Jb
|
Tomato collarsI always grow tomatoes in growbags over the summer but find they are a problem to water and the growbags tend to skimp on their contents. I also have large numbers of those plastic tubs in which supermarkets sell mushrooms.
When the tomatoes are still small enough and have been transplanted into growbags cut the base out of the mushroom box and slide it upside down over the young plant so that its lip is just under the growbag plastic then top up the collar half way with extra compost. Now the roots that the tomato puts out from its stalk have somewhere to go and you can add lots of water to the plants which will drain slowly though the soil and not all run off.
Could be coincidence but this year my tomatoes are growing like there's no tomorrow!
|
Mustang
|
I put my growbags vertically on one short end. Then I cut the 'top' off, roll the excess cover down just above the level of the compost. I pop 3 plants in each growbag, and train them away from each other.
Advantages? The roots have much more depth of compost to use and they seem to like that. The bag is much easier to water and retains it far longer than for a traditionally laid-down growbag.
Disadvantages? Haven't come across any yet.
|
wellington womble
|
The grow bag watering kits you can get fom HDRA are very good - they drip water really slowly, so none goes to waste. I uses them with a 5 litre water bottle as a resevoir. I don't use growbags, as I have an endless supply of polystyrene boxes, but I gather they are a pain to water.
|
Jb
|
| Mustang wrote: | I put my growbags vertically on one short end. Then I cut the 'top' off, roll the excess cover down just above the level of the compost. I pop 3 plants in each growbag, and train them away from each other.
...
Disadvantages? Haven't come across any yet. |
How do you train the plants out? I would have thought that without making the plants lean out over the side of the growbag, which would be prone to damage and collapse, then the plants would be so close that they would be prone to mould.
|
bernie-woman
|
I plant some of my toms and courgettes into grow bags and place them in a gro-bag tray which is almost constantly filled with water. I have had great success with growing courgettes and the toms this way, picked over 3lb of courgettes since last wednesday.
You just need to be careful not to allow any of the water to go stagnant and you do need to keep ontop of the watering to avoid blossom end rot
|
Mustang
|
| JB wrote: | | How do you train the plants out? I would have thought that without making the plants lean out over the side of the growbag, which would be prone to damage and collapse, then the plants would be so close that they would be prone to mould. |
Once the plants are about 30 cm tall, I train the outer two sideways towards poles. The middle plant simply goes up along another pole. I train them out the same distance apart as if the growbag was lying on it's side, so the plants get good air circulation around and between them. The plants don't touch the side of the growbags.
My toms are currently at the height of the apex of the greenhouse where they have been stopped, and are putting out loads of fruit. Same with the cucs.
|
