes seeds plant are the best for growing in our zone? I'm in 10a. Yours look big after 4 weeks. It was very informative and in was shocked how much fertilizer is ok. I too use sheer curtain to protect them and train them for stronger sun. What else do you plan in container? Did you try bush type beans? I have purple one in ground but want to put one in 6 gal container. Thank you
I think my plants are growing fast because I started them inside under grow lights. They seem to grow really fast under the grow lights. I also add a small amount of fertilizer to the potting mix I make to plant the seeds in, so that helps too. There were a few times in the past when I made a potting mix without fertilizer and my plants grew very slow. Most store bought mixes do contain enough fertilizer for seedlings though, so that's probably not a problem for your seedlings. They probably just need more time. Also, they start to grow really fast after they are moved into bigger pots, so yours will probably be fine once you transplant them. About the fertilizer - It seemed like a lot to me at first too, but since it is just sitting on the top and slowly seeping into the soil, it is ok. I only use that much because it's organic and it has lower percentages of the nutrients. I would not use nearly as much if I was using a regular synthetic fertilizer. Smaller tomatoes usually do best in our climate. Cherry tomatoes grow the best here (especially Everglades Cherry Tomatoes). Almost any variety of cherry tomato would probably do well here, but some of the ones I have tried that produced good are: Sungold, Chadwick Cherry/Camp Joy, Black Cherry, and Cherry Roma. As for Roma/Plum tomato types, I have liked Martino's Roma, Roma VF, Monica, and Mariana. The big slicers and beefsteak size tomatoes are the hardest to grow here, but you should look for varieties that have letters like "VFN" after the variety name. That means the tomato variety will be resistant to various diseases and pests (V=Verticillium Wilt, F=Fusarium Wilt, N=Nematode Resistance, etc.). The more letters there are, the more disease resistant the plants will be. I am always trying out different types, looking for the best ones. This past spring my favorite large tomato varieties were: "First Prize VFFNT"; "Beefmaster VFN"; and "Precious Pink" - all from Tomato Grower's Supply.
I typically grow tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, and strawberries in containers. I also grow tomatoes, peppers, and strawberries in the ground. Some squash plants I will grow in a large self-watering container, but usually I plant squash in the ground. I also grow sweet potatoes in 10 gallon grow bags sometimes, but also grow them in the ground too. Bush beans I haven't tried in containers. I plant them in the ground, but I'm sure they would work in containers too.
Good luck with your grow bags!
@@floridavegetablegardening Thank you very much for detailed information. It is going to help me a lot as I'm growing for the first time in 10a. I really appreciate it and look forward to your next video. 😊👍👌🌻
@@yogininamaste you’re welcome!
The plans shown in her video are pretty much ideal if you do everything perfectly. Most do not look as good after 1 month. I started mine one month ago, indoors, under lights, and none of them are larger than 6 inches.
@@DemonSliime Thank you for replying since it was a year ago I moved to another state and 7b zone. It's all good
Do you also grow tomatoes in the ground?
The lime will raise your PH levels. Tomatoes like it slightly acidic. You should use bone meal instead of lime.
Can you only put one plant in each grow bag?
Correct. Only one tomato plant in each 5 or 7 gallon grow bag. Tomatoes grow big and need a lot of nutrients and water. If there are multiple plants in the same bag then they will have to compete for nutrients/water and neither plant will do as well as it would by itself. They would still live and produce fruit but not as well as if there was only one. However, if you put them in a much bigger bag, like a 15 gallon bag, then you could add double fertilizer and put two plants in it. For smaller plants you can put more in one bag. Two pepper plants would probably be ok in a 7 gallon bag.
Would you plant zucchini in same size pot or a larger size?
I have grown zucchini in 7 gallon grow bags and they did ok, but not great. I would use at least a 10 gallon container. Zucchini usually does better in the ground (as long as you have decent soil) so I stopped growing it in containers.
@@floridavegetablegardening Thank you..
