Grow bags grow off!

[Gentlemancorpse]

Sorta...

So I bought myself 9 shiny new grow bags recently, 3 each from 3 different companies. I'll be using all of these in my next grow in my 4x4. Actually should be getting everything uppotted tomorrow into them hopefully.

I went with three companies because I decided I just needed to see the differences myself. I'm growing all from seed so this won't be the best comparison, but hopefully I'll get an idea of which I like beat, and share my thoughts with all of y'all.

Going to get into my initial thoughts on each below.

Edit: Should probably have mentioned, they are all 3 gallon bags.

 

[Gentlemancorpse]

www.gardengearsupply.com
Cost: $7.00
Made in the USA


First up is the Radicle Bag. This bag was the least expensive, and it feels it. The holes in the mesh are the largest and I'm a little concerned about water retention, but I've seen some good reviews so hoping it wont be an issue.



Stitching looks decent but this is the only bag that isn't double hemmed or reinforced in some way.

I was going to include some more info on the materials... but as of this writing, they're damn site is offline.

But my overall impression on this one is you get what you pay for. Is it nicer than the felt bags? Absolutely. It seems durable and should be much easier to clean. But the other two brands both go a little further in ensuring a quality construction. I feel like this is what I would make myself... if I knew how to use a sewing machine. Or had any interest in learning....

 

[Gentlemancorpse]

https://rainsciencegrowbags.com/shop

Cost: $9.99
Made in the USA

Next up, the Rain Science GrowBag. This is the middle of the pack cost wise, but on first impression, you get your extra $3 worth here over the Radicle Bag. Of course we will have to see how the plants like them, but right off the bat, the material is much heavier duty. The holes in the mesh much finer.



The stitching is visibly tighter and as you can see, it's both double hemmed AND reinforced.

They're not very forthcoming with the materials they use but I suppose that's not too surprising. They come in a variety of colors both in the bag itself and the trim (if your into that kind of thing... which I am. All of mine are different colors lol). Oh, and it says right in the tag... machine washable. I don't know if my better half would ever approve that, but it's good to know.

This bag also carries a lifetime warranty, which is usually a good sign. My only complaint was they're shipping was pretty steep for my little order. The other two companies both cost much less for the same size order.

 

[Gentlemancorpse]

ShopCoda - Etsy

Shop Shop Coda by ShopCoda located in Denver, Colorado. Smooth shipping! Has a history of shipping on time with tracking. Speedy replies! Has a history of replying to messages quickly. Rave reviews! Average review rating is 4.8 or higher

www.etsy.com

Cost: $14.50+ (one has handles, and it was $17.50, there's some limited edition colors that are $20.50)
Made in the USA

And finally, Honest Bags. These bags were the most expensive... but again, you can see where every dollar went. On the face they aren't too different FROM Rain Science. The fabric feels similar. But damn, every detail is flawless. And they clearly have the best logo. That last part probably won't help the plants grow better but hey... maybe these dope ass kicks will improve their self esteem and help them reach for their greatest potential... or something like that.



Every stitch is flawless. Their double hemmed with about a 3" overlap so the whole top of the bag seems much sturdier. I didn't take a picture, but even the bottom stitching is doubled up. No one else did that.

Also available in a bunch of colors, with or without handles. Only drawback is the inventory of basic bags is pretty limited. I basically got stuck buying one with handles (I don't know why I would need handles for a bag this small) because there were so few basic bags available without them at the time.

Anyways, looking forward to getting some plants in these girls and see how they compare to everything else I've been using.

 

[UncleB]

Corpse Daddy - this is such a great idea. Subbed for sure (w/ emails) ?

 

[Gentlemancorpse]

And by the way, I'd like the thank @jaguarlax for his feedback on the two brands he's tried (the Rain Science and Honest Bags). He's really the only reason I knew these existed and is basically the impetus for this expirement.

