Do not see the point as for years growing Tomato's in grow bags I used some throw away plastic pots with the bottom cut off. It does work, the pots were nine inch ones set onto and just into the grow bag soil, put some compost into the pot and plant your tomato. As the plant grows slowly top up the pot with good compost and water the grow-bag. I stopped doing that when grow bags became more rubbish dump than good compost and now use the same 12 inch pots cleaned and planted up each year leaving plenty of room to top up with good compost as the plant grows. The pots sit on a gravel bed kept watered and the pot is watered lightly with feed keeping it just damp, over watering kills more plants than it helps. Do not crock the bottom of pots on a gravel bed and I open up the holes in the base a bit to let the Tomato plant tap roots find the water in the gravel.
Frank. I did the same last year with chillies, peppers and aubergines...sat them on gravel in bottomless pots.
Aldi are selling grow bag trays for £4.99 and Wilkinson have the large square trays, for about the same price, both ideal for sitting pots in and using as gravel trays. You find you water less, the compost only takes up what water it needs and less compost is used. You can also go away for a long weekend and not worry about the pots drying out.
I have some! I have 6 and use them in grow bags for my toms in the greenhouse. I like them, have had them a couple of years. I'm pleased with them, make it easy to water and feed. I got mine from the Harrogate Flower show if I remember right.
I may check out the offer and get some for my cucumbers for which I usually use a bottomless pot.
They aren't as cheap as the flower buckets with bottom cut out but they are sturdy and I am confident the will last for years.
Last year I had some larger black ones like the above green ones- I found it was hard to fit the recommended 3 in a grow bag. I also bought the pots that do not have a bottom, and based on a article in GW magazine I bought some cheap flower pots and cut the bottom out.
You can guess what is next, the best results were from the cheap pot with the bottom removed. I found the troughs in the black ones were ok but the water did not drizzle in and as I said were awkward as they were so big.and the crop was not brilliant. Witht he pots without bottoms I could build up the compost really high as the pants grew and they were far more stable.
I use them for tomatoes and it does make them easier to water and feed and they do grow a bigger root ball. Grew some in gro bags and some in big pots (without Gro rings) this year and the gro bag and ring plants were much better. Same principle as bottomless pots though so can be done cheaper.
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Do not see the point as for years growing Tomato's in grow bags I used some throw away plastic pots with the bottom cut off.
It does work, the pots were nine inch ones set onto and just into the grow bag soil, put some compost into the pot and plant your tomato. As the plant grows slowly top up the pot with good compost and water the grow-bag. I stopped doing that when grow bags became more rubbish dump than good compost and now use the same 12 inch pots cleaned and planted up each year leaving plenty of room to top up with good compost as the plant grows. The pots sit on a gravel bed kept watered and the pot is watered lightly with feed keeping it just damp, over watering kills more plants than it helps. Do not crock the bottom of pots on a gravel bed and I open up the holes in the base a bit to let the Tomato plant tap roots find the water in the gravel.
Frank.
Frank. I did the same last year with chillies, peppers and aubergines...sat them on gravel in bottomless pots.
Aldi are selling grow bag trays for £4.99 and Wilkinson have the large square trays, for about the same price, both ideal for sitting pots in and using as gravel trays. You find you water less, the compost only takes up what water it needs and less compost is used. You can also go away for a long weekend and not worry about the pots drying out.
I sit the gravel on capillary matting.
I may check out the offer and get some for my cucumbers for which I usually use a bottomless pot.
They aren't as cheap as the flower buckets with bottom cut out but they are sturdy and I am confident the will last for years.
Thanks. Mixed opinions then I see. I reckon I'll give them a miss and continue with the bottomless pots & growbag routine.
Last year I had some larger black ones like the above green ones- I found it was hard to fit the recommended 3 in a grow bag. I also bought the pots that do not have a bottom, and based on a article in GW magazine I bought some cheap flower pots and cut the bottom out.
You can guess what is next, the best results were from the cheap pot with the bottom removed. I found the troughs in the black ones were ok but the water did not drizzle in and as I said were awkward as they were so big.and the crop was not brilliant. Witht he pots without bottoms I could build up the compost really high as the pants grew and they were far more stable.
So this year it's the cheaper option
Found these as a cheaper option
http://www.selections.com/tomato-and-vegetable-growbag-pots-3-free-planting-guard-clips.html
Can they be used to grow chilli peppers
Can these growpots be used to grow chilli peppers
I use them for tomatoes and it does make them easier to water and feed and they do grow a bigger root ball. Grew some in gro bags and some in big pots (without Gro rings) this year and the gro bag and ring plants were much better. Same principle as bottomless pots though so can be done cheaper.