Here’s what to do with your Woolies shopping bags if you’re a keen gardener

Woolies black shopper bags re-purposed as plant growers are a great alternative to plastic pots, TikTokker, Asadullah Parker, says. Picture: TikTok

Woolies black shopper bags re-purposed as plant growers are a great alternative to plastic pots, TikTokker, Asadullah Parker, says. Picture: TikTok

Published Jul 23, 2024

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Are you one of those people, like oh so many of us, who always forget to take your black Woolies shopping bag with you when you go shopping?

You’re probably sitting with a whole bunch of them and while you think you’re going to use them you most likely will not and so your pile just keeps on growing.

If you want to make use of your bags and are a keen gardener, then here’s a solution for you.

TikToker Asadullah Parker says, “Here’s a tip if you have a lot of extra Woolworths bags. Use them to grow food.”

From fruit trees to herbs, he has planted a wide variety of plants in his bags.

He has a pomegranate tree, lemongrass and even a chilli plant growing in the bags. Parker says that not only is it a good way to upcycle the bags but it is also a better alternative to using plastic pots.

“When plants are grown in plastic pots, they tend to become root-bound,” he explains.

@asadullahparker Yoh. Its been 2 years since i posted this video. 3 things things this video did for me. 1) it gave me a big jump in followers. 2) many media outlets contacted me wanting to do interviews. I went on radio and tv. There were also a few articles written about me. 3) my current employer @SAIE ♬ original sound - Asadullah 🇵![CDATA[]]>🇸

He continues to share that you don’t have a problem with fabric pots because of what is known as air pruning.

“This happens when the plant's roots reach the outside of the fabric pot. The air then penetrates through the fabric drying out those roots. Those roots then decompose and feed the plant and then the plant generates more roots,” he explains.

Looking at his healthy collection of plants it clearly shows that his tip works.

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