On Sat, 03 Apr 2004 12:37:34 GMT, Frogleg wrote:

On 03 Apr 2004 07:17:52 GMT, Holka smyslna@holkaDOTnospamDOTnet
wrote:

Penelope Periwinkle wrote

On 01 Apr 2004 15:07:03 GMT, clive
wrote:

Does anybody know what's in a gro-bag? I used to see these things some
years ago in the UK but they don't seem to be available here in
France. I want to grow tomatoes on my balcony - what should I grow
them in? Would a bag of compost slit down the back do the trick or
should I add something to the compost?

What's wrong with regular potting soil and a pot?

That sounds like the logical thing to do - would it require large pots -
what diameter would be good?

As large as you can manage. Even 'patio' tomatoes produce a lot of
foliage and roots -- wide, 'though not particularly deep -- so you
need both space for roots and weight for stability. Don't forget some
sort of support system for the plant. And don't fill your pots with
all compost. You need soil and nutrients, and compost is a soil
conditioner, not a fertilizer. A good 'potting soil' has a mix of dirt
and compost or conditioners. Some now include fertilizer, too.

I have grown tomatoes UPSIDE DOWN in a 5 gallon bucket. It works
great on a balcony, as long as you can reach them to pick them. My
balcony is on the second floor, so the plants hung almost to the
ground. One can also lift the bucket up, but it is rather heavy with
a full grown plant. This is not a lot of soil, but works fine if one
uses a good plant food regularly. Get a cheap version of miracle grow
type stuff, which is almost like a hydroponic liquid.
simply cut a hole in the bottom of the buckt (about 1-2 in- 2-5 cm) in
diameter and place the tomato plant roots first through the hole with
the top two sets of leaves sticking sticking out the bottom. Place as
much of the stem inside the bucket as possible as roots will form all
along the stem. Stuff something soft around the plant to hold it in
place and keep the soil in. I used some of my wife's old stockings.
fill the bucket 3/4 full of good soil, potting soil should work fine.
Hang the bucket from the balcony rail with tomato plant pointing down.
As the plant gets big, it will use a lot of water, so check 2x/day. I
got a ton of tomatos this way, and didn't lose any balcony space.

Here is a web site I found that has much the same idea.

http://www.gardengatemagazine.com/tips/39tip5.html

HTH

-Rick