Tomatoes

Dear all,

My first year with greenhouse, and am trying a variety of tomatoes (Shirley, Alicante, Sungold, Ailsa Craig, Tumbling Tom). Can't decide on grow bag 'regime'. The choices are cutting grow bags in half and growing one plant in each upended half, using three of those special pots with troughs that cut into the grow bag, or just using a grow bag normally (although they are pretty shallow). I don't really want to limit myself to one plant at each end of a grow bag as I won't be able to grow as many toms along the edge of the greenhouse. Presumably, if I grow three top the bag I'll need to feed more often ?? Anybody got any suggestions as which to go for - my instinct would be to cut grow bags in half and squeeze them in side by side along one edge, but how liable are they to toppling ?

 

Should read "Presumably, if I grow three plants per bag I'll need to feed more often ??"

 

Hi Scrofula. Love the nick. That's my favourite biblical disease. :D Growbags have so little nourishment anyway, and tomatoes need so much, that I doubt if it will make too much difference. Once the trusses set then just feed and feed.

 

Scrofula, if you want to grow in bags, then I would suggest you use Westlands Planters They are a lot deeper than the usual growbag. Your local Westland stockist should have them.

 

When the trusses set means the five (in my case) trusses are flowering ? I was going to feed with equal nitrogen potash until then. Then high potash low nitrogen. Not sure if there is a Westland stockist in Inverness.

 

Put two tomato plants in a growbag. Cut out the bases of 8" pots and put the pot around the plant. As the plant grows, earth up around it, this encourages stem root growth, your plants will grow much stronger this way.

Most garden centres sell growbag cane supports mad out if metal, a bit expensive to buy but will last many years and are just the job for toms in growbags.

 

I usually use the black flower buckets which Morrisons sell for 99p for eight, cheaper than buying large pots but you do have to drill holes for drainage. Another idea would be to use black plastic builders type buckets, about �£1.50 each (still cheaper than fancy pots and last several years).

 

Thanks very much for the advice. I may mix and match a bit, as I have a glut of Sun Gold. Will see which method produces the best plants !