Veg plot in a bag

There is one product that has opened up the world of cultivating veg like no other and that’s the growing bag.

One of the best inventions ever for gardeners has to be the growing bag and whatever size of plot you have the growing bag has a place.

They are most often used in greenhouses to grow tomatoes and cucumbers, so avoiding the use of border soil which can be a source of disease, especially if cropped for many years.

The growing bag can also be placed anywhere in the garden, on the patio, a balcony or even by the back door filled with herbs! The uses are infinite and you can add flowers too to make them more attractive.

Plump before you plant

Growing bags are always squashed flat when you buy them so the first thing to do is plump them up like you would a pillow. Don’t be gentle with them just give them a good bashing and toss them about.

Lay the bag on the ground and just shake the bag side to side to get the compost evenly spaced along the bag.

You can now position the bag where you intend to use it. The next job is to make some holes in the bottom of the bag. This is most important as excess water has to be able to drain away.

Many growing bags come with patterns on one side showing you where to cut out holes for planting.

Use another way

The growing bag can also be used on its end, by shaking the compost down to one end and then standing it upright. This is useful to create a great depth of compost and ideal to grow potatoes in or just one tomato or aubergine.

Planting densities

Crop and number of plants per bag

Tomatoes –three plants

Cucumber-two plants

Cut and come again salad crops – two plants

Aubergines – two plants

Peppers – two or three plants

Dwarf French beans – eight to 10 plants in staggered double row

Lettuce – six to eight

Melons -Two to three plants

Strawberries – 10