Is the tomato season over? What now?

[lblizard]

For the first time ever I grew my own tomoatoes in grow bags in my green house. I have never done this before and my father in law helped with advice.

Now it seems the tomotoes are coming to an end, Is this right?

What should I do now with the grow bags etc?

Is there any other vegtables I could try to grow through the UK winter ?

Any advice for a newbie welcome.

[applestar]

I, too, am curious about this. Grow bags are not as widespread in the U.S. (as far as I know), but I believe, it's essentially container-growing in the bag the soil mix came in. Once the nutrients in the original mix is used up, can the bag be kept going? I mostly garden in the ground, and tend to use no-till gardening to promote soil biology. I usually cut all my plants at soil level rather than dig them out when they're done, layer compost and mulch to add organic matter and nutrients, and rotate nitrogen-fixers like legumes and nutrient accumulators/deep rooters to bring up deep-down minerals (these terms are from Permaculture).

Do similar practices work in containers? Can, lblizard, for instance, cut the tomato plant at the soil line, leaving the roots in the bag to break down and grow, say peas and lettuce or other greens (like kale, maybe) during the winter? Hmm, I can see the limitation in the bags in that they may not hold up over the seasons vs. containers -- are these bags just plastic bags or are they made of stronger, non-degrading material?

With my few large containers, I use a very coarse mix including semi-composted sticks and bark, and mulch with compost and replace the top few inches with compost after each growing season. I always cut the plants at soil level when they're done (putting the tops in the compost pile as long as they're not diseased), and I make sure there are earthworms in every container, if they haven't made their way in there already. During the growing season, I occasionally use aerated compost tea to keep up the soil biology. Even then the contents can get compacted, stop being free-draining, and I have to turn them out -- old container soil goes in my compost pile, and I start afresh.

I don't think I answered your question, lblizard. But I hope someone else can. Good luck and have fun.

[SP8]

Do similar practices work in containers? Can, lblizard, for instance, cut the tomato plant at the soil line, leaving the roots in the bag to break down and grow, say peas and lettuce or other greens (like kale, maybe) during the winter?

At the end of the run for my tomato plants in containers there's not much left in them besides a solid block of roots. I haven't tried it but I wouldn't think anything would do very well in that environment.

[rainbowgardener]

Tomato season is over for all us northern gardeners. Tomatoes are heavy feeders, so the soil in the grow bag is probably pretty depleted. If it were me, I'd just throw it in the compost. If the bag is very sturdy, you could refill it with new soil and start over. Not sure what your climate is like or whether your greenhouse is heated. With a mildish climate and unheated greenhouse you could start cool weather crops now... broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, spinach, kale, etc.

[top_dollar_bread]

once my container toms, peppers and other out of season plants are done I recycle the soil.
I get a big rubber maid or any large container and throw the rooted used soil in side. Then I add some chopped up greens and browns from the garden like weeds, nettles, leaves etc.
its like a green manure or top mulch of browns and greens, I also throw in some worms and compost then moisten with ACT. (organic soil amendments (rock powders, meals, manures) will work as well or better in conjunction with plant matter) but remeber less is best, ur feeding microbes not plants!!!
the soil life decomposes the organic matter and most of the roots in about a month or longer, depending on what you add and then the soil is ready for the next run. If you can compost, you can recycle soil, its the same concept.
IMHO the recycled soil is much more richer w/ life then the previous grow.

[GerriB]

Before you pitch it all into the compost heap, have you thought about growing herbs in the old growing bags? Something like Cilantro or Parsley or even Basil? Of course, it depends on your lighting situation. But even so, there's nothing wrong with recycling good used-up soil. Don't know where you are in the UK.

[Gary350]

If you have a green house you should be able to keep the plants growing as long as it does not get cold enough to freeze and kill them.

I normally have garden tomatoes until the end of December. I have a tiny green house that I built just large enough for 4 tomatoe plants. It is just a wooden box with 2 double glass patio doors on top. We usually don't have a hard freeze until January.

I have experemented with growing garden plants in bags of composed cow manure. A 50 lb bag is only a few $$$ at farmers co-op. It works very well. I just cut an X in the bag and plant right in the holes. Couple of plants per bag. The only thing I don't like about planting in bags is, I have to remember to water them every day.