GrowBags - Choose by price or brand?

A._Badger

kittie wrote: »

I use big black buckets rather than growbags and I am using b and q compost with great results. I have never liked growbags

I agree, but they have their uses. They're very good for strawberries and lettuces, though I wouldn't dream of growing tomatoes in one. For that job you need decent sized pots and a soil-based John Innes style compost.

[Deleted User]

A._Badger wrote: »

I agree, but they have their uses. They're very good for strawberries and lettuces, though I wouldn't dream of growing tomatoes in one. For that job you need decent sized pots and a soil-based John Innes style compost.

my tomatoes are looking absolutely wonderful in b and q compost in the big black buckets. They are lovely and sturdy (alicante) and are just showing their second set of buds. I am bringing them in at night at the moment and could never have done that with growbags. The buckets are large enough to hold the moisture and have 2 handles and are re-usable year after year. I got them from ideal world shopping via the internet. Being black, they hold onto the warmth from the sun and hence they seem to have had a good head`s start

My courgettes, dwarf runner beans and swiss chard are also amazing in the buckets

N9eav

billycasper wrote: »

how big are these pots anyway ?

About the size of builders buckets

peter_the_piper

Why not just, carefully cut a growbag in half, around the middle,to make 2 pots of compost?

westiea

hi

i have bought the homebase offer ones (cant see them online sorry) - good potting compost with some twigs etc to give a a good aerated compost - ideal for roots to grip/feed/water retention.

I cut them in half and stand each half up like a single pot - gives a good deep root run and enables you to plant your tommy stems deeper (as they root from the lower stems also making a stronger plant)

Just a moan for this John Innes thats been bandied about - please it is a mix of compost not a brand - so 'with added John Innes' is a complete waste of time - the compost is a mix of peat (unless otherwise stated) loam and sand anyway - adding John Innes is meaningless it is like saying add more food to something that is already fed. Plants only use a certain amount of food and water no mater how much you give them, the compost in an annual plant- such as courgettes and tomatoes require an aerated compost - anything else can be supplied (and should be ) by the grower - ie food,water,warmth and sun. The reason we buy compost in bags? Simply hygiene - they are weed, pest and disease free, however there is no reason not to use your own compost.

Furny

My local Co-op have the Bulrush growbags for £1.49, the people who i have spoken to say they are good.

A._Badger

westiea wrote: »

hi

i have bought the homebase offer ones (cant see them online sorry) - good potting compost with some twigs etc to give a a good aerated compost - ideal for roots to grip/feed/water retention.

I cut them in half and stand each half up like a single pot - gives a good deep root run and enables you to plant your tommy stems deeper (as they root from the lower stems also making a stronger plant)

Just a moan for this John Innes thats been bandied about - please it is a mix of compost not a brand - so 'with added John Innes' is a complete waste of time - the compost is a mix of peat (unless otherwise stated) loam and sand anyway - adding John Innes is meaningless it is like saying add more food to something that is already fed. Plants only use a certain amount of food and water no mater how much you give them, the compost in an annual plant- such as courgettes and tomatoes require an aerated compost - anything else can be supplied (and should be ) by the grower - ie food,water,warmth and sun. The reason we buy compost in bags? Simply hygiene - they are weed, pest and disease free, however there is no reason not to use your own compost.

You're right that the magic words 'with added John Innes' are just marketing tripe.

However, a well-made John Innes of the correct strength is the choice of many experienced gardeners, for several good reasons. Not the least of these is that the quality of soilless composts has sunk to a very low level in many cases and ability of some of the commonly available mixes to hold sufficient buffers of water or feed is terrible. The JI formula (when properly implemented) is better in both these respects.

Moreover, the lack of sand in most cheap multipurpose soilless composts (an honourable exception to Humax on this count) means some of them drain poorly, while the presence of large lumps of bulky matter makes them unsuited to the sowing of fine seeds.

Personally, I use both types for different purposes and for some crops (tomatoes in pots, for example) I find JI 3 significantly better then even the best soilless types.