Sorry, I forgot to add the link to Granny's Garden socks:

Here is a link that might be useful: Granny's Garden Socks

tom_n_6bzone,

I just received 2 of the heavy duty ones from Park Seed Co. They call them grow bags. Have not used them before but it should work. I am thinking it will take careful attention to watering when summer is in full swing. The directions say to fill with moist potting soil (I say only use potting MIX) and insert plants and then give the plants a few days to get settled before placing bag in full sun.

Looking at them they look like the type fabric tarps are made out of. The blue tarps you see in Lowe's and HD. I would think you could cut the tarps and make this really easy. If you go that route get a REALLY heavy duty tarp or double the thing to keep it from disintegrating in the sun. If you sew it on a regular sewing machine be sure to use a 16 or 18 heavy duty denim or upholstery needle. I think the only reason more folks have not made them is because they can not find this fabric in green or brown. I have only seen the tarps in blue.

DL

thank you very much DL. Very helpful.
~tom

May have been just my problem, but I used two from parks for growing strawberries. I had a problem getting water to the lower plants and they were not doing well at all, so I drilled holes in 3/4 in. pvc pipe and inserted it to the bottom of the socks and watered by filling the pipes. That worked and the plants grew well, but didn't bear well. May have been me or my climate, but I won't try them again. I advise putting something with holes (like the pvc I used) before you fill the socks with potting mix if you use them.

that's good to know too. Maybe I could put a pvc pipe with holes from top to bottom?
~tom

I put more holes in the bottom because when I watered without the pipe the water came out of the holes the plants were in before it got to the bottom. It worked fine for me as far as watering after I put the pipe in and I had fewer holes toward the top. To get the pipe in after the sock was planted without getting the pipe full of potting soil was a problem. Thats why I suggest putting it in before filling the sock.

I've used the plastic grow bags, not the garden socks. I agree that the biggest problem is water--I can only get things to survive in them if I (a) replace about 1/4-1/3 of the soil with pre-soaked Soil Moist or a similar product, and (b) grow only drought tolerant plants like Portulaca in them. They dry out that much! I have a full time job and can only water them every day or 2. If I were home more, I might tackle something more delicate. I don't have trouble getting water to the bottom--when I water the top with the hose, I pull the bottom outward at about a 45 degree angle, and the water runs down the inside of the non-perforated side. This wouldn't work with a mesh bag, though, so I like the idea of placing a perforated pipe into the soil.

hmmm, perhaps I could sit the bottoms of them in a container of water and let the soiless mix act as a wick? I'm stretching for ideas since I've already received them but I have a couple months before I try one in my sun shed. The drying easily concerns me. Perhaps a different soiless mix? hmmm.
Thanks everyone,
~tom

I have planted these several times using impatiens, violas, and pansys. I don't recall having a problem with watering at all. The problem I had was I had to use plants out of 6-packs, because the 4-packs were to large for the holes. The ones I had were plastic.