Kitchen Garden Forum

I want to grow my toms in my new 10x6 Greenhouse and am stuck between grobags and a mini raised bed, i guess the raised bed will have to be refreshed with compost every year.........what do other's do? If a raised bed is preferred do people use a home made compost or the contents of gro-bags or what?

Cheers

Compo

I use double depth grow bags set into wooden frames. The depth reduces the demand for watering and the frames keep it all tidy. I then recycle the contents at the end of the season onto my raised beds outside, along with the contents of the compost bins and the tunnels are empty and easy to clean and disinfect. There's no digging, no sterilising of soil, no removal of topsoil, no heavy lifting, etc. Hopefully, should I live long enough, this system will enable me to continue growing crops in my tunnels when I'm unable to wield a spade.

Although there is an annual cost involved, I have always found a supplier willing to provide (and deliver) them at a reasonable amount because I need a fair few.

I'm sure others will have alternative views.

If it is possible, do some of each alongside and then judge for yourself which you prefer.
The growbag is rather more dependent on regular watering. Personally I stick to growing in soil and restricting the water somewhat, This enhances the flavour. The commercials have to sterilise the soil betweeen successive crops hence the popularity of growbags or other soil medium there but an amateur can use the same soil without sterilisation for several years without significant deterioration. If tomatoes are in a polytunnel and the cover can be removed periodically such as routine replacement this gives a good chance over winter to let natural forces refresh the soil.
Allan

For years I have been using both grow bags and planted direct in the soil. For my greenhouse at home I use grow bags as it is easy to regulate the watering/feeding, in my house at the plot I plant direct in the soil.

This year though I am trying a new trick with the grow bags after seeing the results of someone is getting.

Normally I have used two grow bags, one on top of the other with the base of the top bag and the top of the bottom bag removed, to provide a deep bag with greater volume. Two plants be bag were planted, no more.

This year however I have bought my normal grow bags and, after loosening the compost inside, have cut them in half to provide two upright bags. I have planted the toms into these, as they are far deeper than even two bags stacked on top of each other I have been able to plant very deep.

I will be interested to see how these develop this year.

HTH

Jerry

Interesting comments, if i used raised beds what would I fill them with, home made compost, well manured soil, growbag contens? ideas please?

Comps

I like the idea of halfgrowbags Nigel Thanks

Compo, go easy on the "well manured bit" for tomatoes unless you want big tomatoes with washed-out flavour. And not too much water either. Nobody has mentioned Ring Culture, it has merits.

My small heated greenhouse that I use for early tomatoes has a concrete floor with built in polystyrene insulation like a house floor. In there I use grobags combined with plastic ring culture rings. I cut holes in the bags, take out a little of the compost, twist the rings into the holes, drop a support string from the roof into the bottom of each ring, fill up from another grobag and plant. It makes watering and support very easy. Not sure if you can still buy the rings, I have had them for many years, but you could make them from pots.

Help! Up to now I have always just planted tomatoes outside in the garden soil. Now starting in a tunnel I have just planted tomatoes in round pots with no bottoms which I found in the tunnel when I moved in. (Yes, I have washed thoroughly). But I planted in soil from the tunnel bed mixed with some manure. Reading above have I done the wrong thing? Should I take them all out and start again? Also how and when should I steralise the soil? I have three large beds in the tunnel, is it just enough to rotate the crops I grow? Sorry for all the questions but this is all new to me!

There is a thing in this months KG about ring culture using pots with the bottoms taken out. I also spotted a recommend for using plastic crates lined with cardboard and filled up.
I guess that gives the depth that was mentioned as necessary.

Could I ask what you think is the ideal depth and spacing, as I had a horrible time last year with awful results and want to put in the effort to get a good result this time.

I have Marmande, Gardeners delight, a beefsteak and some plum tomatoes. I want some in the greenhouse and some on the plot.

Thanks very much.

David

Last year was my first time growing tomatoes in a tunnel.I used 3 tomatoes to a growbag,i cut 3 holes in the bag and inserted 10 litre buckets (recycled plastic paint buckets).I achieved a bumper crop,very sweet tasting toms.Then at end of the year i just removed bags and buckets and the tunnel was empty.Saves a lot of hassle sterilising soil etc.[/b]

Isn't the classic advice that it's best to plant the tomatoes in the borders in a new greenhouse, because of the depth/quality of the soil, etc. After two or three years, though, tomato diseases start to build up in the soil, and then it's time either to replace the soil (big job) or switch to some kind of container, such as growbags.
Personally I prefer to use big plant pots (10 inch or 12 inch), which I fill with a mix of John Innes No. 3, home-made compost, and a bit of rotted manure if I've got any. Otherwise, a bit of blood fish and bone. The pots are a bit of an outlay, but last indefinitely. I found growbags were getting meaner and meaner as the shops competed to offer the lowest price. There are better solutions available now, like extra deep growbags, or growbags with rings/bottomless pots on top. But there's still the issue of whether or not it's good to use peat...

Sometimes the advice is overwhelming....and I think this is my plan. Last year on the same plot my toms did well in a raised bed of plot soil (clay but workable) mixed with peat free compost and the usual regular feed after the first flowers, these were however, outside in a protected bed with polycarbonate sides and open top. So as this works I am going to do the same again this year but inside the greenhouse. The greenhouse floor soil is baked like a clay slab so will have to soak it and work it hard! (And no manure!!)