Growing tomatoes in bags can be done both in open ground and in a greenhouse. The bags in which the seedlings are planted are made of polyethylene and are large in size. They are filled with a nutritious soil mixture, which you can buy in special stores or make at home yourself. Growing tomatoes in bags requires a certain approach - it is not as simple as it seems at first glance.
The principle of planting tomatoes
Not all gardeners know how to grow tomatoes in bags. Tomatoes grow and bear fruit better than other vegetables in different containers.It is very convenient to move tomatoes from one place to another without damaging the root system or shoots, but peppers or cucumbers easily break when moved.
Initially, seedlings can be planted in small bags with a volume of 25 - 30 liters. Each should be filled with compost - 20 kg per container. Growing tomatoes in bags has an advantage: usually tomato seedlings are not planted in open ground until the end of the spring frosts, and so the tomatoes can simply be transferred to a warm place in May, and after the end of the cold, they can be put out again on the site.
When moving bags from place to place, there is some risk that they may tear at the bottom, where a drainage hole is made, which is necessary so that excess moisture comes out and the root system of vegetable plants does not begin to rot.
An important nuance is the choice of color. Dark soil attracts sunlight, the soil will heat up, which will have a bad effect on the root system and the condition of the tomatoes in general. In this case, the tomatoes will have difficulty forming inflorescences, and they will need to be watered more often.
Experts recommend using white sugar bags - they are more durable than regular polyethylene bags. Another advantage of such containers is the presence of natural holes for moisture to escape.
Planting and caring for tomatoes
When growing short tomatoes, the bags are filled 1/3 with nutrient soil mixture; for tall varieties, they should be filled ½. Then the tomatoes in the bags are carefully placed in the greenhouse, close to each other, the top of the bag should be turned outward.
Planting seedlings is carried out step by step as follows:
- The prepared (or prepared independently) nutritional mixture is poured into the bag.
- The seedlings are carefully transplanted from the container to a permanent place - 2-3 plants can be planted in each bag, depending on their height.
- The root system is covered with soil from above, the neck should be at ground level. The soil is carefully compacted.
- Water the planted seedlings.
- Move the containers to the greenhouse. If the frosts have passed, they can be taken out into the garden.
Further cultivation of tomatoes is no different from conventional cultivation of vegetables. Watering is carried out once every 3–4 days, more often in hot weather. Tall varieties should be tied at the base. Fertilizing is carried out several times a season - before flowering, during fruit set and during the ripening of tomatoes.
After the entire crop is harvested, the tomato tops are pulled out and burned. The soil should be poured into a compost heap. You shouldn’t throw away the bags: they will serve perfectly for growing tomatoes for at least 2 – 3 seasons.
Advantages of the method
The undoubted advantages of tomatoes grown in this way include:
- “beds” with tomatoes can be placed where it is convenient for the vegetable grower;
- if cold days come, the plants can be removed to a warm room;
- moisture evaporates more slowly, so you can water this “garden” less often;
- A small amount of soil in such containers warms up faster and cools down more slowly.
As a result, growing tomatoes in bags is even easier than in the traditional way.
What materials will be needed for the experiment?
Growing tomatoes in bags is not much different from the standard one; you just need to prepare for planting seedlings. Required:
- Bags. It is better to use large bags for planting that previously contained sugar (30 or 50 kg): they are durable and allow moisture and air to pass through better than similar polyethylene ones.Drainage holes in such containers are made simply - just cut off the corners.
- Priming. The prepared soil should have a neutral reaction - tomatoes will develop worse in acidic or alkaline conditions. For better looseness, sawdust or vermiculite is added to the soil. The bag can be filled with rotted manure or humus to 0.5 volume, and the rest of the space with ordinary soil: until the ovaries appear, the tomatoes will not need to be fed. Some vegetable growers use only compost as a filler.
- Supports for tying tomatoes. Usually slats, ropes, and wire are used - they are stretched at a small height above the “vegetable garden”, and the shoots are tied with ordinary twine. You can insert wooden stakes.
Having prepared everything necessary for this method of growing tomatoes, you should pay attention to the seedlings - how suitable the seedlings are for planting in new conditions (this method differs slightly from the greenhouse method). Healthy, strong seedlings must meet the following requirements:
- height - about 28 cm;
- the color of the stems and foliage is deep emerald;
- there should be no flowering of seedlings;
- Seedlings should be planted when they are about 60 days old and have 7–8 permanent leaves.
Only seedlings that meet the above requirements will grow well and produce a bountiful harvest.
Nuances of cultivation
If it suddenly gets colder, you don’t have to drag the container into the heat, but simply cover the sprouts with the free edges of the bag. If the temperature drops too much, the plants should be moved to a warm place for a short time.
Watering should be regular, but not abundant, since moisture leaves slowly, and its stagnation can cause rotting of the root system.
In the first month after planting the seedlings, it may be necessary to add soil to cover the growing new roots.
When reusing bags, they are pre-treated with Bordeaux mixture or potassium permanganate to prevent the development of diseases in tomatoes.
Growing tomatoes in bags is already a fairly popular method that many summer residents have adopted. This experiment was especially to the taste of gardeners with small plots of land.
