Making the Most of Grow Bags

Grow bags are one of the easiest ways to grow your own vegetables at home, and popular crops include tomatoes, potatoes and mushrooms.

At Bents you'll find Levington grow bags like the Levington Tomorite Giant Planter with Seaweed, available in-store and to order by Click & Collect.

The Levington Tomorite Giant Planter is enriched with Tomorite Plant Food and seaweed, to help produce even stronger growth and more flavourful crops.

Here's our five top tips on how to make the most of grow bags, so you get the biggest bumper crop possible over the course of growing season.

1. Buy bigger

Bigger grow bags allow stronger root structures to form and usually need less frequent watering to sustain healthy plants without getting waterlogged.

The Levington Tomorite Giant Planter mentioned above has a deeper fill, so the roots can go down deeper and stronger - crucial if you want lush tomato plants that can support their own weight.

One grow bag can handle 2-3 tomato plants or equivalent, so if you want to plant more, take advantage of our discount when you buy two or more Levington Tomorite grow bags.

2. Prepare the soil

The contents of a grow bag may settle so once you get yours home, give them a shake to redistribute the compost inside and break down any lumps.

Make sure the soil is well watered before and immediately after planting, and don't puncture the bottom of the bag - you want to retain some water and any plant food you use.

3. What to plant

Tomatoes aren't the only option. Tomorite grow bags are also suitable for similar crops such as courgettes, cucumbers, peppers, aubergines, and even melons.

In all cases, you can plant up to three per bag. If you decide to only plant two, use the panels at either end of the grow bag to give your crops as much room as possible.

You should also encourage the foliage to fan out to take full advantage of the space, and to get as much natural sunlight and fresh air as possible.

4. When to feed

Depending on your choice of crops, there are different recommendations on when to start feeding with Levington Tomorite Plant Food:

• Aubergines/Peppers: When fruit is the size of a golf ball

• Courgettes/Cucumbers/Marrows: When you start picking

• Melons: When the first fruit begins to swell

• Tomatoes Outdoors: The fruit on the second truss reaches pea-size

• Tomatoes Under Glass: Fruit on first truss reaches pea-size

By using the right concentration of a suitable plant food during watering, you can add even more nutrients to the seaweed-enriched soil, to maximise the yield you get from your crops.

5. Eliminate pests

Finally, grow bags can be used in places where there are fewer pests, such as indoors, but you might still find your plants under attack from an infestation.

Be vigilant and, if you spot invading insects or creepy crawlies, take action with a pesticide designed for use on edible crops.

This should ensure you continue to get good growth from your plants throughout the season, and that the bugs don't beat you to enjoying the fruits of your labours.