Cheap growbags

[katep23]

Hi all,

I'm growing my tomatoes and courgettes in tubs as I found growbags too shallow and difficult to keep watered last year but someone suggested the best compost to use would be the stuff in growbags.

As I have quite a few (go a bit over enthusiastic when sowing!) I will need several growbags but cannot find any that are particularly cheap this year. Lidl's are doing them at £1.19 but when I went in yesterday they only had 1 and they're not sure if they are getting any more.

Any recommendations? I found the compost thread really useful and went and got a load of the Wickes compost based on it so really hope someone can help

Thanks
Kate

[Two_Sheds]

Cheap isn't always better though.
Gardeners World did a test, and the New Horizon Peat Free Growbag came out tops of all PF composts, not just growbags

I think it's about £3.30 a bag, so should be 3 times as good as Lidl's ! http://www.dobbies.co.uk/acatalog/ne...-grow-bag.html

Homebase and B&Q don't seem to stock it.

[katep23]

Thanks for the reply TS, I will have a search for that then. Unfortunately the broadcast is no longer available, I would have been interested in seeing that.

[lisab]

Hi there,
I've just been to Focus DIY last night and picked up some grow-bags for £1.59 each. They are peat-free and seem really good quality. I used them last year and managed to pack in 4 tomato plants per grow bag and had more tomatoes than I knew what to do with!
Hope this helps.

Lisa B

[NOG]

I use pots and GP compost then use tomato right.

[katep23]

Thanks for the replies, think I might try a few of each and see which plants do best in either cheap or expensive grow bags. I've got a couple of the New Horizon bags and boy does it smell so it must be good!!

Sorry, I can usually work it out but what's GP compost?

[jacob marley]

General purpose it do's every thing or is suposed to....jacob

[Dottie]

Just popped into Sainbury's and they had a buy 1 get 1 free offer on compost.

[HotStuff]

Just popped into Sainbury's and they had a buy 1 get 1 free offer on compost.

Was that at Watchmoor Park?

[Dottie]

No, Kingsmead in Farnborough.

But Watchmoor Park usually have the same offers on.

I only zoomed past as I didn't have my car with me, therefore I wouldn't be taking any home today. I think it was 20 litres for £3.75, peat or peat free.

[NOG]

Sorry, I can usually work it out but what's GP compost?

General Puropse.....IE the cheapest stuff.

[burnie]

I bought some cheap bags and I am sure they are the reason my tomatoes have died.Never had this problem before,so now I'm well behind this season.
Won't go to waste though,I'll just throw them on the garden as a mulch/soil improver,you live and learn.

[rayj]

Always worth popping into Homebase and asking if they have any damaged bags (usually where someone has been a bit heavy handed with the forklift). I bought 4 x 60 litre damaged Growbags at the May Bank Holiday for £1.00 each (oh and less 10% for Bank Holiday Discount). I managed to fill 7 x ten inch pots from just one bag before planting my Tomato plants in the pots!! I have also used some of the contents of the growbags for planting some potato sets in black polythene bags this morning and still have 2 and 1/2 bags left. Shallots in pots this afternoon again using the compost from the growbags (I don't grow the Shallots for keeping until dried off as I eat them as a substitute for Spring Onions as I find they have more flavour and are easier to grow).

[j r hilton]

If you have a Peter Barrats garden centre near you they are selling new Horizon P.F. grow bags 3 for £5. This was also Gardening Which? best peat free buy.

[katep23]

Thanks Ray, I tried Homebase yesterday - they bag up the split sacks but they had run out of the bags (was tempted to go and buy some bin bags from the shop!) Apparently they are 1/3 off if they are split.

I called Wyevale last week (who I think own Peter Barrats) and the woman there wasn't sure but thought the New Horizon's were £2.99 each. I had read somewhere that Wyevale were offering them at 3 for £5 - I'm going to pop over there tomorrow and see if they have them on offer as they are great value at that price.

Thanks for all the suggestions!