How to Plant Flowers in Plastic Bags

Growing plants in plastic bags is an inexpensive and convenient way to enjoy the beauty of fresh flowers. Plastic bags come in many sizes making it easy to grow plants of all sizes. Once in use, with flowers in them, plastic bags are movable allowing you to relocate growing plants with ease and with no harm to the plant. Buy plastic bags cheaply at your local retail outlet or be creative and get them for free by reusing plastic shopping bags. Just be sure to follow a few key bits of advice on how to plant flowers in plastic bags.

Plastic bag

Scissors

Potting soil

Granular flower fertilizer

Trowel

Flower seeds or young starter plants

Water

Select a plastic bag to grow your flower plant in. For most flower plants, because they are small growing annuals with root systems that are not extensive, you can use a plastic bag such as provided at major grocery store chains. For large species of flower plants or larger growing perennials use a larger plastic bag such as a plastic kitchen trash bag. Roll down the edges of the bag to a few inches above the soil once the flower is planted if the bag is too big.

Cut drainage holes in the bottom of the plastic bag. Make the holes about one-half inch in diameter. The number of drainage holes you cut will depend on the size of the bag you are using. Cut at least three drainage holes for smaller bags and at least six holes for larger bags. Make the holes evenly spaced from each other so that all areas of the bottom of the bag will drain.

Open the bag you have selected to grow your flower plant in and place the bottom of the bag on the ground. Fill the plastic bag with potting soil leaving four inches of bag rising above the soil line. Pick the bag up by its handles or just grab the top edges and gently shake up and down to settle the soil.

Sprinkle granular flower fertilizer over the soil in an amount according to the product's directions. Till the fertilizer into the soil at least four inches deep. Sprinkle flower seeds over the soil and cover with one-half inch of soil. Dig holes in the soil to insert young flower plants from pots if you have starter plants purchased from a nursery. Cover the plant root ball with soil.

Water newly planted seeds and young plants thoroughly to saturate all the soil in the plastic bag. Keep the soil evenly moist until the seeds sprout or for the first week with young starter plants. Reduce the frequency of watering as the plants establish themselves and grow extensive root systems. Allow the soil to dry slightly between watering once the plants are established, which takes about one month. Water thoroughly when you do you water.

Make planters out of large oversized plastic bags by filling just the bottom six to ten inches with soil and rolling the sides all the way down. Plant flower seeds or plug in starter plants of different types to create a miniature flower garden in one bag.