Growing tomatoes in grow bags

[rodofgod76]

Hopefully my greenhouse will be finished tomorrow and I can start planting some tomatoes and chilli in it.

The floor is going to be covered in gravel so I'm planning on using grow bags. Some people have recommended to me that I place the tomato plant in a bottomless pot and then place that in the grow bag. Is that the best way of doing it? Any recommendations?

[Cutecumber]

I would recommend this method, yes. The bottomless pots also give better support for canes if you are using them.

Keep as much of the plastic on the top of the bag as you can to reduce evaporation - place the bottomless pot on the bag, and cut round it with a knife to make the holes, remove the plastic and wiggle the pot down into the compost. Put a little compost in, then the tomato plant, then top it up.

To make watering easier, make three or four small cross cuts between the pots and insert some flower pots. You can fill these with water and let it soak in at its own rate. Growing bags are notoriously difficult to keep well watered.

I now use specially made "gro-pots" which are plastic bottomless pots with a moat for water.

[gemlady]

"To make watering easier, make three or four small cross cuts between the pots and insert some flower pots. You can fill these with water and let it soak in at its own rate. Growing bags are notoriously difficult to keep well watered."

Thanks for that idea Cutecumber!

[Garden_girlie21]

I have finally got my growbags!!!! WOOHOO! Unfortuntaely, still to much stuff in the greenhouse for my to put in my plants - I'll have to have yet another clear out!

I use the bottomless flowerpot method too - it really does work!

Jennifer

[Cutecumber]

I forgot to say - try and find a plastic tray which the bag can sit in. This can help keep it level and stop water leaking out.

[Madasafish]

I add water retaining gel to growbags... helps a lot...

[Matt.]

When you cut the plastic to make a hole to put the plant in don't remove a squaure of plastic. make a X shape and peel back the triangles. When the plant is in fold back the plastic. This helps to prevent evapouration loss.

I don't use the flowerpot method but do try and make channels within the bag using fingers. This helps get the water dispersed throughout the bag. Also don't underestimate how much water each bag needs. In peak demand you'll need ~10 litres per bag per day ideally.

[rodofgod76]

Thanks people.

What size pots should I use though? And how many tomatoes to a bag? 2 or 3? Can I use this method for Chilli too? Or should I just use pots for them? So many questions - sorry! I'm a complete novice!!

[Cutecumber]

Put your chillis in a pot, it's easier.

It is standard practice to put three tomatoes in a growing bag, but it's up to you. Two will probably be easier to keep watered.

Bottomless pots are usually about 7 or 8 inches in diameter so three fit comfortably along the bag without touching.

You realise that you could just use individual pots instead of a grow bag anyway - a 10-12 inch pot will cope with a tomato plant if you feed and water regularly.

[Matt.]

I have three plants per bag but thats more because I want to squeeze in as many plants as possible

I grew chillis a couple of years ago. I did three per bag but I agree with cutecumber they would be better in pots. You don't need to worry as much about watering chillis either. The reason for keeping them in pots is that if you protect them over the winter they should come back in subsequent years. No need to germinate fresh seed and you get bigger and more established plants. One final thing about chillis is that they don't grow tall. If you have tiers you can easily get two plants in the same space.

[bramble]

I usually cut my growbag in half and then stand them upright. This way the tomato plant has plenty of depth for the roots to grow into.

[SimplyPotty]

I usually cut my growbag in half and then stand them upright. This way the tomato plant has plenty of depth for the roots to grow into.

I've used this method too but only with my big boy beef toms. I've found any other smaller varieties are fine using the conventional way of three to a bag.

[rodofgod76]

My Dad brought round nine tomato plants yesterday. 4 plum tomato plants and the other 5 were Money Maker I think. He also brought 3 Levington Giant Tomato Planters. For those that haven't seen them they're contain twice as much compost as the standard grow bag.

Levington Tomorite Giant Planter with Seaweed: Enriched with Tomorite Plant Food and added seaweed for full flavoured tomatoes

The tomato plants are about 4-5 inches high. Should I put them in the bags now? Or do as the instructions on the bag recommend and wait until they start to flower?

[markwcel]

we put our tomatoes in morrisons flower pots sunk into growbags, the roots are already coming down thru the pots into the growbags...

[SimplyPotty]

The tomato plants are about 4-5 inches high. Should I put them in the bags now?

I've planted mine in growbags and containers already and they're going great guns.