Root Pouch is a family-based company head quartered in Hillsboro, Oregon USA with their partnership manufacturing facility, an extension of the Root Pouch company, located in China.
With extensive knowledge and experience in the horticultural industry they have developed a geotextile fabric that has no rival in the industry for its technical qualities. The patented fabrics are all BPA free and UV resistant, US Food and Alcohol Administration (US FDA) certified as food safe and manufactured in a safe and clean environment.
The concept behind the pouch
een well over a decade since the founding of the company and over 1 million of these state-of the-art bags are shipped monthly across the globe to growing industries.Here at Up On The Rooftop we loved the bag so much and saw incredible growth and healthy plants that I decided to bring the product to Australia and have forged a great relationship with the global company to make the brand available to Aussie growers.
Q: What makes Root Pouch different from the rest?
A fabulous BLOG explains the remarkable difference.
Q: Who is "Root Pouch," and where is the company located?
The Root Pouch company is headquartered in Oregon USA. It is a family run company and has been manufacturing bags for over a decade.
Q: Why has the kangaroo logo been adopted by the US company?
Q: Why does the Root Pouch Company test the bags for food safety?
The Root Pouch company believes their containers have passed safety tests for contact with food. They decided not to wait until it was required and took it upon themselves to ensure that the containers produced were free of harmful contaminants.
Batches of grow bags have undergone rigorous testing by BACL (Global testing and certification lab) in accordance with FDA contact test 21 CFR 177.1630
Q: Will the Root Pouch Bags change colour over time?
The fabric may develop a lovely patina over time, this is not the discolouring of the fabric itself but the result of of the soil, nutrients and fertilisers as well as, in some case, salt and chemicals in the water itself. This growth is normal for a breathable material. If left in a damp, shaded position mosses or lichen might develop. none of these colourings or growth affect the functioning or longevity of the bags and adds a natural organic patina to the surface. Our customers love the aged look as the bags blend well with the surrounding garden.
Q: How do I clean the surface of the bags?
Depending on your potting soil mix you might see a white coating that looks a little like mildew. This is most likely salt and minerals that built up over time from the nutrients and/or water being used in the Root Pouch grow bag and growths enjoying the nutrients and damp. Lichen or algae/moss can also grow on the outside of the fabric if conditions have been damp and if there is shade cast on the bag. You can lightly scrub the sides of the bag while they are being used with vinegar scrubbed on with a soft brush, if you want to clean up the look. Most of our customers love the aged patina that sits beautifully against other pots and greenery. The growths are nothing to be concerned about.
If your bags are being emptied after the growing season the bags can be placed in laundry bags and put into the washing machine on a cold cycle with laundry soap that does not contain fabric softener. Washing the bags in this manner will over time make the fabric feel less ridged.
Q: Will the Root Pouch bags drain water?
The grow bags are made of fabric and by virtue of this are porous. This is one of the many wonderful benefits of the Root Pouch grow bags - they provide excellent drainage which is very important to root health. As such, if the surface on which the bags will be placed needs protection from staining, exactly as you would a hard container with drainage holes, you may consider placing a planter tray under the bag, however, as with a container with drain hole, please ensure that the bag is not sitting in a constant pool of water as this will prevent the effective draining of the soil.
Q: Can Root Pouch grow bags be used in hydroponic situations?
Yes most definitely. A game-changer in the hydroponic medicinals industry, the bags are durable and offer the same level of root health under hydroponic conditions.
Q: What are Root Pouch Boxer Pots made of?
Root Pouch degradable plant pots are made of PET derived from recycled plastic water bottles. This material is melted back to a sterile liquid state then spun into fibers that are mixed with natural fibers which degrade over time. Because the plastic is re-melted it is once again sterile making it a great choice for growing plants for human consumption. Root Pouch does not use new petroleum as do some other fabric companies, so Root Pouch does not contain any toxins. It is BPA free and UV resistant.
Q: How long do the bags last & are they bio/degradeable?
Degradability is the ability of the fabric to in part become structurally unsound and allow the roots of the plant to freely penetrate into the surrounding soil. The amount of degradability and the duration of time taken to reach different stages of this are all determined by a number of factors.
Density of the fabric along with the contents of the fibres used in the actual fabric and the percentages used of PET verses natural fibres (in the case of our Black range that contains natural fibres of Jute and Bamboo) will affect degradability. This also determines the tensile strength of the fabric itself. It changes as time elapses when the fabric is exposed to soil on both sides of the fabric and environmental conditions, allowing the degradation of the biodegradable natural fibers mixed in with the PET.
