Making a growing-bag support

Growing bags become more and more used for growing short-term plants, such as low-growing vegetables, that will only be there for one growing season. Some gardeners also use growing bags for cultivating cucumbers, peppers, eggplants or tomatoes. After such a crop you can still use the growing bag for a second time to grow salad crops such as lettuce or radishes, because the growing bag will contain a fair amount of fertilizer residue left from the previous crop without the need for any extra fertilizer.

A common problem encountered when you grow tall plants in growing bags is that the bags don’t have the necessary depth to allow for stakes to be used as supports. But you can solve this problem by building a frame around the bag and fastening the support structure to the frame so that the plants grow up toward the support.

For building your own growing bag support you will need the following tools: a saw, an electric drill and one pair of piers and the following materials: 4 pieces of lumber, one growing bag, screws, wire mesh, staples, 5 sturdy canes or stakes, string and the plants that you want to grow.

For making the base of the support you have to measure and cut two pieces of lumber to the same length of the growing bag and two pieces of lumber to the same width as the growing bag. Drill and screw the four pieces together in order to form a rectangle. Cut a section of wire mesh to cover the top of the wooden frame and staple the wire mesh to the edges.

Turn the rectangle frame over and drill one hole in each corner making sure that the holes are having the same size as the canes. Place the growing bag inside the frame and insert a sturdy cane into each of the drilled holes. The wire mesh floor of the frame will provide stability to the entire structure.

Draw the two canes at each end together, cross them to form a small V at the top and tie them. Tie the fifth cane horizontally from one V to the other, just above the point where the canes are joined. Tie the long strings to the horizontal cane and lower them to the growing bag.

Place the plants into the growing bag and water them well. Tie the strings around the base of each plant so that as the plants grow they ca be twisted around the string and it will provide the needed support.