Topic: Any preference over growbags

[star10]

I'm hoping to grow my strawberrys, tomatoes and peppers in growbags.

Would anyone recommend a certain make?

Are more expensive growbags really any better than the cheaper ones for getting good results?

[trinity]

I get all my compost an grow bags from levingtons but most are OK apart from B&Q all there own brand stuff is really bad most of it looks like rotted wood chip and i have never been able to get any thing to grow in it others my have found the stuff from there B&Q OK but i do not personally

[star10]

Oh Bugger - have just bought 2 bags of the B&Q stuff .ha ha  ;D

Will get a different type - thanks for the advice.

 :)

[tim]

Just look at the Which Report which I posted?

No ordinary individual has had years of comparison?

[trinity]

I would still use the ones u bought from B&Q thought!

They may be great I just cannot getaway with the stuff From my local store but it is such a big company that i am sure they will get it from many different sources

Maby u could asking others in your area what they use

The best stuff in my area is from a local small nursery but there is a waiting list an then you can only get 5 grow bags and 2 bags of compost so i buy levingtons stuff from there ( ;Din hope  that my regular custom bumps me to the top of the waiting list ;D)
 
all u can realy do is keep trying them untill u find one that works well for u

[davyw1]

If you are not happy with the grow bag then add to it.
Get some well rotted ( black ) manure and mix it with the grow bag as you would mix sand and cement, not only are you making your grow bag go further for free you are also adding feed.

[debster]

i use b and q and i have had some excellent results i must confess to using whatever is on offer

[tim]

Point taken on what everybody uses - but might you have done better? What are your expectations? A Tomato or two??

[davyw1]

Tim, I think the word expectations is the right word, its a matter of getting everything tight at the start without shortcuts, skimping or being to lazy to do it properly then you can say  " i expect i am going to have a good crop " not well i think i may or hope i may.

[valmarg]

A Which report a few years ago said that B&Q multipurpose compost was the best.

The contents of growbags are not  terribly important because once the plants are planted in them, they will be getting regular feed.

When potting up tomato plants (into 10" pots) OH uses some cheap multipurpose to bulk up some of our own composted material (about 50/50).  We get pretty good results.  And they do get fed with a high potash feed once the first tomatoes are set.

valmarg

[trinity]

I am sorry if I have offended any one. I had no intention of doing so. I quite like B&Q, I purchase lots of things from them but I and every one I know will not buy compost and grow bags from my local store. I was only trying to say I did not find them very good an did state that others may have had a different experience I should have added that all of there stuff from my local store is really bad so once Again I apologise if I have caused any offence.

[star10]

Hi Trinity

You have not offended anyone. I asked for advice and thank you for replying.

All input is welcome!!!   :D

[Amazin]

Trinity, you're not alone - and certainly not offensive! A friend of mine shares your view and will not buy compost from the local B&Q as it has never been up to much, so I don't know if it's a supply or storage issue at that particular branch.

At my local branch - not the same one -  I've always bought the huge great bags of multipurpose because they're such good vfm and I haven't had any probs -  though I've taken to sieving it and adding home made compost to enrich it (and to make both the bought stuff and my own compost go further). I do the same with my growbags from the 99p shop!

[debster]

no way have you offended anyone i hate b and q with a passion but will use their gro bags cos they work for me and are cheap  ;D

[Cujimmy]

It doesn't matter much what you grow them in as long as they get plenty water and feed. My toms are grown in a hydroponic system using perlite and never see soil or compost.

[debster]

Cujimmy i would like to see piccies of that if you have some

[manicscousers]

hiya, cujimmie, welcome to the site, new subject for me, I'd like to know more  ;D

[PurpleHeather]

I too had bother with B & Q All Purpose Compost which also looked like wood chip but a neighbour bought one of their 120 litre bags and it was beautiful looking stuff.

May be they have more than one supplier.

I bought some last Autumn at Asda, it was reduced because it was getting to the end of the sowing year and that was beautiful this spring and every variety of seed grew well from it. Having an allotment, it was easy to keep over the winter.

I also notice, very often that there are ripped bags on the piles of compost & grow bags for sale in shops. I am wondering if this is deliberate. Gardeners wanting to see before they buy.

[Deb P]

Possibly!
My local garden centre is the only one I know (it is not part of a big chain) that has one bag of each compost open for customers to inspect.