In summary he felt like the Honest Bags were worth the extra money, and based off initial impressions alone, I'd agree, they're just plain better. I don't think I would've been willing to try a bag that starts out 50% more expensive than it's most expensive competition without that recommendation.

Jag, feel free to chime in with your experiences with them any time as well if you'd like man.

 

[Frimpong]

And by the way, I'd like the thank @jaguarlax for his feedback on the two brands he's tried (the Rain Science and Honest Bags). He's really the only reason I knew these existed and is basically the impetus for this expirement.

In summary he felt like the Honest Bags were worth the extra money, and based off initial impressions alone, I'd agree, they're just plain better. I don't think I would've been willing to try a bag that starts out 50% more expensive than it's most expensive competition without that recommendation.

Jag, feel free to chime in with your experiences with them any time as well if you'd like man.

Very cool man , will be watching ?Was lucky enough to win a few of the rain science from pH and have been eager to try .

 

[Rhacodactylus]

Thanks a lot for doing this review!
I was looking for new fabric pots since I plan to reinstall the auto irrigation system and was going to buy some Rain Science’s, but the Flow series from Honor seem to be the way to go with auto system!
I love the various sizes they’re offering!

 

[MtRainDog]

Very cool thread, never knew these grow bags were out there. Went perusing etsy looking at the honest bags.... $8.50 per bag for a 1/4 gallon is a tough sell (for me anyway) when I can buy a giant thing of solo cups for a couple bucks. Of course these bags would be reusable, but the initial investment considering how many I'd need is a bit staggering. Even the 1.5 gallons I'd still need like 30-40 of them. They do look cool af though!

 

[Drynobbob]

I’d like to afford those, but for $14 I get 20 smarties knockoffs, and I still rock 1/2 gal grow bags, lol, 100 for $13. I’ve ended up making the cloth pots disposable. Occasionally have luck with the beer cups. I follow Honor on IG tho, I’d like to have em for sure. Thanks for the research/info tho, wow, what a great report!

 

[Hawkman]

View attachment 92926

www.gardengearsupply.com
Cost: $7.00
Made in the USA


First up is the Radicle Bag. This bag was the least expensive, and it feels it. The holes in the mesh are the largest and I'm a little concerned about water retention, but I've seen some good reviews so hoping it wont be an issue.

View attachment 92927

Stitching looks decent but this is the only bag that isn't double hemmed or reinforced in some way.

I was going to include some more info on the materials... but as of this writing, they're damn site is offline.

But my overall impression on this one is you get what you pay for. Is it nicer than the felt bags? Absolutely. It seems durable and should be much easier to clean. But the other two brands both go a little further in ensuring a quality construction. I feel like this is what I would make myself... if I knew how to use a sewing machine. Or had any interest in learning....

have heard if these -- Please keep use informed -- thinking of changing containers at persent use plastic and air-pots - Don't like some "cloth bags " becasue of the mold ring at/on the bottom of the bags

 

[Hawkman]

View attachment 92928

https://rainsciencegrowbags.com/shop

Cost: $9.99
Made in the USA

Next up, the Rain Science GrowBag. This is the middle of the pack cost wise, but on first impression, you get your extra $3 worth here over the Radicle Bag. Of course we will have to see how the plants like them, but right off the bat, the material is much heavier duty. The holes in the mesh much finer.

View attachment 92929 View attachment 92930

The stitching is visibly tighter and as you can see, it's both double hemmed AND reinforced.

They're not very forthcoming with the materials they use but I suppose that's not too surprising. They come in a variety of colors both in the bag itself and the trim (if your into that kind of thing... which I am. All of mine are different colors lol). Oh, and it says right in the tag... machine washable. I don't know if my better half would ever approve that, but it's good to know.

This bag also carries a lifetime warranty, which is usually a good sign. My only complaint was they're shipping was pretty steep for my little order. The other two companies both cost much less for the same size order.

looks very interesting and nice price - thing about air-pots is that they are very expensive

 

[Hawkman]

Thanks for the links !!!! Seems like Honest Bags are a good product out of the three - but as always it the cultivator that makes the difference - it all comes down to basics' simple and easy - quality fits in there along with price !

