Courtesy of Scott UK
In The Vegetable Garden
The original yellow Gro-Bag containing essential nutrients to produce healthy balanced growth and good crops has been used very successfully for many years by both amateurs and professional growers alike to grow excellent crops of tomatoes and other salads.
For growing tomatoes, either propagate plants from seed (sown January-April) or purchase them from a reputable dealer selecting short, stocky specimens. When buying ready grown, ensure that you are obtaining correctly labelled plants as the many different varieties available may have very different growth characteristics and requirements.
Which variety chosen will be determined by personal taste, whether the fruit is required for salads or cooking and the time, space and conditions available.
Some examples of the many varieties available: Location Type Characteristics
For the greenhouse Shirley Early cropping
Eurocross BB Early cropping
Danny Tolerant of low temperatures
Dombello Beefsteak type
Big Boy Large fruit, ideal for slicing
For the garden Outdoor Girl Tolerant of variable weather conditions
Super Marmanade Very big beefsteak type fruit
Greenhouse or garden Ailsa Craig Small medium sized fruit
Moneymaker Very popular, reliable variety, medium sized fruit
Alicante Early maturing medium/large fruit
Sweet 100 Long trusses of sweet tomatoes the size of cherries
Outdoor bush types Tornado Compact habit
The amateur Popular variety
Patio types Tiny tim Very compact, good colour
Totem Early ripening, dwarf habit
Pixie Large fruit, strong growth habit
Whichever variety is chosen keep the plants well watered in a sunny position until the first flower on the first truss opens. Disturbing the roots to plant into your bags before this may cause the first truss to completely abort, thus significantly reducing yield.
Planting into growing bags is very easy using a trowel to produce a suitable sized hole to the match the root ball. The level of the compost in the original pot should be either level with the growing bag compost or just slightly lower so that it is barely covered. Water in the plants with approximately 4.5 litres (1 gallon) of plain water.
Secure plants grown outdoors to stakes when they are about 23cm (9") high and continue to tie at 15cm (6") intervals. Under glass begin twining the string around the stem once the plant is about 23cm (9") high. Twining must be gradual or damage may occur to the stems.
With varieties which form one main stem remove all side shoots, if left they will take nutrients from fruit trusses which may become small and weakened. If the plants are very vigorous and have reached sufficient height, then the growing point can be removed.
In a good season it is possible to allow two strong shoots to form at the top of the plants. These are 'stopped' (the growing point removed) when they have formed two 'trusses' of flowers and may just give some more fruit.
It is common practice to gradually remove surplus or old leaves from tomato plants to allow the fruit more space and light. However, it is a common mistake to become too enthusiastic and to remove too many leaves at once.
As a general rule remove leaves only when the second truss has set and then remove only the leaves from the base of the plant to the first truss. During the following three to four weeks if leaf growth becomes very thick and vigorous they can be removed. Look for the leaf which is hiding the fruit or a leaf which is unhealthy or in the way.
For feeding use Levington Tomorite which encourages high yields of full-flavoured tomatoes.
There are other less obvious crops, both flowering and edible, which have been grown very successfully in the Levington Gro-Bag in the past and which gardener might wish to try. Diverse species such as, cucumbers, sweet peppers, aubergines, courgettes, melons radish, lettuce and culinary herbs are good subjects, allowing gardeners to produce at least some of their own salads at home, if space is at a premium or the gardener is too elderly or infirm to dig the garden soil.