Tried grow bags for tomatoes this year, won't go back to pots

I used 5 gallon plastic pots for 3 seasons. Plants did fine. But my buddy convinced me to try those fabric grow bags. Big difference. Roots got way more air. Plants didn't get that rootbound look mid summer. My San Marzanos grew almost 2 feet taller than last year. Yield was about 30% more too. Has anyone else switched and seen better results with something specific?

2 comments

2 Comments

rowanharris12h ago

Hang on, are we really acting like a slightly better root system is this life changing? I mean sure, my plants did fine in regular pots and I wasn't exactly losing sleep over it. Seems like a lot of extra fuss for maybe a few extra tomatoes unless you're already pushing the limits of your setup.

the_anthony1d ago

Oh man, the airflow thing is huge. I had the exact same experience with my Brandywines (they always got a little sad in plastic by August). The fabric bags let the roots "air prune" instead of circling, so the whole root ball stays healthier. One thing nobody tells you though is they dry out way faster. I set up a drip system on a timer for mine because I killed two plants by forgetting to water on a hot Saturday. Another tip: skip the cheap thin bags, spend a little more on the heavy duty ones with double stitching. Mine started fraying at the seams by the end of the first season (very annoying when you're hauling wet dirt around).