Home made deep filled grow bags!

[ammi]

Ive got 4 stacked up behind the shed and 2 on the go at the moment by the front door ( snowed in on the back garden so cannt keep them there).
My seed tin is starting to make my hands itch waiting.

[broadway]

Hi Ammi,

Assume you could empty the contents into containers before planting up or also use the same method except in pots from the start?

Thanks for the tip.


Regards

Danny

[ammi]

I bet you could, but I use the bags so that I can move them from my greenhouse (using the already built in handles) and It also lets air get in through the weave of the bag so the breaking down process is easier.
I also find them at the perfect height and size for my squashes and pumpkins.
Its also easier to keep them close to the house in cold wet weather and move them to behind the shed when they are full.
I like things to be easy so the bags to me are a great short cut.

[jackyspratty]

I bet you could, but I use the bags so that I can move them from my greenhouse (using the already built in handles) and It also lets air get in through the weave of the bag so the breaking down process is easier.
I also find them at the perfect height and size for my squashes and pumpkins.
Its also easier to keep them close to the house in cold wet weather and move them to behind the shed when they are full.
I like things to be easy so the bags to me are a great short cut.

I like the transportability of them too. The one I started when I read this is nearly half full too! Have also put in my sons mouse flooring etc to add a little extra!

My son Jack wants to grow Jack be little squash and this will be great for him to do that, especially since we can pullthem inside fora bit of added protection from the elements squirrels and pigeons!

[ammi]

I keep mine in the greenhouse until its quite warm out so that I can start them off a little early. I grow the butternut squashes mainly for my dog she is diabetic and needs a high fiber lowish carb type veg to add to her chicken so that she stays well. She loves pumpkin and butternut squash and tomatoes and if she is very good, once in a while a little sweet potato.

[jackyspratty]

Thanks ammi, mine is full now so will pop in the rubbish polytunnel we have now I can get in the garden without the snow! Hope your dog coped with icey conditions ok?
Thanks again for the idea, jst need to get new bags to start filling now!

[ammi]

Started my first one today... maybe we will get decent pumpkins this year (that is... if the dog and chickens don't get to the plants first.... ).

I was suprised to see that once I had put newspaper in the bottom and then my full kitchen compost crock that the bag was about 1/2 full already! I can see that I will get a few ready in time for planting!

Would you plant 1 pumpkin seed per bag or could you maybe squeeze 2 in?

I put 2 seeds in per bag but when they start to grow I do thin them out to 1 per bag (The roots love to have the extra space).

[ammi]

Thanks ammi, mine is full now so will pop in the rubbish polytunnel we have now I can get in the garden without the snow! Hope your dog coped with icey conditions ok?
Thanks again for the idea, jst need to get new bags to start filling now!

The dog was fine after a small hitch of her legs not being long enough for the snow. She had issues with going to the loo and did a couple of bambis (full slides spinning with all 4 legs akimbo). But shes a fighter and it didnt deter her one little bit. The rain we have now is another story (she hates rain).
Thanks for asking.

[ammi]

Running out of bags to use now. Have 6 almost ready and 3 just filled. I have a new one on the go and have covered the nearly readys with a new layer of soil (well ready made compost realy) so that when they are ready I can just sow straight into them. Ive now not got any old or broken reusable bags left so unless I get shopping for heavier things these will be my last for a while.

[Sanjo]

ammi, we dont have wilkinsons so i'm not sure what kind of bags you mean - can you explain a bit more please? many thanks & sounds like half the grapes on here will be doing this!

and secondly, will i be too late to start doing it now?

They are a sort of strong thick papery fabric that looks like it will eventually rot down. They come in two sizes with the dearer one being about 50p. The best bit of all is that they are black.

[chris]

This is probably going to sound realy stupid:

When the veg scrapes (I presume that's what you're using - not meat?) rot down, and go mouldy can that harm you/the veg?

Surely it won't be "compost" in a few months as there'll by not much heat generated in the bag?

[June]

Compost

I was wondering how long the compost takes to be usable. Mine in the composter takes ages although it gets accelerator and gets stirred up occasionally.
It's so unusable that I am almost giving up saving peelings etc.
Also my veg beds are getting too full of soil... Sounds daft I know but what do you do with it all.

[Liza]

Thanks ammi great tip, will plant my marrows and courgettes in these.

[ammi]

This is probably going to sound realy stupid:

When the veg scrapes (I presume that's what you're using - not meat?) rot down, and go mouldy can that harm you/the veg?

Surely it won't be "compost" in a few months as there'll by not much heat generated in the bag?

In the bags they dont go mouldy as such they just break down. The air can get in the bags through the fabric and it can also let out excess liquid so that it breaks down quite quickly. When the bags are almost full I cover them with soil as this helps speed the process up and I only use them for above ground veg so I dont think even if it did go mouldy it would affect the crop.

[ammi]

I was wondering how long the compost takes to be usable. Mine in the composter takes ages although it gets accelerator and gets stirred up occasionally.
It's so unusable that I am almost giving up saving peelings etc.
Also my veg beds are getting too full of soil... Sounds daft I know but what do you do with it all.

I started my some bags in August last year and when my greenhouse was empty (the border) I put them in there, they are almost ready now as the waste in them is almost fully broken down below the soil top. I had to top-up with a little more soil as they broke down a little more and I think that they will be ready on time for my squashes in may( just on time for me to use the greenhouse border for my cucumber crop. The ones I started just before christmas are stacked up behind my shed( I have to keep checking them for mouse disturbance and such) I dont see them being ready till late in the year depending on how hot it gets. I will use these later ones for spring veg and other earlies. Meanwhile I am getting some more on the go to use later. Ive used them for a couple of years and they are the best thing to feed greedy pumpkins and squashes and even my courgettes seemed to love the extra food they got from the bags.
As for the extra soil I just fill up tubs and baskets and planters with it.