The actual PET in the mixture is not biodegradable or degradeable. When discussing non-degradable fabrics it is important to distinguish between PET, not bio-degradable meaning never breaking down, and “the fabric lasting forever.”
Saying the bags last forever, would imply the grow bags could be used over and over with no time limit, always achieving the optimal results they were originally intended to produce.
The fabric will not disappear but it will lose its tensile strength and therefore will lose some of its effectiveness. If the fabric ends up in landfill (where the original bottles used to make the fabric were destined in the beginning), a degradable grow bag will end up being a fraction of the carbon footprint of its counterpart plastic pot.
A non-degradable pot is designed not to allow roots to penetrate freely for many years, and not only is it a far smaller carbon footprint than its plastic counterpart, it itself was made from recycled plastic bottles and not new petroleum, so it is a “post-consumer product”. Better for the planet, better for the plant!
Q: Are Root Pouch fabrics safe?
Root Pouch manufactures all of it’s own fabric, enabling us to determine the density, porosity and impregnability. Controlling and selecting the raw material that is used in its creation.
Each fabric is designed for a particular function. All of our fabrics are clean and safe.Developed to meet safety and sanitary requirements to better ensure a safe product for human applications, Root Pouch fabrics are designed to support use for growing materials that come in contact with products to be consumed.
The fabrics have undergone and passed rigorous testing by global, international testing & certification laboratory in accordance with FDA contact test 21 CFR 177.1630. [contact with food, drugs, biologics & cosmetics ]. They are BPA free and UV resistant.
The bags have not been tested for microplastics. Please be aware, this is a recycled post-consumer plastic product.
Q: Why use fabric pots?
The main reason fabric pots are so widely used is not to create a stronger pot, but to create a better pot, that provides a breathable, healthy growing environment. Fabric pots, unlike traditional black plastic pots, allow water and air to flow through its structure nourishing the root of the plant. It also does not allow the plants roots to circle once they meet the resistance of the wall of the pot. Instead, through a couple of different means, the fabric causes the plant to send out new fibrous roots rather than circle and harm the plant.
Q: What type of stitching is used for the Root Pouch containers?
The type of stitch we use is called an Industrial Lock Stitch. Our side seam stitching is nicknamed in the clothing industry as a French Stitch Seam. It will not unravel when pulled. The Industrial Lock Stitch gets its name because of its industrial use in outdoor products where unravelling is a concern for a product's overall wear and tear. Other inferior bags are made using an overlock stitch, widely used in the garment industry. The problem with this stitch is that it will easily unravel when pulled. This stitch is commonly used in clothing where its functionality is more aesthetic than made for strength and durability.
Q: Can I wash my Root Pouch bags?
Yes, the Root Pouch grow bags are washable - we recommend washing them in cold water with an earth-friendly detergent, and letting them air dry. Just as with any porous pot, the minerals and salts in your potting mix may stain the outer surface over time, and moss or lichen builds up if placed in a damp position. This can happen on any porous pot and does not affect the durability or performance of the grow bags. In fact, many customers prefer the natural weathered appearance. Vinegar can be used to scrub the stains or growths away gently.
Q: Are Root Pouch containers UV Resistant?
Yes, Root Pouch fabrics are resistant to UV rays.
Q: Are Root Pouch fabrics BPA free?
Yes. The fabrics are BPA free. They are made of the #1 PETE recycled plastic, which is used in drinking water bottles, and soft drink bottles.
Q: Do the elements, snow and ice, affect the fabric & cause it to break down?
Snow and ice have no more effect on Root Pouch fabric then they do on traditional plastic containers. Keep in mind a plant in a fabric Root Pouch container will fair the extreme cold far better than any other container type. Just like a human, what would help a person in sub-zero cold or wind? If they were wrapped in plastic or wrapped in fabric? Plants and plant roots are the same. Fabric allows the heat given off by plants to be contained and keep the plant warmer in the Winter… and cooler in the Summer. Root Pouch fabric pots when set up against each other will exchange heat between them.
Q: Do planted Root Pouches need to be treated differently over winter?
Root Pouch deep winter prep and care is basically the same as any container. All pots should can be placed with each pot touching the other in a protected area, hoop house or cold shed is great for overall winter protection to consolidate space in an enclosure. Plants should be set in a pyramid. Bottom row each pot touching each other, next row on top between plants or trunks.
If houses are not available and plants are to stay in the yard. Then again treat same as you would if the pots were in plastic.