Grow Your Own Magazine

Hello all, only my second thread, but thanks to the responses to my last query about some possibly ill tomatoes I find you all a helpful bunch so a few more questions. Sorry it's a bit long, but I thought I'd get everything out of the way in one go!

(As to my plants, they're looking a bit better for having the sun and no rain so I'm hoping they aren't infected with anything - we'll see how they go).

I have a question about watering and feeding the veges I'm trying for the first time. Currently I have:

Tomatoes - three plants in pots, up to 2 feet tall. No flowers as yet. Grow bag compost. Unmulched. They've been outside in their pots for about a month. I'm currently watering so that the compost is damp to the touch. They've had one bit of feed with Tomorite, as this was a suggestion in another place in regards to them looking ill. Should I be feeding them with anything routinely at this stage (I've seen recomendations for feeding a balanced fertiliser every 10-14 days). And for watering, should I be aiming for consistent dampness to the compost, or is it advisable to let it dry a little at the top? Also, as things progress I understand I'll have to change the feeding regime - when flowers develop, or when the fruits start?

Courgettes - I currently have 5 plants (2 in one pot, 3 in another). The more advanced ones have a first 'proper' leaf around 1inch in diameter and are growing their second. Again, I'm keeping the compost damp to the touch. My plan is to move these into grow bags by then end of the weekend. What sort of watering/feeding regime is appropriate, and is it a good idea to mulch the growbag?

Dwarf french beans - currently 4 to a pot post-germination (2 pots). First proper leaves developing, compost damp to the touch. The plan is to either remove 2 from each pot (leaving 4 in total), or transplant the best growing ones and remove the others such that I have 3pots with 2 each by the end of the weekend. What sort of watering/feeding regime is appropriate, and is mulching adviceable (I understand french beans are quite thirsty!)

I also have some Tom Thumb lettuces, now 5 to a pot (3 pots!) after shifting some yesterday, they seem to have survived the transplanting and they're looking happy. These I'm keeping in a more shaded spot with plenty of water as I understand they're not too keen on hot & dry conditions. I might well sow some more this weekend.

All quite exciting, I just hope things start shooting up in the warmer weather - I want to see some flowers, but I think the courgettes and beans are a way off yet! Thanks in advance to all you helpful folk!

Chris

Hi,

I think you'll find it quite useful to separate the courgettes and pot them on in separate pots - are you planning to plant them out? I kept mine in pots till they had 3 or 4 leaves and then put them out in the ground.

I found that they grew quite quickly once I repotted them and really came on in leaps and bounds.

Cheers for the pointer. I was actually just going to stick them into a growbag this weekend, unless you think it'd be advantageous to pot them on into seperate pots for a couple of weeks (I suppose that'd give them a longer period in fresh compost)

Chris

I tried courgettes in a grow bag one year (ran out of space in the garden) and didn't find that they did that well. Have had far more luck with them simply in beds. Usually put them in a dip so that they get plenty of water to their roots.

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Hi

This is my first post, excellent info and tips on here. Just wanted to say that I too grew two courgette plants in a growbag last year and had enough to feed an army. I did find I was watering them morning and night though as they do tend to dry out very quickly in the summer.

Sian