Grow Bags, again - Page 3

amideutch · February 7, 2012

Zach, any reason in particular as to why you have the grow bags in plastic baskets? Ami

ZachAttacksPHX · February 7, 2012

Here in the Sonoran desert it gets REALLY hot so once that starts to happen I can just add a little extra water in the container for the plant to suck up in the daytime. Any extra water and nutrients that gets flushed out while watering gets sucked right back up too.

Germinator · February 8, 2012

Gary et al,
I finally reached Phoenixorganics.com and talked to Joshua. They have a 10% off on bags this week so I went ahead and ordered these two sizes of Easi-Lift: 6.6 gallons and 12 gallons plus I think they are less expensive than other places.
Thanks.

amideutch · February 9, 2012

Quote:

Here in the Sonoran desert it gets REALLY hot so once that starts to happen I can just add a little extra water in the container for the plant to suck up in the daytime. Any extra water and nutrients that gets flushed out while watering gets sucked right back up too.

Good Idea! If your using inorganic ferts be careful about salt buildup. Ami

CarolynPhillips · February 12, 2012

I absolutely loved this entire conversation. Enjoyed every word.

I been wondering just how many vines you can allow a tomato plant have when growing in the 5 gallon grow bags. It looks like a lot.
For many years, I have grow two single vined tomato plants in one 5 gallon grow bag because I was concerned with air circulation within the plant. I didn't want it to get too crowded. But as summer approached, I would turn lazy and stopped prunning and the tops would go wild with vines but also by that time, blight had set in.

I just want to post a few pictures of growing the plants in the 5 gallon grow bags. Both black and white. Some in covered greenhouses and some in uncovered greenhouses. The reason I grew them inside the greenhouse structures is cause it allowed me to get an early start and it was an easy support system.

all growing in black 5 gallon grow bags.= same season

CarolynPhillips · February 12, 2012

5 gallon white bags

CarolynPhillips · February 12, 2012

I have not experimented with the Bush-Determinant varieties in the 5 gallon grow bags yet but I have 70 better bush and bush goliath to experiment with that this year.
I have only grown the bush in 10 gallon pots and they did great.

\
I do hope you post your results of growing the determinants in 5 gallon .

chiefbeaz · February 12, 2012

Wow !!!!!! This ain't no party, this ain't no disco, this ain't no fooling around. When you raise tomatoes you get on with the program. You have quite a set up. How many plants do you have out ? I am impressed with how good everything looks. Keep up the good work.

vagardener434 · February 12, 2012

Gee whiz Carolyn...that is very VERY impressive ! I'm doing the same thing, but have nothing compared to what you've done. That is an awesome sight for sure. I did some 2 per bag last year, but have decided to go with 1 per for now. What type of grow media are you using? Do you drip feed?

Bobby

mecktom · February 12, 2012

Holy cow! They are beautiful!!

janezee · February 12, 2012

Way to go, Carolyn! You're appreciated on this forum!

j

CarolynPhillips · February 12, 2012

my growing medium was half peat moss and half compost manure.(commercial from marvins building supply)
If I can't find the peat moss, I also use half promix and half compost.
I really like to add a little vermiculite but that gets really expensive with this many grow bags.

I mix my soil in a lawn mower trailer and use a Mantis cultivator to mix it together.
I put half a (3.8 compressed) bale of promix and 4 forty pound bags of compost in the trailer at one time.
That mixture will fill up about 10 five gallon grow bags.

No, my fertilizer is not organic. Organic is so hard to get beautiful plants like the pictures I posted. I use commercial.
Mittleider Magic Micro-Nutrients 8 oz
20 pounds 13-13-13
3 pounds Epsom Salt
Mix. Place one heaping tablespoon per grow bag once a week for mature producing plants. Give only half that for young plants.
also, I give each growbag a tablespoon of Calcium Nitrate every week for mature producing plants. Half for young plants.

note= I am not against organic. I love organic in my raised gardens that I grow by the square foot. But I also give them a little boost of the fertilzer above if they are heavy feeding plants= tomatoes , eggplants, peppers, melons, etc..

CarolynPhillips · February 12, 2012

Thank you for the compliments. It's easy if you figured out how to do it. It took me about a year to come up with the perfect mixture of soil and fertilizer.

happy gardening

janezee · February 12, 2012

Wow, Carolyn, It would have taken me much longer than a year! Congratulations on such beautiful tomatoes.

j

CarolynPhillips · February 13, 2012

I read a lot . I wanted to do it so I read everything I came across for a year and put together what I thought would work and it did.

Now- to add to this subject. I do like growing in the grow bags and pots. But I am getting old. filling those bags gets tiresome. Now I built a wooden framed tomato greenhouse with 3 grow beds. Sometimes I grow in the pots and sometimes I grow in the beds. When I grow in the pots, I just set my pots on the bed soil.

