Kitchen Garden Forum

is there a particular reason why I shouldn't reuse the growbag which held two tomato plants in the greenhouse to grow some cut and come again salad leaves? it is minimally heated

No reason, other than the plant nutrients in the bag might be depleted.
I'd add some slow release fertiliser.

Hi MKP

I would do as Peter suggests. What are you intending to grow? It is getting rather late to sow by now.

Hello MKP
Salad leaves should be fine in an old growbag. I would build up the nutrient levels in the compost material with some occasional waterings with a soluble high N feed such as Chempak 2. I've also found that when using compost a second time around a sprinkling of lime helps growth along, If you want to avoid artificial fertilizer then use dried blood.

John

Hello again
I agree with Alan that it's a bit late to sow but all is not lost. I am trying to germinate small trays of mizuna and lettuce 'winter gem' on the kitchen windowsill and the seedlings are just emerging. I intend to prick these out and grow them on further for a while on the windowsill then finally plant out in a cold frame during a mild spell. Fortunately round here we rarely get very cold weather so it might work.
If you try something like this remember to strike a balance between just sufficient warmth and as much light as possible otherwise seedlings and plants will get drawn and become useless very quickly. Also ruthlessly thin out the seedlings as they emerge to get stronger plants.

John

I've roughed up the surface of the growbag, taking the whole of the top plastic off; watered it well with organic liquid feed; and sown a mix of two salad leaves packets; I'll thin a bit if and when I get any germination. The bag is in a very small greenhouse (up against a fence) and gets plenty of light in my south facing garden and will be heated by mini paraffin heater if there's any danger of frost, as I also have four varying citrus in the 'house.

The past couple of years I've reused the potted compost from aubergines and peppers for growing endive during autumn/winter. I just pull out the plants, remove the compost from the roots, throw in a few chicken manure pellets. and resow. I don't have a greenhouse but cover the pots with recycled water fountain containers and the seedlings tick along happily until spring when I plant them out for an early crop.

John, is that the Toddington Railway in your pic?

Hello MKP
The picture was taken on the Dean Forest Railway at their Lydney Junction Station. The loco is GWR 0-4-2T number 1420 'Ashburton' doing service with their autocoach train.
A couple of years ago I had a really great day there on the 'Branch Line Experience'' as driver, fireman, guard, crossing keeper and signalman- not all at the same time though!

John

terrific =I used to be a crossing keeper on the Worth Valley Railway

my leaves are growing very nicely in the growbag....

MKPoshfan wrote:my leaves are growing very nicely in the growbag....

Good to hear. What are you growing?

I know this started off as a string about re-using growbags. Don't want to digress too much, but I would like to say that I have been really pleased at how well our winter lettuce, mizuna and (less surprisingly) winter purslane have come through the recent severe weather under cloches. We had about six inches of snow here, which lay for several days, and harsh frosts at night.