Hi Madplanter

You're lucky you can get spin out bags/agroliners in small quantities. I've found a Canadian supplier but they only sell in bulk:

1 gal. (600 bags) =$482.00
5 gal. (200 bags) = $400.00
10 gal. (200 bags)= $693.00

I'm waiting for them to get back to me about the cost of the Tex-R spin out fabric which comes in a roll ( 4'x100') as I think this might be the way to go. Then you could cut the cloth to fit the size of your planting hole.

I like the diameter of the 10 gallon bags but I'm thinking that the depth (16") is more than what is required. I believe that someone on this website said that hosta roots prefer to spread out horizontally rather than down. I don't want to dig any deeper than I have to when contending with tree roots.

I have another question about spin out but I'll start a new thread, so as not to complicate this one.

I've only used the large Spin Out bags in my garden. I've planted Francis Williams, Gold Standard, Rhino Hide, Galaxy, and Dream Weaver in them. All of those are either medium or large Hostas. Gold Standard is fully mature and it does quite well. I've only had most of these plants in the ground for two years, so I don't know how long they will last. If you need something bigger you could always sew two large ones together. I would only use the small bags for small or small/medium Hostas like Rainforest Sunrise, Grand Tiara or Nippers.

Here's Frances Williams in its second year in a bag. That's Gold Standard behind it.

With a big job like the one you have, I would just buy about 15 or 20 per year and do it over a period of 5 years. You can always buy the material separately, but that would be a very large job of digging. A little at a time makes more sense to me.

Steve

I tried Spin-out bags and found them too small when xplanting mature medium to large size hostas. I've since used Tex-R fabric and found it easier to use than the bags and easily cut to fit size hole needed. I bought the 100' X 4' roll. I believe it also comes in 5' and 6' wide rolls, and can be purchased from Horticultural Supplies or H Specialties.com -Can't remember which name.

Thanks for the advice. I didn't know there was fabric by the roll, might be just the thing.

The hostas have only been in an under-tree bed for 12-24 months, and the mats of tree root are unbelievable. I didn't think cedars, elms and locusts were that bad. For now I'll just try cutting a circle around each hosta and put the most expensive and best loved in fabric. Steve has the right idea, a little at a time and it will all be done eventually.

BTW, Frances Williams looks terrific, hardly any dessication at all.

The owner of Wild Rose Distribution is an avid hosta collector, with over 1600 varieties in his former garden.

I asked him directly about the 5 vs 10. He said most everything will fit fine in the 5 gallon.

So, unless you're dealing with huge hosta, I'd go with the smaller ones.

I cannot imagine stuffing a 3 or 4 year old medium or large size hosta into a 5 gal. bag.

irawon - It's my understanding you can buy Spin-out bags in Canada but not the fabric. The roll I purchased stated not for sale in Canada even though it's manufactured there.

Melissa, thanks for the info about the 5 gal bags being sufficient for most hostas. If you happen to talk to him again could you ask if he ships to Canada?

Squirejohn, Canadian Hydrogardens in Ancaster, Ontario sells the agroliners and spin out fabric but only in bulk. They also deliver to the Toronto area. So far, I've approached only one nursery here in Ottawa about stocking the products, which they can buy from Texel. I'm waiting to hear from Canadian Hydrogardens about the cost of a roll of the fabric. The 100 foot roll will provide 25 squares (4'x4'). I hope the cost isn't prohibitive. I'm thinking that the fabric should be less expensive than the bags because it is less labour intensive.

I have never heard of these bags nor the fabric and want to thank you. I looked at this thread just because I had no clue.

I have struggled for many years to grow shrubs and perennials with root competition from neighbor's mature arborvitae hedge and mature fir trees. My entire back yard is surrounded. Every new bed I've started fills with roots and chokes out my plants. Even when I've raised up the soil. I've lost countless plants and it has been a lesson in frustration. We have so much rain that I feared burying pots would result in rotted plants so I never did it but using these bags or fabric is just the ticket.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

irawon - As I recall a 100' X 4' cost about $130 two years ago plus about $50 shipping from MI to VT. I see Horticulture Specialties sells both 4' and 6' wide rolls X 100" long. They don't give a price and instead ask that you contact them (734-878-1814) for cost,info etc. If you do contact them it would be interesting to see if the "not for sale in Canada still applies.

squirejohn, irawon,
I priced the 100 x 4' roll a month or two ago. If I remember correctly, it ran about $450.! (Don't recall the exact price because, once I saw it, I knew it wasn't for me.)
Gail

Correction to my previous post -
A 4' x 328' roll of fabric is $479. I incorrectly assumed it was a 100' roll.
Gail

A Canadian supplier (Canadian Hydrogardens) of Tex-R products just informed me that a roll (4' x100') costs $170.00 CDN. Shipping to my address is another $150.00 as the roll weighs 100 lbs. I was told that the high shipping cost is due to the order going to a private address. I will attempt to interest a nursery here in Ottawa to either stock Tex-R products or doing a special order for me.

Squirejohn, I've also contacted Horticulture Specialties about the feasibility of ordering smaller quantities. I'm waiting for their email answering my request.

irawon - a 100 lbs. shipping weight! If I had to guess I'd say the roll I got weighed less than 50 lbs.

Squirejohn, I was questioning the shipping cost myself - it seemed inflated to me.

I received a free 10 gal agroliner from Texel yesterday. The package included their sales rep's card. I hope he will call Geosynthetics Systems (GS) here in Ottawa as I provided Texel with their name and phone number. Even if Texel sells to GS, it doesn't guarantee that I don't have to buy bulk. On the otherhand, if I can save on shipping, it would make the cost of the roll of fabric affordable.

I still haven't heard back from Horticulture Specialties.