Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi I spent ages trying to get my toms into the growbags. It didn't go very well! I tried 2 methods, one was to make a long slit all the way along and then a cross slit where the plant was to go. This was ok but the growbag then needed tying round the middle as it was all floppy and the compost spilling out. Next growbag I tried just making cross slits where each plant was to go (I have 3 to a tomato specific bag, and it said 3 - 4 on the back). This was better.

The problem seemed to be actually fitting the plants in without squashing them down. Maybe they were too big? Most were almost 2 feet tall I would say. I waited til some had got one flower and the others are about to flower. Is this the wrong time to put them in? Too late? They were only moved from the plastic wilkos greenhouse to the new greenhouse on Weds and had gone on a mad growing spurt in that time! There were certainly no signs of any flowers 2 days ago.

Any tips on getting them in the bags? Are pots better? I have put a couple into 24cm pots as well.

Thanks, janeyo

Hi Janeyo,

wwe came across a technique known as 'ring culture' on the vine last year, and used it with success! Basically you get 3 largisg plant pots and cut out the bottoms, then cut around them into the growbag and insert the pot into the bag, leaving it buried about an inch or two, then topping up with compost and planting into the pot. Not only does it make planting easy, and keep the watering down (as you minimise the cuts into the growbag), but also gives the tomato roots a bit more depth to grow into. You can see what I mean in the piccy inside our plastic greenhouse on the new plot! Hope its of some help!

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Blessings
Suzanne (aka Mrs Dobby)

'Garden naked - get some colour in your cheeks'!

The Dobby's Pumpkin Patch - a blogspot work in progress!
Last updated 26th November2008 - more new piccies!

I use the same method as Mrs Dobby (but for cucumbers rather than tomatoes!) - it's a lot easier to plant up and gives some extra root space.

It sounds as if the tomatoes are a bit big - you need to get them into their final place before the root ball is too big otherwise, as you have found, there just isn't enough room.

I actually grow all my tomatoes in pots and in the ground as I generally find them happier. My greenhouse just gets far too hot and gets shaded at the end of summer.

I've got some Toms in growbags this year but I've cut them in half and stood on end so it's nice and deep.

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Always aim for the best result possible not the best possible result

we put ours in pots and growbags too...can actually see the roots coming out of the pots and into the growbags

thanks for posting this....much cheaper version of those pot thingy's I've seen for sale

I use a ring culture method too, and I had to wait a while to get growbags, some of my plants had a good number of flowers when I planted them, and they're fine - flowering and forming fruits like there's no tomorrow!!!

Jennifer

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Whilst typing the above reply, I was probably supposed to be doing homework. My excuse: I'm hooked!