Grow Your Own Tomatoes

Lesson 3: Transferring Tomatoes to Growing Bags

Making the Switch
Your young tomato plants are ready to be transferred into growing bags when they are around 15cms tall, or by the time that flowers have just started to form on the first "truss" (branch). Before making the transfer, you need to prepare the growing bag. Knead it thoroughly to loosen up the compost, which may have settled during storage. Good quality growing bags usually have three circles cut in them for plants. Make a few holes in the underside for drainage and then cut out the planting holes.

Stake Out
Heap up the compost slightly, removing some to make room for a tomato plant. Position the plant in a depression so that the surface of the root ball is slightly below that of the compost. Cover the root ball with a thin layer of compost, firm in the plant and water. If you're planting a cordon variety, use a growing bag frame to position a vertical cane next to each plant. Bush varieties won't need extensive support but a single cane may nevertheless be helpful. As the tomato plants develop, tie them to their canes with loose loops of soft garden twine. Review these fixings periodically: tight or awkwardly placed loops may restrict growth.

Tomato TLC
There's no doubt that growing bags provide a convenient environment in which to grow vegetables. But most gardeners agree that looking after crops grown in this way takes more work than tending vegetables raised in the ground. Regular watering is a must. Tomatoes shouldn't be waterlogged but they do need plenty of water. Experienced gardeners sometimes reduce the amount of water they give their tomatoes in order to improve the flavour but in these early stages you should concentrate on keeping the compost moist by watering little and often.

Pic: GAP Photos/Elke Borkowski