Save money and plastic by planting tomatoes directly into potting mix bags.






Here's another tomato growing tip. You can find the other and here, with many more to come. I thought I'd written one about planting but I found that I forgot to finish it so it will come out in a couple of days...

Short of money? Lots of Tomato seedlings but no pots? Planting directly into potting mix bags could be your answer. It reduces plastic use too – what else do you do with your potting mix bags?

All you’re doing with a pot is to change the container for the potting mix and improve the drainage a bit. If you don’t have a container, why not use the bag that your potting mix came in. The better the potting mix, the better the results, of course!

The process is so easy that I won’t even give it a heading!

Many potting mix bags already have a lot of small holes in to drain them should they get wet plus to allow air out if them so they don’t balloon up and burst during transport. Those holes are enough to drain the bag if it gets rained on but won’t be enough for regular watering such as tomato plants need.


Flip the bag on its side.


Turn the bag on its side so the roots can grow deeper than the shallow depth that a flat bag allows. Make some holes on what will be the bottom.


Make a few holes in what will be the bottom.


Plant your tomato seedlings directly into the potting mix through this hole. Add a little crushed eggshells to promote healthy cell walls.





Add a little crushed eggshells.
Pat it all down so that everything is firm and give the bag a good water.


Pat it down firmly.



Give it a  good watering.


There! You have a simple container I which to grow your tomato plants. From now on, just water and fertilize it as you would any garden pot. As the plant grows, it’s best to open the planting hole a little so that more water, air and nutrients can get to all of the roots.



3 weeks to a month later.


As the tomato plant grows, you’ll need to stake it somehow and open the planting hole a bit wider so that you can add more water as the plant grows.

…and guess what? This technique is not just for tomatoes, any shallow rooted vegetable will thrive in bags. Lettuces love it!




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16 comments
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I have had to pull my tomatoes because of blight. Might do a few late ones like this.

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Thank you for sharing this post on HIVE!

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Thank you! My view numbers have jumped since I started posting in this the DIY hub community!

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I've seen this technique used by several homesteaders and small home gardeners. Please do keep showing us more images as they grow.
I suppose this would work well with peppers as well.

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I'll share some more soon. It will work with most vegetables, including peppers and chilis if you grow them as annuals. If you want them for more than one year, the roots need more space.

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That totally makes sense! Thanks for getting back to me. I appreciate it!

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(Edited)

I appreciate your effort concerning about climate change. Organic planting, right?
I surely wanna love to eat them.☺️

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Thanks, every little step helps with adapting to climate. Organic is better, of course.

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Interesting i didnt know that it was easier this way
!1UP


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