@@jackiekreuzer4008 you’re welcome 🙂
Hello my name is India and I am a new gardener this year, Any suggestions on keeping ants out of your grow bags? They just completely took over my eggplants and sweet potatoes and I had to get rid of them
Hi India. First I would try to flood them out by watering the bags so much that all the ants come running out. But I would only do that once and it needs to dry out so that your plants’ roots don’t rot. Once it’s dry again I would sprinkle diatomaceous earth all around the plants. Good luck!
Seems like a great way to spend a lot of money when a bag full of compost would probably do just fine
😂😂😂I'm sorry great video. I saw your cat in the distance and for a second before I focused I thaught oh no Skunk😂😂😂
Lol. Luckily we’ve never had a skunk here 😆
Which varieties of tomatoes did you transplant?
I transplanted the following into grow bags for this season (the first 7 are the ones shown in the video. The rest I transplanted later). Most are heirlooms, but I noted the ones that are hybrid:
Pantano Romanesco (this is the actual one I transplanted in the video).
Martino's Roma
Paul Robeson
Santorini
Rose
Yellow Pear
Big Beef (Open Pollenated)
Big Beef (Hybrid)
Cherry Roma
Elfin
Marmande VF (Hybrid)
Greek Rose
Pruden's Purple
Opalka
German Pink
Asimina
Sungold (Hybrid)
Chef's Choice Pink (Hybrid)
Thank you
@@eee-nx1ko You’re welcome! 🙂
Hi! i will be gardening for the first time this year. Is it one tomato per bag?
Hi! Yes one tomato per 5 or 7 gallon bag. Good luck with your first garden!
Most important is the variety of tomatoes...you don't mention that.. what are they? I'm having a real struggle with mine...we are in Pasco county.. West Central Coast
I’m growing many different varieties. I usually try out about 20 different varieties each season. I like to grow heirloom varieties but they are definitely less hardy and less productive than hybrids, so I also grow some hybrid varieties. In general smaller cherry type of tomatoes do better in Florida than the big slicer types. Everglades cherry tomatoes in particular are easier to grow. They produce very small tomatoes, but many of them. Some other good cherry types you could try are chadwick cherry, yellow pear, sungold, cherry roma, sweet 100s, black cherry. Of the Roma types I like Martino’s Roma best or Mariana or Monica if you prefer a hybrid. For bigger slicer tomatoes I have the best luck with hybrids. So far my favorite tasting hybrids are Big Beef, Beefmaster and Pink Delicious. First prize is pretty decent too. But even hybrids will get diseases too and won’t produce well in the summer. This time of year (June) I wouldn’t expect any tomato variety to be thriving here in Florida. The key is to plant them as early in the growing window as possible.
@@floridavegetablegardening thanks so much for the great information...I will try a few of these and see how it goes.. again, thanks
@@scrappingfla9016 you’re welcome! I’ve been meaning to do a video on tomato varieties, but I have tried so many it’s hard to even know where to start. I’ll get to it one day lol. Good luck with your next batch!
Need more action. I felt this film was dull
Hi Elizabeth,
My tomato seedlings don’t look very healthy. Should I not transplant them❓❓❓They look kind of purplish brown and haven’t grown very tall. It almost seems as though they stopped growing.
How old are your seedlings? They may just need more nutrients and may need more room to grow unless they are very young. You might want to try transplanting one and see if bounces back after being in a bigger pot with more nutrients.
@@floridavegetablegardening thank you for responding, Elizabeth‼️I started growing them under an indoor grow light on 1/21/23. I had an issue w/white fungus which I treated using hydrogen peroxide, not watering them as often, and bottom watering. I just transplanted 2 of the 7 today into 10 lb grow bags (they are indeterminant).I really hope they bounce back. Any tips?
