Kitchen Garden Forum

In the KG April edition page 29 there are Early Bird Offers of watering pots for Toms, etc., for use with growbags. Anyone any experience of them?

What April edition?Humph.

Hello Carol, got mine in Shanklin high st 10.00 this morn.??? rgds paul.(the newsagent opposite woolworth.)

Hello Colin
I noticed that they are on offer this month. They look like a good idea as watering growbags can be tricky. I am thinking about getting some to grow melons in, in my cold frame. In past years, I've had problems with the stem of the melon plants rotting off at soil level, even though I grow them on a mound of soil, so this idea of watering the roots through an outer reservoir, whilst keeping the stem drier, seems like the answer to the problem. Like you I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has tried them.

John

PS To Paul and Carole - my subscription mag arrived this morning - usually its here on the Saturday or Monday before the Thursday that it reaches the newsagents.

Hi John,

What puzzles me is exactly how they work. Water finds its own level so I am not sure about how the growbag doesn't become waterlogged.

Last year, as my greenhouse didn't get completed until June and the 'soil' is basically a mixture of sand and gravel, I dug a trench and lined it with polythene. I then put my pots of tomatoes in the trench, made sure of the holes in the pots, and was then able to ensure there was always sufficient water. But the pots were a bit restrictive and the roots didn't actually come out into the water although the results were quite good considering the bad treatment of the toms prior to putting them in the greenhouse. Levingtons have giant growbags (page 7) and these together with these watering pots might work quite well, if they really do work.

I use a plastic bottle with the bottom cut off. I put the lid end in the centre of the grow bag and water through the end sticking out of the growbag. I also put the feed in this way too.

The stem doesn't rot and the water goes straight to the roots. Plus, it's cheap!!!

Hi Lizzie,

Yes, cheap but wouldn't stop waterlogging and, if I understand correctly, the system provides steady watering. Or am I completely wrong?

Hi Colin

Yes, you're right, there is the problem of possible water logging. I cut drainage holes in the bottom of the growbag and that tends to help.

I find that I only need to water 3 times a week at the most this way. It makes life easy and i'm all for that.

Hello,
For the last couple of years I have used growtubs in my greenhouse. I place small to medium sized gravel at the bottom, then there is a disc which sits on top of the gravel, then compost on top of that. They have lids with holes in for canes and you water around the rim of the tub - I guess the theory is that the water trickles down to the gravel which acts as a kind of reservoir, I did add some swell gel to the compost mix along with slow release food. Anyway, I had reasonably good results last year, I even planted a couple with melons and I was very impressed with the quantity the plants produced. As it was the first time I had ever grown them with any success, I was reluctant to pick off the extra fruit that developed. They tasted very nice but were a bit small. I have learnt my lesson now and will be a little more ruthless.
Regards

I grow tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, peppers, aubergines, chillis, etc in my 2 tunnels in double depth grow bags. I add some swell gell to help water retention and set 3 plant pots half filled with gravel into each bag. I feed and water into these. I don't cut any drainage holes in my bags. I've tried Lizzie's model of plastic bottles too and that works well for the cucumbers who are thirsty chaps.

I've never had a problem of waterlogging or stem rot. I usually water every morning, adding evening watering in once the temperature goes up. At the height of the summer I have a few buckets of water dotted around the tunnel to help humidity.

I like the look of the watering pots but as last year I grew 122 tomato plants alone, they'd have to be spectacular performers to warrant the investment!

I used the tomato waterer thingies last year, and the main advantages were being able to water without fear of it overflowing/compost flowing out/roots sitting in a puddle. This made watering much quicker than the others I had that didn't have the special pots cos I could just wallop the water in. The plants were happy in the pots with the extra compost.

Also, the roots spread nicely around instead of being rather restricted within the growbags.

So I quite liked them, but could live without them if necessary.