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All you need to know about Wally-Bags
- Thread starter Cayennemist
- Start date
This thread. 
Cayennemist said:
IIRC, there was a study done a couple years ago about what components when into making the bags and the Walmart bags were about the healthiest of the ones out there. Several brands had high lead levels.
Here is one report. Look how far down the list Walmart is.
http://www.consumerfreedom.com/downloads/ccf_bag_report.pdf
Why not just use better quality bags that are not expensive? I am using these.
http://www.gardenersedge.com/product.aspx?p=VP-RPXXXX
http://www.gardenersedge.com/product.aspx?p=VP-RPXXXX
Proud Marine Dad said:
I used 5 gallon Root Pouches and Wally Bags last year. I think the Wally Bags were closer to 7 gallon capacity. Doing the math with the link you posted. A pack of 10 7 gallon Root Pouches comes to $29.48 (with shipping). So the cost per bag is ~$2.95. With a 3-4 year lifespan (I'll do the math with a 4 year life to give the RP the benefit of the doubt), we're talking $0.73 cost per year, per bag. So at $0.50 per bag, the Wally Bags win. Granted we're talking only an extra $0.23 cents savings per bag. But to a lot of people, every penny counts.
Edit: Of course if you don't want to support Wally World and opt for the $1 bags mentioned above, then yes Root Pouches win hands down.
And Greenhouse Megastore is cheaper. You should check them out.
I'll have to look into that megastore if I buy fabric bags again.
Wally Bags are back!
After several weeks being out-of-stock, the local Wally has them for sale. I bought 2 to compare to the other two essentially identical bags purchased at the library. (50 cents more, but you can feel good about where the $ is going.) The things are huge (perhaps a hair too big?), sturdy enough, and - best of all - they breathe, offering the plants some much needed evaporative cooling. This will be critical to by table-top garden growing here in southern Arizona. We're entering a bit of a cool spell (only low 90s today!), but I plan to take soil temperature measurements next week when it gets back near 100. I suspect the bags will drop soil temps significantly, at the cost of more frequent watering and possible (?) salt build up.
After several weeks being out-of-stock, the local Wally has them for sale. I bought 2 to compare to the other two essentially identical bags purchased at the library. (50 cents more, but you can feel good about where the $ is going.) The things are huge (perhaps a hair too big?), sturdy enough, and - best of all - they breathe, offering the plants some much needed evaporative cooling. This will be critical to by table-top garden growing here in southern Arizona. We're entering a bit of a cool spell (only low 90s today!), but I plan to take soil temperature measurements next week when it gets back near 100. I suspect the bags will drop soil temps significantly, at the cost of more frequent watering and possible (?) salt build up.
For those looking to get Root Pouches from the link above and are trying to replace the 5 gallon buckets, get the 7 gallon Root Pouches, not the 5 gallon ones... the Root Pouches are sized in "trade gallons" (those mysterious, mythical, unicorn measures), so the 5 gallon Root Pouches are more like 3.5-4 "real" gallons. The Greenhouse Megastore website translates the trade gallons into liters, but stupid me never paid attention to that. I was proactive and bought them months early and when I went to transplant my seedlings noticed they were kinda small. I had to order the 7 gallon ones from AM Leonard when I saw they were out of stock at Greenhouse Megastore (both places had great shipping and I'd buy from them again).
The only negative with fabric bags is that they need water more often and we are having a drought year this year in CA so I would prefer plastic pots this year personally.
After my last round of potting up into the Dollar General bags, I need to amend what I said in a previous post. The DG bags are more like 7.5-8 gallons, rather than 5. Measuring my mix of 1/3 peat, 1/3 compost and 1/3 perlite plus amendments using a half filled 5 gallon bucket for each part, one batch was barely enough to fill the bag. Agree with PMD on the watering issue as well. I'm having to water my plants in either root pouches or fabric bags roughly every 2 days, with temps in mid-high 80's, whereas my plants in plastic pots are lasting at least a week between waterings.
I started making my own grow bags this year. My bags are a bit over 7 gallons (yay college math) and the plants seem to love them. I have no problem with watering and I live in Florida. Mine don't give off water unless they're really over watered. I was a bit worried about losing to much water but with my mix, which includes vermiculite, there seem to be no problems at all!
Walmart bags are good.
That said they must have you started using a thinner material in their bags.I bought some back, last year which seem to be about twice the thickness of the bags I bought this year. The thinner bags don't last as long as the ones I bought a year ago.
The new ones I tried to pick up by the handles and they broke the pot nearly broke also. the seams along with the new materials seem to be better made last year than this year. I can pick up last years bag without worrying it's breaking on me.
That said they must have you started using a thinner material in their bags.I bought some back, last year which seem to be about twice the thickness of the bags I bought this year. The thinner bags don't last as long as the ones I bought a year ago.
The new ones I tried to pick up by the handles and they broke the pot nearly broke also. the seams along with the new materials seem to be better made last year than this year. I can pick up last years bag without worrying it's breaking on me.
Streamer: https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=262977
Use 6oz geotextile fabric, buy rolls on eBay
Use 6oz geotextile fabric, buy rolls on eBay