 

[Gentlemancorpse]

Very cool thread, never knew these grow bags were out there. Went perusing etsy looking at the honest bags.... $8.50 per bag for a 1/4 gallon is a tough sell (for me anyway) when I can buy a giant thing of solo cups for a couple bucks. Of course these bags would be reusable, but the initial investment considering how many I'd need is a bit staggering. Even the 1.5 gallons I'd still need like 30-40 of them. They do look cool af though!

Yeah, that's the drawback with the Honest bags for sure. Your clearly paying for the labor, so the smaller bags especially seem really expensive. As much as I like these, I don't think I'll be switching my coco tent over any time soon cause I'd be in the same boat. Buying 30 half gallon bags at those prices would be hard to swallow!

 

[WillieP]

GC,
Excellent thread, thanks for taking the time and effort!
I did not know that the woven reusable bags were a thing, pretty cool.
On a bit of a side note, I start off in small cheapo nursery pots, and then up-pot several times using the same type of pots.
I recently found what they call a transplanting fabric pot, they came in a variety of sizes and of different quality.
(See the quick Google link)

transplanting fabric pots - Google Search

When it gets time to go as big as 2 gallons, I went with one of these on my current White Widow plant, and then up-potted to a 7 gallon standard fabric pot. I was quite pleased with the transplanting bag, I thought it worked well, for me at least.

Just thought I would throw that out there, while on the topic of grow bags.
Cheers,
WillieP

 

[spyralout]

GC you come up with some of the greatest thread ideas. Excellent pics and documentation. Just like your rolling paper thread. Let’s see who the winner is and we could potentially put more of them up as pH prizes as well.

 

[Desert Rose]

Awe I was hoping Geopots would make the cut! Very sweet idea I’ll be following!

 

[Gentlemancorpse]

Awe I was hoping Geopots would make the cut! Very sweet idea I’ll be following!

I considered Geopots as they have a very palatable price point, but one of the things I was looking for was products that were made in the USA. I'm a big proponent of buying things made where you live whenever possible (obviously, it's frequently not possible). And it's not that Geopots aren't made in the USA, it's just that they don't tell you where they are made anywhere that I could find, and when I emailed them they never responded.

 

[Gentlemancorpse]

GC,
Excellent thread, thanks for taking the time and effort!
I did not know that the woven reusable bags were a thing, pretty cool.
On a bit of a side note, I start off in small cheapo nursery pots, and then up-pot several times using the same type of pots.
I recently found what they call a transplanting fabric pot, they came in a variety of sizes and of different quality.
(See the quick Google link)

transplanting fabric pots - Google Search

When it gets time to go as big as 2 gallons, I went with one of these on my current White Widow plant, and then up-potted to a 7 gallon standard fabric pot. I was quite pleased with the transplanting bag, I thought it worked well, for me at least.

Just thought I would throw that out there, while on the topic of grow bags.
Cheers,
WillieP

I've looked at the transplant bags and they're really neat. For me they just aren't needed. I tend to keep my plants in the nursery pots until they've comically outgrown them then move them I to their final home these days. But if I was doing fewer larger plants I could definitely see the appeal. Once you get past about half gallon size getting the plants put of traditional pots without damaging them is such a hassle. Also frequently messy.

I'm not sure if any of these guys make transplant pots yet, but they really should!

 

[Gentlemancorpse]

GC you come up with some of the greatest thread ideas. Excellent pics and documentation. Just like your rolling paper thread. Let’s see who the winner is and we could potentially put more of them up as pH prizes as well.

Thanks brother. Really I just figure if I'm going to way over think virtually every purchase I make I might as well share the process with everyone lol. Would be great to see some of these products out in the community as well! Looking forward to see who performs best