Bulk Bags are used by various industries to store large quantities of product. The bags are routinely used to store everything from nuts to flour. You can buy bags that are made from food grade UV resistant material.
Difficulty Level: Beginner – intermediate
Growing Media: Composted/aged pine bark
Media pH: 5.8-6.2
Nutrient Level: The plants are watered with half strength solution for two days per week, followed by 1 day with nitrogen boost (4g/gallon). Using pine bark can sometimes tie up nitrogen, if growth seems slow and yellowing of old leaves occurs, add another feed day with the nitrogen.
Comments: Pine bark can be an acidic media to grow in. Test your pH the same way as described in the container garden section. I used pH adjusted rainwater to water with – see our article here. Use the 110% rule – water until just a little bit of water comes out the bottom of the bag. You don’t want to leach away the nutrients. You don’t have to use a pallet to put the bags on, but it makes it easier to see what is flowing out the bottom of the bag. I was lucky enough to already have the plastic ones. You can use wood pallets, but make sure the wood is untreated if you are going to grow food on it.