A grow or growing bag is all you need to enjoy a delicious crop of tomatoes. The bags are packed with fresh, sterile compost and are ready to use as planting containers. Simply transplant plants into the bags in May or June.


Step by step

1. Use a taut string to support your plantsProvide a reliable support by positioning a taut wire over the growing bag and attach it to opposite ends of the greenhouse or between two posts if your bag is outside. Tie the individual support strings to the wire, cutting them 30cm (1ft) longer than the length needed to reach the floor.
2. Use knife to cut a hole in the top of the bagPuncture some drainage holes through the plastic bag with a sharp knife so that any excess water will run out and not waterlog the roots. Now cut evenly spaced planting holes along the bag. Most bags can take either two or three plants.
3. Loop the end of the sting around the rootball the plantWhere each opening has been made, dig a hole in the compost large enough to take the young tomato plants. Take each plant out of its pot and loop the hanging support string under the root-ball. Lower the plant carefully into the hole.
4. Firm the compost around the rootball of each plantCheck the string has not become tangled with any of the other supports and that it is positioned to the rear of the plant. Then, to make sure the support is securely anchored, firm the compost around the rootball, keeping the string taut.
5. Water the growing bag throroughlyTwist the string around the main stem to support it. Once all the plants are in place, water the growing bag thoroughly through each planting hole. Continue to feed and water plants as needed. Once the tiny fruits have appeared, pinch out the sideshoots.
6. Tomatoes should be ready for picking in three monthsWithin three months, tomatoes will be ready to pick. When they have ripened and turned red, cup the fruit in the palm of your hand and bend it upwards. It will break off easily without disturbing unripe fruit nearby.

Caring for your crop

* Check your tomato plants for water each day and give them a thorough soaking when they need it. Never let the compost dry out completely.
* Be sure to keep the greenhouse well ventilated during hot, sunny weather, as this will help to reduce the temperature.
* Remove the side shoots from plants to prevent them wasting energyFrom early summer, shade the greenhouse either by applying a shading paint or by hanging up net shading. This stops the plants getting scorched and helps to reduce the temperature.
* Using a watering can fitted with a rose, sprinkle the greenhouse floor with water every morning. This creates a more humid growing environment.
* Keep an eye out for pests, such as the tiny triangular whitefly and the small red spider mite, which causes speckling on the foliage. They can usually be found on the underside of the leaves.
* Pay attention to hygiene by removing dead leaves and sweeping up regularly. This should help to reduce pests and make the plants healthier.

Growing tips

* Before planting, give the growing bag a good shake to break up and loosen any compacted compost it might contain.
* Let the growing bag sit in the greenhouse for a few days before you plant it up so that the compost has a chance to warm up.
* Add high potash fertiliser when watering at least once a weekTomatoes are hungry plants, so add a measure of high-potash, liquid tomato feed into the water once a week to keep them cropping well.
* As each tomato plant gradually grows taller, keep winding the string around the stem to make sure it is well supported.
* If the lower leaves turn yellow, this is an indication that more regular feeding is required.
* To ensure that most of the plant's energy is channelled into producing fruit, remove any sideshoots that grow out between the leaf and stem.
* Pinch out the growing tips when four or more trusses have setPinch out the growing tip when the tomato plant has set four or more trusses, or clusters, of fruit. The tomatoes will soon begin to swell.

That sounds a good way of growing something like tomatoes in a fairly tight space.

Growbags are great for growing tomatoes :smile: