How To Start Your Own Sack Garden
- Shadrack Mwelwa
- 15 hours ago
- 3 min read
I believe the world is abundant—overflowing with opportunities waiting to be seized. Adopting a mindset of abundance helps us see possibilities where others see limits.
That old saying, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade,” perfectly captures this way of thinking. Sack gardening is one such opportunity—a clever way to turn your gardening challenges into something fruitful.
It’s simple, beginner-friendly, and incredibly versatile—making it an ideal starting point for anyone looking to grow food in small or unconventional spaces.
Below are some important materials that every sack gardener will need.
Growing Vegetables in Sacks Vertically
This innovative approach of growing vegetables utilizes the vertical space created on the sides of sacks as they are filled with a growing medium.
Which Vegetables are best grown in a sack Vertically?
Because of the verticality, it is better to promote the culture of leafy vegetables (such as kale and mustard) and herbs on the sides of the bag. Moreover, leafy vegetables usually allow for several harvests at different times on one single plant, which is not the case for root vegetables (carrots, beets, etc.) and bulbs (onions, shallots). Tuber vegetables and those with long roots are however not suitable for sack-gardening (such as promoted by SI) since they require a
significant depth of soil to develop properly
For an optimal production, it is best to use bags with a containing capacity of 50 to 100 Kilos.
NECESSARY MATERIAL FOR ONE BAG OF 100 KILOS
• 1 polyethylene or jute bag (food-safe bag. ie: rice bag)
• 50 kilos of soil
• 25 kilos of fertiliser (compost, manure), to be dosed according to the
quality of the soil
• 15 kilos of stones (3 to 7 cm width)
• A pipe of the height of the bag, a can or a plastic bottle opened at both
ends, 15 to 20cm long
How to Create a Vertical Vegetable Sack
Wash and dry your bag. Place at the bottom of your bag a layer of about 10 to 15 cm of stones.
Place vertically on the stone layer your tube (or bottle or can). Fill it with stones. Pack the soil mixed with manure and compost around your stone column.
Repeat the operation until you have reached the top of the bag. If you are using a can or a bottle, carefully remove it as you process upwards by layers. When you are finished, remove the container and leave only the column of stones.
Pierce holes in the sides of your bag with a sharpened piece of wood. Pierce these holes 15 cm apart from each other. Be careful not to make holes in the stone layer at the bottom of your bag.
Water the bag thoroughly, on top of the stone column and on the sides of the bag. The soil must be well moist.
Carefully place the plants (produced previously in a nursery) in the holes of your bag. Be careful not to damage the roots. Water again.
Your bag is ready! You have now to take care of the plants: water twice a day if the weather is dry and once a day if the weather is humid. Use organic insecticides and take out ill plants and weeds. Within a few weeks, you will have produced your own vegetables!
Vertical Gardening
The main disadvantage of growing plants in sacks is that the bags do deteriorate in a year or two. More durable fabrics can be used to create longer lasting gardens. Natasha Mulenga of Lusaka demonstrate how she has used this innovation to bring food sustainability to household in Lusaka and Chongwe.
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