@@Sullfla oh ok. Usually you want to get them transplanted by around 6 weeks so they are definitely ready to be transplanted. I have seen some of mine get a purplish tint on the underside of the leaves when they are under the grow light. It goes away once they are out in the sun. If they have been indoors up until now then I would suggest exposing them to full sun gradually. Sometimes it can be a shock for them to go from inside straight into the full sun. But it also can depend on how hot it is outside. If it’s still cool outside then it doesn’t matter and they can usually take full sun right away. Where I am we are getting into the upper 80s / almost 90 in the afternoons so if I were transplanting them now, I would put them in a place where they get full sun in the morning and some partial shade in the hottest part of the afternoon. If they are doing ok with that for about a week then I would go ahead and move them into full sun all day. Also just keep them well watered for the first few weeks until they get established. Good luck!
Hi Elizabeth,
I accidentally used 1 C dolomite lime (the kind you used in the video) for my tomato plants. I transplanted them in 10 lb grow bags instead of 7, though, b/c they are indeterminant tomatoes. Do you think that will kill them? Is there anything I can do to remediate this mistake? Thanks‼️
@@Sullfla I think 1 cup in a 10 gallon bag will probably be ok. I used to use more than a half cup because I was following online instructions for Earthbox-type containers, which tell you to add a lot of dolomite. I never had a problem with adding more but it seemed unnecessary to add so much so I started using less. If it seems like it could be causing a problem, you could scoop out some of the top layers of soil that the dolomite is mixed in and replace it with plain potting mix.
Can I use 5 gallon bag to grow my tomatoes and jalapeños?
Yes you can. I have grown tomatoes and peppers in 5 gallon grow bags with good results. I prefer using 7 gallon for tomatoes since they get so big but they should still be ok in 5 gallon. For peppers 5 gallons is perfect and that’s what I always use for peppers.
@@floridavegetablegardening thank you sooo much 💗
@@Jojojoy123 you’re welcome! 🙂
Have you found any major differences in your tomatoes if using 5, 7, or 10 gallon bags? Some say 5 is too small.
I wouldn’t say there are major differences. When I first started growing tomatoes in grow bags, I used the 5 gallon size and it definitely worked, but I do think 7 gallon bags are a little better than 5. I have only grown tomatoes in 10 gallon bags once or twice but I didn’t notice any real difference between the ones growing in a 7 gallon bag vs a 10 gallon bag. One thing you should keep in mind though, is that I use them with trays at the bottom and/or drip irrigation during dry season, so that they don’t dry out too fast. A smaller container is going to dry out faster than a larger container so if you use a smaller size bag then it is even more important to stay on top of watering consistently. I have never tried to grow tomatoes in a bag smaller than 5 gallons, and I don’t think they would grow as well in something smaller than that.
@@floridavegetablegardening Yes, I saw the drip tray method in your video and will absolutely utilize that method.
Espoma is slow release
These planting bags did not work for me in South Texas. The bags leak from the sides via evaporation so the plants need watering deeply every day. The heat also would kill some of the plants because of the exposed sides. It is better to bury the bags in the ground. A waterproof container is better.
Sorry to hear that the bags didn’t work for you. Did you try using them in some type of tray/water reservoir like what I showed around the 11:29 minute mark? The main reason I started using grow bags was because they are good at wicking water up from the bottom if placed in a reservoir of water. I also make “self-watering“ style 5 gallon bucket planters, but the fabric bags can do the same thing when used with a tray and it’s less work (no work) to set them up vs the buckets that you have to modify to get them to function as a wicking container. Here in Florida, our main growing season is the dry season, and I like using “self-watering” style containers since they hold water and I don’t have to water as much when it’s hot and dry. However, during our tropical rainy weather we sometimes get too much rain and a couple of my tomato plant have drowned in the self-watering 5 gallon buckets. The nice thing about the grow bags is that I can use them with the trays during dry weather and remove the trays during rainy weather. With the buckets I don’t have that option. It was several years ago when I bought the trays, and at the time it was as cheap or cheaper to buy a grow bag + a tray as the food grade 5 gallon buckets, but now that prices have gone up so much, I don’t know if it’s still a cheaper option. Before I bought the trays I was using pallets turned upside down and I lined them with plastic to create a shallow tray/reservoir of water to set the bags in. That worked well too. That would be another option instead of trays if you wanted to give it a try before you give up on your grow bags. Good luck!