Root Pouch is a family-based company headquartered 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, certified food-safe, and comply with US Food and Alcohol Administration (US FDA) food safety criteria (not a requirement of any horticultural grow bag product), and are manufactured in a safe and clean environment.
The concept behind the pouch
een well over a decade since the company was founded, 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 we 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 is the environmental philosophy behind Root Pouch recycled PET water bottle grow bags?
Q: What makes Root Pouch different from the rest?
Here's our BLOG explaining 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 well over a decade, one of the first to do so.
Q: Why has the US company adopted the kangaroo logo?
Q: Why does the Root Pouch Company test the bags for food safety?
The Root Pouch company believes its 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 the FDA contact test 21 CFR 177.1630
Q: Will the Root Pouch Bags change colour over time?
The fabric is UV-resistant. The fabric may develop a lovely patina over time; this is not the discolouration of the fabric itself, but the result of soil, nutrients, and fertilisers, as well as, in some cases, 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 affects the functioning or longevity of the bags, and they add 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 may notice a white coating that resembles 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 the growths are enjoying the nutrients and dampness. Lichen, algae/moss can also grow on the outside of the fabric if conditions are damp and if shade is cast on the bag. You can lightly scrub the sides of the bag while it is being used with vinegar scrubbed on with a soft brush, if you want to freshen 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, you can place them in laundry bags and put them 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 rigid. A video can be found here
Q: Will the Root Pouch bags drain water?
The grow bags are made of fabric and, as a result, are porous. This is one of the many excellent benefits of the Root Pouch grow bags: they provide excellent drainage, which is crucial for maintaining healthy roots. As such, if the surface on which the bags will be placed needs protection from staining, precisely as you would a rigid container with drainage holes, you may consider putting 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 legal cannabis and medicinal 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 fibres that are mixed with natural fibres, which degrade over time. Because the plastic is re-melted, it is once again sterile, making it an excellent 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 penetrate the surrounding soil freely. The amount of degradability and the duration of time taken to reach different stages are all determined by several 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 over time as the fabric is exposed to soil on both sides and environmental conditions, allowing the degradation of the biodegradable natural fibres mixed with the PET.
The actual PET in the mixture is not biodegradable or degradable. When discussing non-degradable fabrics, it is essential to distinguish between PET, which is not biodegradable, meaning never breaking down, and “the fabric lasting forever.”
The fabric will not disappear, but it will lose its tensile strength, and therefore, some of its effectiveness will be lost.
A non-degradable pot is designed not to allow roots to penetrate freely for many years. Not only does it have a far smaller carbon footprint than its plastic counterpart, but it is also made from recycled plastic bottles, not new petroleum, making it a “post-consumer product”. Better for the planet, better for the plant!
Q: Are Root Pouch fabrics safe?
Root Pouch manufactures all of its own fabric, allowing it to control and select the raw materials used in its creation.
Each fabric is designed for a particular function. All Root Pouch grow bag fabrics are clean and safe. Developed to meet safety and sanitary requirements, Root Pouch fabrics are designed to support the use of growing materials that come into contact with products intended for human consumption.
The fabrics have undergone and passed rigorous testing by a global, international testing & certification laboratory in accordance with the FDA contact test 21 CFR 177.1630. [contact with food, drugs, biologics & cosmetics ]. They are BPA-free and UV-resistant.
Q: Are there microplastics in Root Pouch grow bags?
The product is made from post-consumer plastic water bottles (ie used and discarded bottles). The bags have not undergone any testing for microplastics. We share everyone's concern about plastics in the environment, and microplastics are already present everywhere in soil and potting mixes, clothing textiles, cosmetics, vehicles, mobile phones and computers, our potable water, the food chain, packaging, and even in the air we breathe.
In terms of the garden, it's worth noting that compost (particularly commercial brands made from recycled green waste), biosolids, and fertilisers introduce thousands of particles per kilo into farmland every year, long before a grow bag even touches the garden. Compared to that, the contribution from a fabric bag is proportionally very small.
At Up On the Rooftop, we are acutely conscious of the microplastics issue and have weighed up the pros and cons of every aspect of the Root Pouch products. The US-based company has a clearly articulated environmental impact philosophy (videos on our website) and has drawn its line in trying to help manage the removal of millions of PET water bottles from landfills and the oceans. We share this passion, which is why we adopted this brand into our range. One day when plastic water bottles are no longer...the Root Pouch branded product will be longer either ☺️
Q: Why use fabric pots?
The primary reason fabric pots are widely used is not to create a stronger pot, but to provide a better environment that fosters a breathable, healthy growing condition. Fabric pots, unlike traditional black plastic pots, allow water and air to flow through their structure, thereby nourishing the plant's roots. It also prevents the plant's roots from circling once they encounter the resistance of the pot's wall. 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 commonly referred to in the clothing industry as a French 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 primary purpose is aesthetic rather than strength and durability.
Q: Can I wash my Root Pouch bags?
Yes, the Root Pouch grow bags are washable. We recommend hand 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 can build up if the pot is 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 gently scrub stains or growths away.
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 from #1 PETE, a type of recycled plastic commonly 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 than they do on traditional plastic containers. Keep in mind that a plant in a fabric Root Pouch container will fare much better in extreme cold 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, keeping the plant warmer in winter and cooler in 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 preparation and care are basically the same as those for any container. All pots can be placed with each pot touching the other in a protected area, a hoop house or cold shed is excellent for overall winter protection to consolidate space in an enclosure. Plants can be set in a pyramid. Bottom row: each pot touching the next. Next row on top, between plants or trunks.
If cover is not available and plants are to stay in the yard. Then again, treat them the same as you would if the pots were in plastic.