[gillie]

I still use ring culture using rings I have had for ages.  However I water the whole lot, rings and shingle beds, as I don't see any point in letting the 'feeding roots' go short.  This  year I am going to try weed suppressant membrane over the shingle with holes cut for the rings  as we get loads of weeds germinating.

The year I tried growbags we had very poor crops.  Never again.

[Growster...]

Kristen, I didn't realise that the system looked to ring culture when I started doing this.

Because, (as I mentioned), we were blighted before they all thrived to the end-game, I'm not planting them in the soil, but we have a particular spot where they love being in big pots.

When I dug up the root balls of the blighted chaps, there were sufficient roots still working, but of course, not in good condition.

I think I should research what happened a bit more, and, BTW,  thank you for your commenting and advice!

[Growster...]

I still use ring culture using rings I have had for ages.  However I water the whole lot, rings and shingle beds, as I don't see any point in letting the 'feeding roots' go short.  This  year I am going to try weed suppressant membrane over the shingle with holes cut for the rings  as we get loads of weeds germinating.

The year I tried growbags we had very poor crops.  Never again.

Gillie - I reckon growbags are becoming a problem, because everyone expects miracles from them, and they're not always made from what's on the label...

Mrs Growster beat me round the head when I suggested buying some this year, and so, of course, we are planting the various toms etc in big pots etc...

Much easier that way, and I avoid a huge headache as well!

[gillie]

I just do not see the point of growbags.  You can buy special frames to train your tomatoes up, special covers to disguise the gaudy plastic and special rings to give the tomatoes something decent to grow in

Why not just go without the growbags?

[Paul Plots]

I just do not see the point of growbags.  You can buy special frames to train your tomatoes up, special covers to disguise the gaudy plastic and special rings to give the tomatoes something decent to grow in

Why not just go without the growbags?

Growbags are simple if you have a concrete floor and need new soil to grow in.

[JayG]

I'm using 60L bags of compost this year instead of growbags; they were cheaper than the large growbags and although shorter they will still accomodate 2 tomato plants apiece which I think is plenty (the 3 planting holes marked out on growbags is a bit optimistic IMO, especially for tomatoes which is what they're often sold as being intended for.)

Shan't be buying any of the accessories mentioned by Gillie; I'm far too tight for that (and also a compulsive bodger DIY'er!) 

[Growster...]

I'm using 60L bags of compost this year instead of growbags; they were cheaper than the large growbags and although shorter they will still accomodate 2 tomato plants apiece which I think is plenty (the 3 planting holes marked out on growbags is a bit optimistic IMO, especially for tomatoes which is what they're often sold as being intended for.)

Shan't be buying any of the accessories mentioned by Gillie; I'm far too tight for that (and also a compulsive bodger DIY'er!) 

Jay, I tried that a couple of times, and found that there just may be a little too much nitrogen in some bags, because the toms grew very leafy, tall and green, but the fruit yield was not that spectacular.

The following year, we mixed the same stuff with some ordinary soil, and grew them in pots, and that worked better.

[Paul Plots]

Shan't be buying any of the accessories mentioned by Gillie; I'm far too tight for that (and also a compulsive bodger DIY'er!) 

Me too 

[JayG]

I'm using 60L bags of compost this year instead of growbags; they were cheaper than the large growbags and although shorter they will still accomodate 2 tomato plants apiece which I think is plenty (the 3 planting holes marked out on growbags is a bit optimistic IMO, especially for tomatoes which is what they're often sold as being intended for.)

Shan't be buying any of the accessories mentioned by Gillie; I'm far too tight for that (and also a compulsive bodger DIY'er!) 

Jay, I tried that a couple of times, and found that there just may be a little too much nitrogen in some bags, because the toms grew very leafy, tall and green, but the fruit yield was not that spectacular.

The following year, we mixed the same stuff with some ordinary soil, and grew them in pots, and that worked better.

That's interesting; although the compost is not a brand I've used before I've had problems with low nutrient content rather than too high in the last few years (I actually had to give chillies a high nitrogen feed to get them to grow properly!) 

I'm a greenhouse newbie this year so it's all a steep learning curve at the moment - I'm sure the compost quality will be only one of the factors influencing how things work out.................. 

[Growster...]

"I'm sure the compost quality will be only one of the factors influencing how things work out.................."

Absolutely Jay, then go for it!