Owlyn 10-gal grow bags

Hi Everyone,

Does anyone have experience using the Owlyn.com 10-gal grow bags to grow patio tomatoes & peppers?
I'm brand new at growing veggies and need all the product advice I can get.

Hope to hear from you soon,
Linda

We have used grow bags for greenhouse tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. For the tomatoes if using an indeterminate variety we hang twine from a rail in the greenhouse and as the plant grows we twist it around the twine. Over the season the plants produce heavily and grow 10 -12 feet long. We keep lowering the plant by removing the leaves toward the bottom and pulling the plant down which enables us to pick more easily. The bags would certainly work outdoors and in lieu of the stringing method you could opt for cages or a weave type support. Being in a bag eliminates weeding, and fertilizer application is confined to a restricted root system which is a plus. You could also us a determinate tomato which would keep supporting the plant to a minimum. The only downside to using bags is that they dry out so you would be watering more often. We do not use the Owlyn bag but they are all pretty much the same.

Hello Cyclops101,
Thanks so much for responding. I'm planning to grow Sun Gold tomatoes....I love to snack on them and use them in salads. I find that is how I use most tomatoes so the bag method should work. It seems no matter what container system one uses.... tomatoes take alot of water. I can't wait until spring/summer!!!!
Linda

Linda, I've also used both the plastic growbags (although not this particular brand) as well as smart pots. As with any container, it is really important to keep them properly watered. I use drip irrigation in mine, and have had good luck. My plastic growbags are now going on their 3rd or 4th year, and they've held up well, but I don't keep them outside during our harsh winters. I just empty the potting mix, wash them out, fold and store them till next season.

I would think you'd want at least a 10 gallon bag for a tomato....those plants can get huge!

moms2goldens thanks for the advice. It's so great to have such a wonderful pool of experienced gardeners for help. I'd really like to know how you set up the drip irrigation system used for your grow bags if you are so inclined.
Linda

Linda, there is a lot of good information on drip irrigation systems, and you can even buy kits at your local big-box store. I basically take 1/2" poly hose, some 1/4" rubber tubing and the appropriate connectors and drippers or sprayers of my choice. You can put the whole thing on a timer and never have to think about watering your containers every day. I do a lot of container gardening, and was spending over an hour a day watering in the heat of summer, and you just can't skip a day.

It's a bit of an investment initially, but I've been using my system for several years, with only minor modifications as I've added or changed my layout.

Another quick/cheap way to do it is just to take a drip hose and run it right over the top of your containers. I've done this in a pinch, but it's not quite as efficient.

A couple of good websites are dripworksusa.com and misterlandscaper.com. They do a pretty good job of explaining the types of systems available. There is also an irrigation forum here on DG where there are some discussions about drip irrigation.

Don't forget to check out company ratings on the Garden Watchdog, especially if you are considering an on-line purchase.

Linda

lindabloom, if you don't want to buy the bags, which by the way will need supporting in windy areas, you might want to try growing your plants in buckets; even five gallon buckets will work, and those are free from fast food eateries OR you can buy them brand new at the box stores for as little as $2.79 each. There are plenty of threads about growing in buckets, including "self-watering" buckets that make it easy to make sure your plants are getting adequate water.

And yep, as someone above mentioned you'll definitely want some sort of support like cages or a trellis, especially for Sungolds.

Shoe

moms2golden - thanks for the drip irrigation website links. I'll check them out. I also could use
that method for some perenniel beds.

Horseshoe - I've seen the instructions for the ebuckets and might try l or 2 for sweet pepper and
maybe strawberries.

Thanks for all the help,
Linda

I make mt own grow-bags from the tough bags that shop bought compost comes in, make my own mixture, add chicken manure, vermiculite etc, make drainage holes at bottom and grow cucumbers, tomato's, peppers etc in greenhouse as here we have a short season but, the same method could be uses outside, as for supports for the taller plants, use 2 tall canes at each side of the plants in a row, cross and tie the canes together and lay a cane along the top of the crossed canes, this top cane acts like a strong support to hang wires, string etc to help grow the tomato's up, just make sure the canes are stuck well into the soil so they don't get blown over if your in a windy area.
WeeNel.

Weenel "DON'T Add Vermiculite to anything ... Please most of it is ...Impregnated with Asbestos....sorry it is....

MrPappy from what I have read, the vermiculite available today does NOT contain asbestos. Many years ago, there was a problem, but not now. If you have more recent info, please let me know.

WeeNel - Thank you for the info re: making cane growing supports. I do live in a "very breezy" area. The grow bags will be in an area protected from strong south winds but still will need a really strong support system. As for the soil....I plan to use the 5:1:1 mix recommended by Tapla (Al). I already use his "gritty mix" for my indoor plants and can't say enough about much all of the plants health has improved.
Thanks again,
Linda

Well Done Linda, any improvement we can make is worth all the hard work eh, advice from people who have tried and tested is always great and as there are so many different ways to garden and there are as many other ways to try till your happy with your methods.
I've tried several ways of helping some plants survive the strong winds we have here directly off the sea and the cane structures to date have been the best as I can add extra canes, ties and clips, all depending on what your growing and if required. The canes are easy removed end of season when I do my autumn tidy, give the canes a wash and hang them along the rafters in my greenhouse to dry for next year, I hate waist ha, ha, ha.
Good luck and happy gardening. WeeNel.

Hi MrPappy, thanks so very much for your concerns re my use of Vermiculite added to my soil, as stated before by Honeybee, there is absolutely NO Asbestos in the vermiculite used today by gardeners, in fact here in UK there is a total ban on the use of this desperately, highly dangerous stuff (Asbestos) has been since about 1980's, any found within old buildings etc has to be reported and removed by specialist who wear special gear and have permits and have controlled designated dumping places to dispose it.

The vermiculite I use comes from power plants chimneys and is a degradable waste matter, it is as cheep as chips and I have used it for years, I did do a research on what this stuff called vermiculite was as I buy it in such large bags (when filling my container in greenhouse) I had clouds of dust blow up into my face, so had to do an immediate search on what the stuff was, I was re-assured by the answers and results from the Asbestos experts as soon as I heard the dust might contain Asbestos dust, apparently the asbestos was at one time used as a liner for chimneys so perhaps that is where the confusion began and not realising this stuff has all been removed and now banned from use.
Hope this helps either start a new debate re Asbestos OR reassure some others but, I go along the lines of if in doubt, check it out at all times.
Many thanks Mr Pappy and best regards. WeeNel.

Bocabob's Drip Irrigation System. Components and EZ instructions, by Araness.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=5804801

http://eartheasy.com/blog/2009/04/vermiculite-and-asbestos-how-to-minimize-the-risks/
This is one of the better links I found...I hope this Help's...I just want us to be safe ...

WeeNel I was referring to the Libby Mine in the US, sorry if there was any confusion but they sold Vermiculite for Decade's knowing it was infested with Asbestos...

WeeNel - the stuff you are describing sounds more like gypsum than vermiculite. Gypsum is greyish, whereas vermiculite is goldish in color.

Gymgirl - Wow! What a great set of instructions for the drip irrigation. It's totally "idiot proof" and that is exactly what I need...thank you, thank you, thank you.
Linda

Lindabloom,
I can't take credit for those instructions. An MIA DGer (Araness) put it together. Send her a dmail!