Because P is replacing some of the floor in the shed I had to have a bit of a sort out to expose the floor. I found a packet of old but in good condition Fyba ring culture pots. Basically floppy pots with no bottoms. I see they recommend using them with growbags. The query is: are they of any benefit placed on the gh border soil that is dug down to say 2ft? If so I'll experiment next season, if not they'll probably get shoved back into the hidey hole they came from
I grow all my tomatoes and lots of other GH plants in ring culture pots - but mine are rigid ones, basically flower pots without bottoms. I bought the original ones when I started growing toms and have since made my own by cutting the bottoms off MFBs.
As you know, all my GHs are on solid bases - not soil - so I needed a way to create soil depth without making raised beds. I have tried them in growbags but I don't like the potch of watering them.
Never used floppy pots.
(17-10-2022, 11:41 AM)Veggie Wrote: [ -> ]I grow all my tomatoes and lots of other GH plants in ring culture pots - but mine are rigid ones, basically flower pots without bottoms. I bought the original ones when I started growing toms and have since made my own by cutting the bottoms off MFBs.
As you know, all my GHs are on solid bases - not soil - so I needed a way to create soil depth without making raised beds. I have tried them in growbags but I don't like the potch of watering them.
Never used floppy pots.
If your gh is on a solid base, why take the bottom out of your pots, is there any soil for the roots to go into from the bottom of the pot, or is it that whatever soil there is is very shallow?
Thanks for the feedback. I can understand the principle of the bottomless pots on a solid base or even growbags. I was just musing whether the faff of using them on a deepish border would yield any benefit. I suppose the only way to find out is to try it next year on two similar plants. That does require a rather scientific approach, which is unlikely to happen. I expect if the fyba pots rear their head at planting time I'll give it a go, otherwise they'll end up into the black hole that is my shed.
(17-10-2022, 03:01 PM)JJB Wrote: [ -> ] (17-10-2022, 11:41 AM)Veggie Wrote: [ -> ]I grow all my tomatoes and lots of other GH plants in ring culture pots - but mine are rigid ones, basically flower pots without bottoms. I bought the original ones when I started growing toms and have since made my own by cutting the bottoms off MFBs.
As you know, all my GHs are on solid bases - not soil - so I needed a way to create soil depth without making raised beds. I have tried them in growbags but I don't like the potch of watering them.
Never used floppy pots.
If your gh is on a solid base, why take the bottom out of your pots, is there any soil for the roots to go into from the bottom of the pot, or is it that whatever soil there is is very shallow?
I've created edged beds all around the GH and I empty the tomato pot compost into it at the end of the growing season. The soil is about 4-5" deep now - enough for salad veg.
The original idea for ring culture was to grow them on gravel beds, the roots went into the gravel which was watered and the fertiliser went directly into the pots. I tried this for a couple of years but the compost leaked out into the gravel and got a bit messy. I ditched the gravel and have used old compost ever since.
PHOTOs at
https://gardenandgossip.org/showthread.p...057&page=5
If the greenhouse border soil has any diseases, using them to keep the roots higher and may be replacing a few inches of soil under them could help the plants stay healthy.
Or you could plant into the border soil and only fill the rings with soil/compost when the plant has grown a bit. The tomatoes would put extra roots into it and hopefully have a better root system.
Your second para was my intention, if I get round to it next season. Thanks for the advice Mark.