Builders Bag
Smudgepaws
Posts: 1
Hi folks,
My Mam wants to plant her fruit trees into builders bags. Please can you advise on how best to give them drainage? If we put them on pallets these will rot. How could we ensure the best drainage once the trees are planted as she has mostly concrete in her garden? The bags will be a permanent fixture once full. Having never done this, is extra drainage necessary? Will the bags disintergrate?
Really appreciate all your responses and thoughts.
Heather
0
Posts
I've used them for leaf-mulch before.... the problem is, once they are more than half full, they are really difficult to move around.
I think they'll last a good few years - but my fears are that they are likely to be quite unstable if used for trees that may get quite large.
This article may be of some help, but its more about veg rather than trees
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardenprojects/8746555/The-vegetable-garden-in-a-bag.html
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
yes there is more difficulty once they get large..
They are made of polypropylene which is somewhat resistant to the ultraviolet rays in sunlight, but they will eventually be affected and begin to disintegrate. You could try using 2 or 3 bags inside each other, painting the outer bag to help protect against the UV. Like Dove, I too would worry about their stability if using them for any trees which would grow quite large.
Why does she want them in a builders bag? It sounds rather inelegant and I think they will burst in a few years, esp after a wet cold winter. If you had the builders bag (the 1 ton ones?) then use pallet wood to make a planter around it - it will look less naff and will last.
Thank you for the suggestion Bob..
You would need to put some holes in the bottom of the sides to ensure good drainage. You can by good quality garden bags from http://www.gardenbags.net