Tomatoes

[Scott Hogg]

Hi folks,

I recently planted some Alicante tomato plants in grow bags. Just a little question about how often I should water them? My greenhouse is usually at about 20 degrees during the day.

Also, when should I start feeding the plants?

Any starter advice would be appreciated

[Alison]

I can't really say how often you should be watering as it depends on many things, basically you need to water when your plant needs it. Feeding is easier, I usually start when the first truss of fruit starts to form and then do so every week from then onwards. Do be careful about night time temperatures though, we can still get quite severe frosts at this time of year (last year we had snow and hail into May), I'm not sure where you're based (might be a good idea to add your location into your profile so people don't keep asking ) but you may well need to protect them for a while yet if the temperatures drop so keep an eye out.

[RaptorUK]

I've never used grow bags, I always plant direct into the soil in my greenhouse . . . so it would be very hard for me to over water, I guess you have to be more careful with a grow bag as you have a closed volume with an impermeable membrane (plastic). This also limits the plant's opportunity to search out new moisture . . . so I would say water daily, but be careful to not overdo it.

As for feeding, it's usual to start when the first truss of fruit has set (flowers have become tiny fruits).

[AllInContainers]

I grew mine in pots last year so I could manage the watering and monitor the condition of the compost. Grow bags are something I have avoided due to not being able to verify conditions within. I fed once every 10 days or so when growth was steady. When they got giddy in their growth and started throwing trusses out all over, I increased the feeding to maybe every 5 days or so. Once I'd picked maybe half the crop and was just waiting for the rest to ripen, I dropped the feeding right off again

[Scott Hogg]

Thanks folks.

I'm based in Ellon just outside Aberdeen (not the nicest weather in the UK)

[Scott Hogg]

One last question (it's a really dumb one).

I would prefer not to use growbags. For preparing my own soil would it be best to be a mixture of soil and from my garden with some compost thrown in or just pure compost?

[AllInContainers]

I had an excellent yield with just multipurpose compost

[Bill HH]

I dont like grow bags but have always used them, mainly because I thought thats what you do. I found it hard to keep the watering right, there were parts of the bag that i dont think the water ever got to. But this year I have bought some 35litre containers they seem like a proper job to me.

[Scott Hogg]

Thanks folks. I think I shall get large pots for next year.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Nip out and pick up some Morrison's black flower buckets last year they were 99p for 8 round here make a few holes in the bottom for drainage and you have an ideal pot for toms. Use the compost from your grow bag to fill them and away you go.

You will find it much easier to judge your watering regime and because you have good drainage it is virtually impossible to over water.

[darcyvuqua]

Nip out and pick up some Morrison's black flower buckets last year they were 99p for 8 round here make a few holes in the bottom for drainage and you have an ideal pot for toms. Use the compost from your grow bag to fill them and away you go.

You will find it much easier to judge your watering regime and because you have good drainage it is virtually impossible to over water.

I use the buckets on top of grow bags kinda like ring culture!

Do you have a lot of success like this pots because doing it my way costs a fortune!

[johnjohn]

Hi folks,

I recently planted some Alicante tomato plants in grow bags. Just a little question about how often I should water them?

I read an article about tomatoes by Andrew Tokely who works for Thompson and Morgan. He suggests you should treat them quit hard and only water when it's really needed and you can tell when that is by waiting for the leaves to hang like rags. He believes you get a sturdier plant, it makes it visually very obvious too I suppose.

[Tomatoking]

Hi folks,

I recently planted some Alicante tomato plants in grow bags. Just a little question about how often I should water them? My greenhouse is usually at about 20 degrees during the day.

Also, when should I start feeding the plants?

Any starter advice would be appreciated

Hi Scott

It is a good idea to insert a hose into the unopened grow bag and fill with water, then cut a drain hole about an inch or two up the bag after the peat is totally wet, about 24 hours. Other wise it is sometimes difficult to get the bag totally moist. If you have no drain holes then as you water the peat eventually will get moist so cut the small slits then.

The peat should be release water as you squeeze a handful, this a good test for the moisture content. A little and often is the best way to water a grow bag and that rule continues throughout the season and the peat should never dry out, so it takes more work than growing in the soil.

Peat bags do contain some slow release fertiliser so your plants will have a enough to start with, this can be leached out with over watering, especially the nitrogen.

Like have been said, feed when the first trusses start forming, but remember that there is no reserve in a grow bag, unlike the soil, so I would recommend that you feed at least one a week throughout the season. Commercial growers in grow bags feed at every watering, but you will obviously have a lighter crop.

Keep an eye on my blog as I will give tips as the season progresses.

[Kristen]

I would prefer not to use growbags. For preparing my own soil would it be best to be a mixture of soil and from my garden with some compost thrown in or just pure compost?

I plant mine in the borders in the greenhouse. I replace the "soil" each year with 50:50 well rotted manure and "rough" compost from my compost heap. What comes out, at the end of the year, is fabulously light and I find it useful for all sorts of potting jobs - e.g. potting up Dahlias and Cannas for over wintering, and as a mulch on Asparagus bed.

For Containers I think it important that the "balance" is right, so you get good water retention, and drainage, and thus using own compost is a bit more skilled to get the right mix - using one's own soil is even more difficult, unless you are on very light soil.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I read an article about tomatoes by Andrew Tokely who works for Thompson and Morgan. He suggests you should treat them quit hard and only water when it's really needed and you can tell when that is by waiting for the leaves to hang like rags. He believes you get a sturdier plant, it makes it visually very obvious too I suppose.

Probably the reason T&M have such a bad reputation. Fact you should never let toms dry out. Whilst the plants are growing it will check them. When they are in fruit it will cause the skins to split and worst of all it initiates blossom end rot.