Borders or grow bags?

[chris]

I have put down fabric with chippings on my GH floor. I grow in pots, with an auto watering system setup. Might create one border this year though - although is the chance of soil bound pests entering to your crop is more likely then?

[Acanthus]

Borders, for me, have worked for years in 2 cold greenhouses, apart from the weedkiller aminopyralid in some horse manure a couple of years ago.had to dig out and replace a fair bit of soli after that

I grow early peas and salad greens,coriander,spinach, then on to tomatoes chillies cucs and lots and lots of French beans. Have my staging up, now, which will be removed in time for main planting out into the beds later.

I try to rotate between the 2 gh to cut down pest problems

Tried grobags a few times but I wasn't very good at getting the watering right and didn't feel they were a success for me
Acanthus

[Alison]

I use pots in my greenhouse as there aren't any borders but it's borders all the way in the polytunnel. Watering would be nightmare, it's hard enough to keep the border irrigated . I practice crop rotation in there so no crop grows in the same place two grows in a go although this can be harder considering the amount of things I grow in there which are potato family but can be done. I also use some green manures in there in the winter too which adds a bit of variety and you can't beat a good thick mulch of compost before you plant out.

[Tam]

I have grown in the borders of my greenhouse for over thirty years. I change the topsoil each year and spread the used compost on the garden, which is (or was) heavy clay. I always feel rather sorry for tomatoes growing in growbags, as, when digging out the old soil I notice how deeply the roots penetrate. I also think they have more taste. Certain types of tomato (such as Gardener's Delight) I never water as overwatering certainly reduces flavour.

[Currysniffa]

My greenhouse on my half plot is sat on slabs so I use growbags, I cut the bottom out of florist buckets and put the buckets into the growbags and plant my tomatoes and peppers in the buckets, I feel I did really well with this system and will be doing the same this season too.

This year I'm in the middle of putting up a greenhouse on my full plot, this one is sat soil so will have a little path in the middle and 3 raised beds/borders, I still plan to use the florist buckets with the bottoms cut out as I'm going to cover the beds/border soil with a weed membrane and put the buckets through it.

[sjk1985]

Wouldn't you be better off putting the toms, chillis and peppers into one, and keep the melons and cukes in the other? Then you can swap over and prevent disease build up.

And you can grow peas and broad beans over the winter in each - mulch with fresh compost before the next year and you have then got year round use of your greenhouses. I'd love to plant direct in the soil as I think you get a better result but mine is on concrete so no chance of that!

I am not as experienced as some of you on these boards but I have heard you shouldn't grow cukes and melons together because of cross pollination? You get bitter melons...maybe this is why they have been separated. I would be tempted to use the greenhouse boarder at least for this year if soil is fresh and maybe grow bags next year?

[VirginVegGrower]

My greenhouse on my half plot is sat on slabs so I use growbags, I cut the bottom out of florist buckets and put the buckets into the growbags and plant my tomatoes and peppers in the buckets, I feel I did really well with this system and will be doing the same this season too.

I do the same and have successful toms, peppers and cukes, but the timber greenhouse is sat on one foot thick concrete and the chances of digging to the soil are slim. I would however love a poly tunnel for growing in and keep the greenhouse for seed sowing/potting on.

[Currysniffa]

I do the same and have successful toms, peppers and cukes, but the timber greenhouse is sat on one foot thick concrete and the chances of digging to the soil are slim. I would however love a poly tunnel for growing in and keep the greenhouse for seed sowing/potting on.

I'd love a poly tunnel too but that may have to wait a few years until I know what I'm doing with my plots and I go back to work..