looking for 5 gal grow bags

[frdlturner]

I am looking for 5 gal grow bags in bulk any recommendations
I looking at setting up a drip systen to water between 1000 and 4000 tomato plants and was thinking grow bags would cost less than plasic pots what are your thoughts?

[Redbaron]

Thats a lot of plants. You growing in a greenhouse?

[frdlturner]

Going grow in greenhouse and outside
in a week or two going to tulsa area to pick up a 16x30 hoop house

[Father'sDaughter]

I know there are a couple of older threads about grow bags, so a search might find you some more info. Based on information posted by Craig L. (NCTomatoman), I bought mine here - http://www.groworganic.com/plastic-n...ags-5-gal.html

There were other options, but these were a thicker plastic so I figured they would hold up better. I used them this year outside where they were exposed to full sun for most of the day, and from the looks of them, I'll easily get another three years (or more) out of them.

[Redbaron]

Well a quick search found them at 50 cents a piece at discount hydroponics. But that's still 2000 dollars for 4000.

I wonder if it might be cheaper just to plant in the ground?

Is that hoop house one of the portable ones?

[frdlturner]

I can make it portable it is only 8 ft high
ya thinking in ground may be better
looking at tractors next week and may get a back hoe to go with it that way can make trenches to plant in

[george sr]

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[george sr]

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[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by frdlturner

I can make it portable it is only 8 ft high
ya thinking in ground may be better
looking at tractors next week and may get a back hoe to go with it that way can make trenches to plant in

Trenches is how we used to plant commercially when I was young. Don't need a back hoe, just a proper set up on your tractor's cultivator. then when you plant you lay in the trench and pull the dirt over. You can plant a whole lot of "field" tomatoes that way. It is a lot of backbreaking work, especially later in hoeing and cultivation. BUT it is a tried and true method of growing commercially. So I can't tell you not to do it.

However, if you want to rethink this a moment, I may have something you could think about.

If you buy a commercial roll of bogus paper and roll it out on the ground, cover it with hay or grass clippings etc... you can avoid a whole lot of work later. Then a quick way to plant is with a large stand up bulb planter. Cut a plug out right through the paper and set your plants in that. A bit more work at planting but still easy enough to get your planting done. You save time and fuel from not needing to cultivate at all, now or for the rest of the year and certainly don't need a back hoe, which makes up for some of it. And work is labor and labor costs money and that cuts into your profit and on a year this will save a lot.

I would feel better about suggesting this method if you had tried it before on a small scale first, so you knew what I was talking about. But either way, conventional trenches or uncoventional no till, it is doable.

[frdlturner]

I for got about the paper when I lived in louisiana we mowed the grass low then laid the paper mulched and cut wholes in it for the garden...
and put drip lines next to plants...

[Wi-sunflower]

I hope you know that a 16x30 greenhouse won't hold a fraction of the numbers you are talking about. It will be fine for the starter house tho.

Here are some pics of a cold frame I just made to cover 3 rows of existing broccoli. It's aprox 16x100. 3 of us ladies made it in about 4 days. Should have been less time but it was our first like this and we made a few mistakes along the way. The weather didn't help either. We have a few better ideas for the next one.

There are about 300 broccoli plants covered now. But tomatoes would need more room than the broccoli.

I also use a "trench" planting method for my field tomatoes. We use a 1 bottom plow to dig a furrow and lay them on the low side. With a big mattock type field hoe, we can cover them in just 3 or 4 swipes most of the time. 3 or 4 of us can plant about 800 to 1000 plants in a 1/2 day when things are going well (when is that ??LOL). The other 1/2 of the day is spent getting them watered in well.

Carol

[frdlturner]

Ya I know I have another greenhouse and I am putting 3 to 4 larger ones in

[clkeiper]

Carol, You did very well on that project. I seem to be more in the way than help when it comes to putting up the greenhouses.

frdlturner, 8' high for a tomato house doesn't seem to be very tall. Are you growing determinates in them? The sidewalls limit the height of the tomatoes on the outside rows, fyi, which we learned the hard way. We grow in a greenhouse and in a high tunnel and we can't get as many in there as we would like and keep them healthy. air movement is always an issue even with haf fans.

[rmw001]

Growers Supply has plastic grow bags in various sizes - I have used them, 7 gal I believe, for tomatoes and squash. They would work better in a drip system. Don't think I would order thousands though until I tested them out first - just my opinion. I have also used their polly max grow tube - 8" and 12" size - squash, tomatoes, collards. Liked this product better than the bags but more trouble to hand fill. Got 2 yrs out of the grow tube. If I use them again will find a simpler way to fill them. Growers Supply was very easy to deal with and helpful on the phone. Good luck!!

[frdlturner]

was looking at dwarfs for the hoop house I use 1/2 and 1 gal bags for shrubs and trees in my nursery they work good there my supplier does not have 5 gals.. Most of the tomatoes will be out side... ether in ground or bags maybe try some in bags to see how they do watering will be with drip system there is a drip tape with emitters in the tube you can get with different spacings from 8in to 18in...