Save Your Empty Potting Soil Bags To Expand Your Small Garden

Trash is sometimes an unfortunate side effect of gardening. It's a bummer since many gardeners care about making environmentally conscious decisions. Potting soil is a big culprit in making extra waste, especially if you're growing in a small space and must use containers. If you have no choice but to engage in garden litter, you can ease your eco-conscience by turning soil bags into grow bags.

Making the most of what you have isn't just going to save the planet, but it'll also save your wallet by preventing you from going out and buying containers. A soil bag can be adjusted to fit the plant and can grow with your crops, too, since unrolling the edges will make it taller. Since you'll probably accumulate more bags than you know what to do with, set them aside and save them for a rainy — well, sunny — day of planting. You'll always have a grow bag on hand for when you acquire a new plant unexpectedly.

Take an empty soil bag and turn it inside out. Remove excess soil clinging to the bag and poke drainage holes into the bottom. Now, determine how deep you need your nifty new grow bag, and roll the top until it creates your desired depth. The rolled part will help reinforce the top portion, but it will also make it look tidy. Roll it outwards for a colorful trim and inwards for a matching white trim. Once you're finished, fill it with soil and plant your seeds or seedlings. You can also use this method for new bags of soil, though it may not stand as neatly since it's packed full. Consider using half the soil for an old bag so you can gain some extra room in the new bag.

You can move this grow bag wherever you need it, making it a convenient option for porch and patio gardens. If your raised bed or in-ground garden is overflowing, grab a soil bag and give yourself some extra growing space. It's a handy way to make use of what you already have.