Where's Sierra? She has them along her fence and they look great! I've had impatiens and coleus in mine and they've done well. Watering can be a pain, but i've taken them down and soaked them in a bucket of water, and that has worked.

I've used them and they work good as long as you do like marciaz says and soak them The ones on the bottom never get wet just watering them. On the upside the ones on the bottom don't dry out as fast either. I did try putting a length of old hose in the back but that didn't work so I went back to soaking.

I found the best way to plant them up, is to put some soil in the bottom to the first holes, stick in the plant and cover in to the next holes. Filling it all the way and then trying to get the plants in is a pain and the roots never get spread to the middle.

I tried the hose thing too and didn't care for it. And that is the best way to plant them - works a lot easier if they're lying on their back or shallowly propped up against something. The impatiens i planted in mine were cuttings - you can't put a full-sized plant in them! (But i'm sure you've figured that out! LOL)

Happy Holidays to all here.

Hi Marcia, Yes I sure do use the blooming bags. Last year I had around 50 of them. I use the ones from Vesey's, they are cheaper and work well. Just make sure to double knot the handles, so they don't pull through. Last year I also got several bigger ones at Home Hardware. The bigger ones are good for wave and spreading petunias.

Ummmm I don't have to soak them....there is no way I would have that much time. After I plant them up early spring, I take the hose and push it down the back of the bags to make a path to about half way down the back of the bag. I just push the hose in there to water them every second day for the season. I use sunshine mix ummmm #4 or is it #1. not the one for seedlings the other one.....that holds water better. The planter filler one.

Last year I had 15 impatien bags on my trellis wall that was new.....and a few on the side fence. The rest of the bags were filled with different kinds of petunias and pansys. The impatien bags I fill the top. And the regular petunias and pansys I also fill the tops. But if you use any kind of wave or tidal waves or spreading petunias you don't have to fill the top....it makes those bags easier to water. You do have to stand there when watering and make sure the water is comming out the bottom well before you stop.

I fill all the bags up to the top....then use a pen to poke the holes in each slot. Then use the pen to put the small roots of the seedlings in the holes. This works really well. When I plant up the impatiens they are still small seedlings....not full size plants. Although I have had to do some repairs with fullsize plants.....it can be done....just not as easy.

Also take petunia cuttings and put the cuttings into the bags. This works very well for me.....I keep the bags laying flat on a shelf in the greenhouse, till they take hold...which is usually only a few days.

Make sure to keep some "repair" seedlings until after they are hung in their permanent place for the summer....things happen, they get dropped or bumped and you will have to repair.

In the fall when I split the bags and dump in the compost pile......the soil is one big mass of roots...all the way to the back and top and bottom. I buy new bags each year.

I have used blooming bags for years now.....they are easy to look after and put on a great show. For me they can go a week or so without watering...but I prefer to water them every second day just to make sure.

Sierra

thanks for the replies everyone. I'm going to give them a shot. Those saddle bags from Vesey's look good, so next time I put in an order with them I'll get them. Still waiting for a free shipping offer.

My trailing begonia's (apricot and snow angels) didn't want to go to die back once I put them in the basement, like the non-stops did, so I've been taking cuttings which have been rooting like crazy in water. Those I've potted into 3 inch pots but in April I should be able to do the same thing again only plant them into the 1"x1" nine cell packs which should hopefully be a good size for planting in the 9 hole bags.

Do you hang them in the basement in the bag to die back and then put outside in spring ?

Will you post pictures of your results?