[NewbieGardener]

Hey guys, always fancied taking up growing some stuff, so bit the bullet last weekend and relieved B&Q with a variety of their gardening produce. Basically bought some plants, bunged them into large shopping bags filled with compost. Then took a few photos, here are the results.


This is the first bag with runner beans in it. My tallest runner bean plant is 25 inches - it seems to have doubled in length in the space of a week (is that even possible?).


This is the second bag with runner beans in it. The plants were a little smaller to start with than in the first bag. Smallest runner bean plant in here is 9 inches and looks a little weedy.


Dwarf kale in the final bag. Hasn't really done anything in the week it's been in the bag so far.

I also have some lettuces and spinach (currently growing in larger pots) until I figure out what I am doing with them.

Some questions.

• On the bags, Is it possible I am overcrowding any of my plants? My soil quality is rubbish and I have poor light in my back garden, so really I am restricted to growing stuff in containers/pots/bags.
• I haven't used any fertilizer whatsoever. Can anyone recommend a brand that would be suited to kale/spinach/lettuce//runner beans? I hear the meat/bone stuff is supposed to be good?
• When my lettuces and spinach develop a little better, I was going to follow the same tactic of putting them into bags - what do folks think?
• With regards to bags themselves, I'll be needing a couple more cheap sources. Has anyone got recommendations?

Any tips, help or advice would be useful, like I said, I don't have a clue what I am doing

[TheWhiteRabbit]

I'm pretty new to all this so won't comment on most of your points however IKEA is a good source for those sorts of bags!

[Yorkie]

Welcome to the site 

Your first two bags look fine; I've added fish blood and bone (or growmore would do the same job) to my beans to give them a general boost.

The kale in the third bag might be a little crowded, perhaps.  They should be firmed in as they don't like loose soil.  Have you got any drainage holes in that bag?  How well does it drain?  (The first two bags look as though they are porous so should be OK).  Again a general fertiliser would help.

Multi purpose compost has nutrients for about 6 weeks and then needs more feeding.

[NewbieGardener]

I'm pretty new to all this so won't comment on most of your points however IKEA is a good source for those sorts of bags!

Good tip!

[NewbieGardener]

Welcome to the site 

Your first two bags look fine; I've added fish blood and bone (or growmore would do the same job) to my beans to give them a general boost.

The kale in the third bag might be a little crowded, perhaps.  They should be firmed in as they don't like loose soil.  Have you got any drainage holes in that bag?  How well does it drain?  (The first two bags look as though they are porous so should be OK).  Again a general fertiliser would help.

Multi purpose compost has nutrients for about 6 weeks and then needs more feeding.

I went out and bought some FBB fertilizer, it came with an NPK of 7/7/7 - is that a decent quality of fertilizer do you reckon? Also, is it ok to tip that on top of the soil, or do you add it to the watering can?

The first two bags are made of a thick cloth and seem to drain ok. The other one is lined with plastic on the inside, I cut some holes into the side and bottom, so hopefully it should be enough to help drain.

As for watering, it seems like the bags need watering every 2 days - does that seems like the bags are draining properly?

[J_B]

go to poundland and u will get a lot of cheap growing containers/bags etc for a quid

[NewbieGardener]

My runner beans are shooting up the cane, the only problem is that the bottom leaves seem to be getting dry, crinkly and yellow around the edges. There are shoots growing on the above parts of the plant though. They are well water, so surely that isn't the problem. They are pretty well secluded, so I don't think it's wind damage either.

Any suggestions?

[NewbieGardener]

Browning and crisping at the edges.

[GrannieAnnie]

You will often find those first 2 leaves will go yellow or whatever and drop off.  I sometimes take them off so the plant can concentrate on the new leaves.

I'm sure they'll be fine.   

[Wiltshire Worms]

I think you may need to change your user name......not clueless at all. very impressive

[brownp]

I 've never used them for growing in, but Sports Direct bags (the jumbo ones they nag you to buy if you go into the stores) - are really strong and would hold quite a lot of volume - I might just try them myself I bet they would outlast the cheap potato planters

[The Golden Heap]

Neve call yourself clueless, you found this great site, I am a newbie also but this site and its members eloped no end

[Yorkie]

Neve call yourself clueless, you found this great site, I am a newbie also but this site and its members eloped no end

Eloping?!!  :blink:

I think I'll stick to helping 

[The Golden Heap]

Flipping eye pads and predictive text, and sloe gin hic !

[Yorkie]

Ooh you've just reminded me I've got some sloe gin which needs to be started ... thanks!