Punchline: Great as a gift or a hobby, but not the best for serious prepping.
This past summer, I was feeling FOMO after reading all the amazing gardening stories from Josh, Redneck, and the rest of the community. I wanted to get into planting something in my backyard, but I couldn’t grow anything directly in the soil due to some personal restrictions. So, I decided to go with a raised bed solution. However, I didn’t have the time or energy to build one myself or do proper research on ready-made options. That’s when I stumbled upon Back to the Roots, and I gave it a shot. Back to the Roots is a U.S.-based company that sells organic seeds, potting mix, and growing kits—including mushroom kits, hydroponic/aquaponic systems, and fabric raised beds. Their mission is to "reconnect every family and new generation back to where food comes from," and they’re B Corp certified. They make it easy for people without a green thumb or a backyard to start growing their own food. I bought: - A $25 3 cubic foot fabric raised bed - A $25 self-watering fabric pot with an Olla watering system - A $30 beginner seed pack Fabric raised beds are supposed to be breathable, which helps encourage healthy root growth. They’re also lightweight, easy to set up, and perfect for small spaces. The ones I got had internal dividers, making it simple to grow different plants or try a square-foot garden. The fabric felt durable and sturdy. The raised bed and the pot were made of thick felt with stitched-in handles. Setting them up was super easy—just unfold, fill with soil, and you're done. The only real work was carrying the soil over, which wasn’t too bad. The self-watering pot had a 5-gallon capacity and came with a terracotta Olla. The Olla holds about 20 oz (or 2.5 cups) of water and has a rubber stopper. An Olla is an ancient irrigation method where you bury an unglazed clay pot next to your plant, and it slowly releases water underground. It's supposed to keep the soil moist for days, but in my case, it didn’t quite live up to expectations. I planted cherry tomatoes indoors first, then moved the strongest ones into the fabric pot with the Olla. I also sowed radishes directly in the raised bed. The tomato plant did okay—it just needed regular care, which I found normal for tomatoes. But honestly, one plant wasn’t enough to feed two people. We ended up snacking on the tomatoes as soon as they ripened. As for the Olla, I didn’t really see much benefit. I had to refill it almost daily, and the soil still dried out quickly. I suspect this was due to a combination of factors: high temperatures (often in the 90s or even 100s), the relatively small size of the pot (5 gallons vs. a full bed or ground planting), and the fact that the bed was made of fabric. Plus, the Olla might have been too small for the setup. The beds were also on a cement patio, which probably increased the temperature around them. Another issue was that the more I watered the beds, the more the soil settled, causing the sides of the rectangular bed to collapse. This created shadows inside the bed, which affected the radishes. Some of the radishes near the edges didn’t develop bulbs and just grew long stems with leaves instead. One of the handles on the bed broke when I tried to move it while it was already full. Not a huge deal, but a bit frustrating. I also didn’t like how prominent the logo was on the product. I turned it away from our sitting area. While the logo makes sense in the context of their “Grow One, Give One†campaign (where sharing a photo of your garden donates a kit to a school), I still find it a bit obtrusive. The gray fabric also started showing water and soil stains over time. It wasn’t a big issue functionally, but it was kind of annoying to see. I didn’t expect that at first. Overall, I’m happy I tried the fabric raised beds and the Olla. I plan to use them again next year and maybe test the other seeds in the pack. It could also be a good way to see if they still germinate. **But are they worth it for prepping?** Honestly, no. If I wanted to grow enough food for two people, I wouldn’t rely on these. I’d need bigger beds or more of them, and there are cheaper alternatives out there. I also think fabric beds might not be ideal for my climate. If I ever scale up, I’d probably go with traditional raised beds instead. As for the seeds, I don’t see any reason to think they’re worse than others. But they’re definitely pricier. For example, a pack of Roma tomatoes from Back to the Roots costs $2.99, while Burpee’s are $2.49 at Home Depot. You can probably get a better deal at a local nursery. The Ollas themselves are expensive, but there are plenty of DIY tutorials online that could save you money. **Who are these for?** I think these kits would make great gifts for kids or urban dwellers who want to try gardening without the hassle. They’re also good for people like me who want to grow something but don’t have the time or knowledge to plan a full garden. Even though some products are pricier, they often run promotions, so the cost isn’t always terrible. For example, right now they’re offering a hydroponic/aquaponic kit for $100 plus 25% off sitewide. A similar one on Amazon is nearly $150. What I liked most was their customer support, money-back guarantee, and free STEM curriculum for kids. Bonus: Check out Ubique’s excellent forum post on drought preparedness and food production.essential oil
Jiangsu Raymeel Home Decoration Co., Ltd. , https://www.raymeelhome.com