WHAT TO GROW IN AND WHERE - Vegetable, Fruit and Herb Growing in Small Spaces - page 14

I've seen grow bags used by cutting into two and up-ending them to make two large plastic
bag pots. Personally I'd rather use two large pots but it is a quick solution if you haven't any
large pots.
For growing salad crops, a decent grow bag is perfectly adequate but for tomatoes, peppers
and aubergines they have two problems. First, they just don't contain enough compost for
the best results in my opinion. Tomatoes are particularly vulnerable to drying out which can
cause split skins and blossom end rot so having a larger amount of compost to act as a reser-
voir is very useful.
To get round this shortage, take some large plastic pots and carefully cut out the base with
a Stanley knife. Do be careful though, they're wickedly sharp! Place the pots onto the bag
and, using them as a template, cut circular holes into the plastic. Then screw the pots into the
bag and fill with the contents of a second grow bag or a decent multi-purpose compost.
These pots will provide enough compost to ensure good plants and the depth to firmly hold
plant supporting bamboo canes.
The second problem is getting water and feed into the grow bag when the plants are grown.
You can, as I did, buy some little cups that screw into the bag and then you water into these.
Having bought these, I realized that small pots with the base cut out will do the same job for
a lot less money.
Finally on grow bags, don't forget to make some drainage holes in the grow bag, best about
half an inch (1cm) above the bottom. If you don't, the bag can fill with water and drown your
plants.