Repurpose These Dollar Tree Laundry Items For A Budget Grow Bag

Grow bags offer an alternative to in-the-ground gardening, but the downside is that they're not always easy to find at budget prices in brick-and-mortar stores. Save yourself some green by making your own grow bags from two simple Dollar Tree laundry items: A mesh laundry bag and a plastic laundry basket. This simple DIY project works quite well for a number of garden staples such as kale, basil, radishes, and leeks – plus it's infinitely customizable based upon what supplies are in stock at the store, or how large you'd like to make the grow bag. 

Some Dollar Tree stores have a few aisles with items priced higher than $1.25, but there's no need to visit those aisles for this project. For the laundry bag, the Essentials Jumbo Mesh Laundry Bag is a good choice, as its 2 feet by 3 feet size offers plenty of room for planting. The store's slotted plastic laundry baskets come in a variety of colors, so pick whichever you prefer, or mix and match for some colorful flair if you're making more than one grow bag.   

A DIY grow bag functions properly whether you put the mesh laundry bag on the inside or outside of the laundry basket; either way, the two team up for a structure that encourages airflow through the soil and allows ample drainage. If you plan to slide the laundry basket around after planting, however, it's a good idea to keep the basket on the outside to protect the mesh from snags and tears. Fill the DIY grow bag most of the way with a soil mixture of 2 or 3 parts potting mix to one part compost; regular garden soil is too heavy for grow bags. The depth of the soil needed depends upon what you're planting, as some plant roots go deeper than others. Radishes and herbs, for instance, don't require deep soil in the grow bag since their roots don't grow very deep. On the other hand, some large tomato varieties need deep soil in order to thrive.  

Read the information included with young plants or the seed packets to determine what's best for your particular plants. Note the recommendations for spacing, too; overcrowding your plants in the grow bag may yield less-than-ideal results. Add your plants or seeds to the soil according to those recommendations, then set the grow bags where they'll get the appropriate amount of sunlight per day. Water the soil as needed and enjoy your DIY grow bag version of container gardening. 

Dollar Tree finds come in handy for other outdoor projects, too. Use the store's supplies to propagate plants more easily, or to protect your hands for your next yard project. If you grow tall plants such as sunflowers, this Dollar Tree pool noodle trick helps plants thrive. With a creative approach, there's no need to spend big bucks on many of your garden or yard projects.