February 7, 2012	#31
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	Zach, any reason in particular as to why you have the grow bags in plastic baskets? Ami __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

February 12, 2012	#35
CarolynPhillips Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Nauvoo, Alabama Posts: 184	I absolutely loved this entire conversation. Enjoyed every word. I been wondering just how many vines you can allow a tomato plant have when growing in the 5 gallon grow bags. It looks like a lot. For many years, I have grow two single vined tomato plants in one 5 gallon grow bag because I was concerned with air circulation within the plant. I didn't want it to get too crowded. But as summer approached, I would turn lazy and stopped prunning and the tops would go wild with vines but also by that time, blight had set in. I just want to post a few pictures of growing the plants in the 5 gallon grow bags. Both black and white. Some in covered greenhouses and some in uncovered greenhouses. The reason I grew them inside the greenhouse structures is cause it allowed me to get an early start and it was an easy support system. all growing in black 5 gallon grow bags.= same season __________________ Happy Gardening Carolyn

February 12, 2012	#36
CarolynPhillips Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Nauvoo, Alabama Posts: 184	5 gallon white bags __________________ Happy Gardening Carolyn

February 12, 2012	#37
CarolynPhillips Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Nauvoo, Alabama Posts: 184	I have not experimented with the Bush-Determinant varieties in the 5 gallon grow bags yet but I have 70 better bush and bush goliath to experiment with that this year. I have only grown the bush in 10 gallon pots and they did great. \ I do hope you post your results of growing the determinants in 5 gallon . __________________ Happy Gardening Carolyn

February 12, 2012	#42
CarolynPhillips Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Nauvoo, Alabama Posts: 184	my growing medium was half peat moss and half compost manure.(commercial from marvins building supply) If I can't find the peat moss, I also use half promix and half compost. I really like to add a little vermiculite but that gets really expensive with this many grow bags. I mix my soil in a lawn mower trailer and use a Mantis cultivator to mix it together. I put half a (3.8 compressed) bale of promix and 4 forty pound bags of compost in the trailer at one time. That mixture will fill up about 10 five gallon grow bags. No, my fertilizer is not organic. Organic is so hard to get beautiful plants like the pictures I posted. I use commercial. Mittleider Magic Micro-Nutrients 8 oz 20 pounds 13-13-13 3 pounds Epsom Salt Mix. Place one heaping tablespoon per grow bag once a week for mature producing plants. Give only half that for young plants. also, I give each growbag a tablespoon of Calcium Nitrate every week for mature producing plants. Half for young plants. note= I am not against organic. I love organic in my raised gardens that I grow by the square foot. But I also give them a little boost of the fertilzer above if they are heavy feeding plants= tomatoes , eggplants, peppers, melons, etc.. __________________ Happy Gardening Carolyn Last edited by CarolynPhillips; February 12, 2012 at 07:52 PM. Reason: adding info

February 7, 2012	#32
ZachAttacksPHX Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Gilbert, AZ Posts: 79	Here in the Sonoran desert it gets REALLY hot so once that starts to happen I can just add a little extra water in the container for the plant to suck up in the daytime. Any extra water and nutrients that gets flushed out while watering gets sucked right back up too.

February 8, 2012	#33
Germinator Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: No. California Posts: 69	Gary et al, I finally reached Phoenixorganics.com and talked to Joshua. They have a 10% off on bags this week so I went ahead and ordered these two sizes of Easi-Lift: 6.6 gallons and 12 gallons plus I think they are less expensive than other places. Thanks.

February 12, 2012	#38
chiefbeaz Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Middle, TN Posts: 271	Wow !!!!!! This ain't no party, this ain't no disco, this ain't no fooling around. When you raise tomatoes you get on with the program. You have quite a set up. How many plants do you have out ? I am impressed with how good everything looks. Keep up the good work.

February 12, 2012	#39
vagardener434 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Freeman, Virginia Posts: 90	Gee whiz Carolyn...that is very VERY impressive ! I'm doing the same thing, but have nothing compared to what you've done. That is an awesome sight for sure. I did some 2 per bag last year, but have decided to go with 1 per for now. What type of grow media are you using? Do you drip feed? Bobby

February 12, 2012	#40
mecktom Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Southern Virginia Posts: 342	Holy cow! They are beautiful!!

February 12, 2012	#41
janezee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Whidbey Island, WA Zone 7, Sunset 5 Posts: 931	Way to go, Carolyn! You're appreciated on this forum! j

February 13, 2012	#45
CarolynPhillips Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Nauvoo, Alabama Posts: 184	I read a lot . I wanted to do it so I read everything I came across for a year and put together what I thought would work and it did. Now- to add to this subject. I do like growing in the grow bags and pots. But I am getting old. filling those bags gets tiresome. Now I built a wooden framed tomato greenhouse with 3 grow beds. Sometimes I grow in the pots and sometimes I grow in the beds. When I grow in the pots, I just set my pots on the bed soil. __________________ Happy Gardening Carolyn