If you are a home gardener or indoor grower with limited space, a grow bag can be a great solution. At USA Grow Shop we are often asked about the right grow bag size for tomato gardening. Here’s what you need to know.
Growing Tomatoes in Grow Bags
Grow bags, also referred to as smart pots, are fabric bags that replace traditional clay or plastic pots. They are meant to be used in settings where space is a concern. Grow bags are very good choices if you have a patio or other outdoor area where you want to grow a few plants.
The advantage of smart pots is that they allow air to circulate through the pot to the root system of the plants. They can also be moved easily, and excess water is able to drain through the porous fabric.
Gardening in your back yard or on the patio can be simple when you use cloth bags. You just need to make sure that the size of bag you use is adequate for tomatoes.
Grow Bag Sizes for Tomato Varieties
The bags that you will find at USA Grow Shop are available in many different sizes. For tomatoes, the average size you’ll want to consider is between 5-7 gallons. These bags will generally have a diameter of 8-10″.
There are some smaller varieties of tomatoes that can be grown in 6-8″ smart pots, but producing a larger plant with healthy growth means giving the roots of the tomato plant room to spread out. Going with a little bit bigger bag can have benefits.
You may also want to consider grow bags with a 20-30 gallon capacity if you are thinking about planting more than one tomato plant in a single bag. Larger smart pots can hold three or four plants. Just remember that crowding your plants can have an adverse affect on plant yield.
A Few Other Things to Consider
There are two other considerations when you are thinking about using bags to grow your tomato plants. The first of these is sunlight. Tomatoes require a lot of sun to thrive. You’ll want to make sure you have placed the bags in an outdoor area that receives at least six hours of direct sun each day.
The other main concern is water. The water content in tomatoes is very high. Once your plants start yielding fruit, the water requirements go up significantly.
Remember, USA Grow Shop is your trusted source for smart pots and grow bags this gardening season.
