The two sizes most people end up choosing between are 7 and 10 gallon, and the difference is worth understanding rather than guessing at. A 10 gallon bag measures about 13.8 by 12.6 inches and a 7 gallon about 11.8 by 12.6, so the height is the same and the extra volume is in the diameter. What that buys is more medium around each seed potato, which means more room for tubers to size and a longer window before the crop is lifted. The smaller bag is the right answer on a balcony or where the crop is going to be eaten young; the larger one is for a main crop that is meant to store.
Potatoes in a bag is one of the few container crops where the size of the container genuinely decides the result, because the tubers form in the medium rather than hanging from a frame. That makes the choice between the two common sizes a growing decision rather than a convenience one.
Both bags stand about 12.6 inches tall. The 10 gallon measures roughly 13.8 inches across and the 7 gallon about 11.8, so the extra volume is in the diameter rather than the depth. What that changes is how much medium surrounds each seed potato: more soil means more room for tubers to swell and more time before the crop has to come out, which is the difference between a crop eaten young and a main crop that will store. It also changes the watering, because a wider bag holds more reserve and does not dry out between waterings on a hot day the way a narrow one does. On a balcony or a small terrace the smaller bag is usually the right answer for space reasons; where the crop is being grown to store, the larger one is.
The bags are used on patios and terraces where there is no open ground, on greenhouse floors where the crop can be started early, and on allotments alongside open beds. The fabric breathes and drains, so the medium does not sit wet after heavy watering, and the air at the wall prunes the roots that reach it. The window allows the crop to be checked without tipping the bag out, which on a stored crop is the difference between taking a few early and taking the lot. Growers ordering for the same ground often take a planting bag from the same range, and where the plants also need shade, the shade net range covers that separately.
| Model | PB-021 |
| Material | Non woven fabric, 300 g, breathable |
| Size | 10 gallon 35 x 32 cm, 7 gallon 30 x 32 cm, or to order |
| Window | Harvest window for checking crop maturity |
| Handles | Reinforced, cross stitched seams |
| Colour | Black, green, or to your requirement |
| Packing | Bag, pallet or carton; folds flat when empty |
| Sample | Free sample available |
On a potato crop the window does two things: it shows whether the tubers have sized before the plant is disturbed, and it allows a few to be lifted while the rest carry on growing. That is more useful on potatoes than on almost any other crop, because the plant gives no external sign that the crop underneath is ready. The fabric weight is the other half of the specification; at 300 g the bag holds its shape when it is full of wet medium and lifted by the handles, and the seams are cross stitched at the points where the load concentrates. Where a re-usable fabric container is wanted without a window, a grow bag with air pruning seams is also available.
The standard sizes are 7 and 10 gallon, with larger and smaller bags made to order up to the full range. Colour, logo and handle configuration are set with the order, and a free sample is available so the fabric weight and the window can be checked in the hand. The bags fold flat when empty, which keeps freight and storage down on a bulk order. Tell us the crop, the size and the quantity and we will confirm the specification. Buyers tracking what is going into patio, allotment and greenhouse growing can follow trade coverage such as HortiDaily and FreshPlaza for what growers are installing.
Is 10 gallon worth the extra over 7?
The extra volume is in the diameter, so it gives each seed potato more medium and the tubers more room to size, and it holds a longer watering reserve. For a crop that will be stored, yes. Tell us the crop and we will advise.
Does the window let the light in?
It is a flap that closes back over the opening, so the medium is not exposed between checks. It is opened to judge maturity and to lift a few tubers early.
How heavy is the fabric?
The bags are made from 300 g non woven, which holds the shape of a full bag when it is lifted. Tell us how the bags are handled and we will confirm the specification.
Tell us the crop, the size and the quantity you need, and whether a harvest window is required, and we will confirm the specification, the sample and the packing that suit your order.
Mark Wu, Co-founder & Technical Director, Sichuan Zhifang Net Industry. 15 years manufacturing agricultural nettings for growers in 32 countries.
