Growing Impatiens in a Rubbish Bag

There are several bags of blossoming impatiens hanging in the bonsai workshop.  Instead of potting in typical hanging baskets, the impatiens are planted in huge, black rubbish bags.  And because the impatiens are blooming so vigorously, the rubbish bags are mostly covered with impatiens flowers and can hardly be seen.

These hanging impatiens bags look so pretty and easy to maintain that I really wanted to make one of my own once I spotted them in the bonsai workshop.  And here, after getting some instructions and advices from Teacher Wong, I have made my own last week 🙂

Growing Impatients in a Rubbish Bag

First challenge: Finding a thick and strong garbage bag.  Once I got the container for my plants, I filled it up with potting mix and tied it up tightly.  Then, with a cutter, I made a few openings for my impatiens.

Make sure not to make the openings too close to each other, for we want to give the impatiens enough space to grow and flower.

Growing Impatients in a Rubbish Bag

I have potted six young impatiens in this 30 cm x 60 cm bag.  As Teacher Wong advised, before hanging up the bag, I left it laid flat for several days, so to give the impatiens a chance to root firmly in the potting mix.

Growing Impatients in a Rubbish Bag Growing Impatients in a Rubbish Bag

The impatiens have been rooted well in the potting mix since a few days after potted.  Yet, I didn’t move the impatiens but only till the plants needed to water again (which was 10 days later).  Since I couldn’t find  a safe way to hang up this heavy bag of impatiens on my balcony (around 18 lbs when the potting mix is more or less dry :P), I put it on top of my balcony table,and let it lean against the corner.

So, this is my impatiens bag.  I hope it will grow healthy and flower vigorously in the coming months 🙂

8 comments to Growing Impatiens in a Rubbish Bag

  • I do hope it works out for me , the sheer weight of grow bags have given me problems unless I set them in one place permanantley.

  • Neat job! It’s like a strawberry pot in plastic. I think it also look nice placed flat on the table on ground. I can imagine when the impatiens bloom, they would be definitely create a lovely sight.

  • Wow, this is another way to grow some plants. You are really full of great ideas. I can’t wait to see the blooms.

  • Can’t wait to see it in a few months!

  • Ginny Z

    How often do you water impatiens grown in a bag? It is hard to know if they are getting enough water.Leaves are turning yellow.what can I do?

    Thank you!

  • jasmine

    wow!! Saw the process and the huge expolosion of flowers!Congrats!
    Hey!I need your help as I am new to impatien flowers. where are their seed pods and whatt do they look like. Does it help placing a pot full of soil next to pot full of impatien flowers so that when the pod burst the seed can land on soil and germinate.
    How do you separate the plants for transplanting when the pot gets overcrowded? I have no idea how to do it . Please advice- you seemto kow alot.
    i feed my impatient pot every 2 weeks and water them every three days
    Thanks
    Jasmine

    • Sandy Sandy

      Hi Jasmine,
      Impatiens are annuals, they grow only for a season/year. So I always just throw away the plant after it has fully blossomed. Instead of placing a pot next to the impatiens and wait for the seeds to land on the soil, I would rather do the seeding by myself for better control. We can grow impatiens from seeds or by cuttings. Cut stems of 3-4 inches, and plant the stems into some soil mix. Remember to keep soil moist while rooting 😉

      Happy Gardening!

Leave a Reply

 

 

 

You can use these HTML tags

<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>