Ever thought about growing tomatoes but don't have enough space? Or maybe you're just looking for a fun, eco-friendly project?
Either way, you've come to the right place.
Because today, we're going to be looking into growing tomatoes in feed bags.
Yep, you read that right—feed bags!
So, grab a cup of your favorite coffee, and let's see how.
Quick Facts About Growing Tomatoes
Scientific Name | Solanum lycopersicum |
What Nutrients Does it Need? | Needs nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium |
How Long Does It Need the Sunlight? | 6-8 hours a day |
How Much Watering It Requires? | Deep but not too often |
why feed bags?
You might be wondering, “Why feed bags?” right?
Well, they're sturdy, they're portable, and they're a fantastic way to recycle. Plus, they're a real space-saver.
I personally used them, since I had them around. and they were free. You can purchase actual grow bags, but I figured, why not try using something that I already had on hand.
I actually decided to try feed bags because a lot of farmers have them lying around not sure what to do with them, as well as city folk (who own cats and dogs) might have some of these style feed bags they could try growing in too.
What You'll Need
Items List | Details |
---|---|
Tomato Seedlings | Go for varieties well-suited for container gardening. (i.e. glacier, sunrise sauce) |
Feed Bags | You will need one per plant. Make sure they're clean and free from residues. |
Quality Potting Soil/ Compost | Organic is the best. |
Long Stakes | You will need thick bamboo stakes for optimum plant support. |
Twine or Plant Ties | To gently secure your plants. |
(Optional) Natural Pesticides | Consider neem oil, garlic spray, or chili spray. |
(Optional) Watering Can or Hose | For watering. |
(Optional) Hand Gloves | To keep those hands clean. |
How Do You Grow Your Tomato Plants In Feed Bags?
If you collected all of your supplies, and if you have your feed bags ready. Then it's time to start.
What I'm going to do is share general principles, and general step-by-step instructions on how to plant your tomatoes in feed bags. Afterwards, I'll explain what I've personally done and how I went about it.
So let's get started.
Step 1: Putting soil in the Feed Bags
The first thing you wannt do is to make sure that you put the right amount of soil in your feed bags.
I would recommend filling each bag about up to two-thirds full of some good quality soil or compost.
You can find some at your local Walmart, Lowe's, or other garden supply shop.
Or if you have a farming friend nearby with free compost they're willing to give away, you can use that too.
Additionally, make sure when you put it inside the feed bags that there aren't any large clumps, and that you aerate the soil so that the tomato roots can breathe and spread out like what they're meant to be.
Personally, my brother-in-law had a lot of compost that he was willing to give me. and so I filled up all the bags I was using with some compost that he made last year.
I was going to add some peat moss to them (because I was worried that the water wouldn't drain as well without it), but found out that the tomatoes grew fine without it.
Step 2: Transplant those seedlings
Now, the next thing you want to do is to transplant the seedlings.
First, create a hole in the center of the soil, about 2-3 inches deep. Carefully remove your tomato transplant from the pot and place it into the hole.
After you do that, then gently cover the roots with soil and give it a little pat. And make sure to water it in after.
Remember, the size of the hole to dig out will depend on how large the pot that you're pulling your transplant from is.
For example, I transplanted from two-gallon buckets, which meant that I actually had to take about a third of the soil out of the bag.
After I put the transplanted tomato in, I then put all that soil back in (around and on top of the transplanted tomato's soil) to fill up the bag.
Step 3: Watering In Your transplants
Before watering make sure that at the bottom of your bags you poke a few holes.
The reason is because sometimes feed bags will keep the water and not allow it to seep through the bag. So make sure that you poke enough holes so that water will naturally drain out of the bag.
One of the things that I learned recently to do after transplant is to water it in. The reason for this is to make sure that your roots don't dry out when you transplant to new soil.
When watering in your transplants, The goal here is to keep the soil consistently moist but not overly waterlogged. (i.e. over-watering the plant.)
Step 4: Make sure to build a Trellis
Tomatoes are naturally going to grow in length, so, you always want to make sure that they have something to grow and climb up against.
I recommend putting your feed bags right next to a trellis or find a sturdy stick, or some sort of piece of wood. (i.e. a pallet board would work)
If you plan on using a stake/board, then you have two options:
You can place the stake right into the feedbag and soil – just make sure that it's far enough from the roots so that you will not damage it.
Or, you can tie it up right next to the feed bags, then support it with something else.
In either case, just make sure to attach the tomato plant to the stake with twine or planter's ties
What I personally did was I leaned the stake I used up against the railing. and then tied a board against the railing. I added a few strings running down the top of the stake so that the plants could climb up the strings.
But whatever works best for you (either my method or adding a stake into the soil) is fine.
Now you can Enjoy Your Fresh Tomatoes!
So, there you have it —a simple step-by-step guide in getting your transplant tomatoes into feed bags.
Now you can enjoy your tomato plant right in the comfort of your home with your family.
Just make sure to water it properly, and watch for pests or other diseases that might be coming on it.
And get ready to enjoy those tomatoes.
Do you have questions or tips you want to share? Feel free to drop them in the comments below.