I'd use large (5+ gallon), cheap, plastic utility pots. I can't imagine what kind of bag you would use that would be sturdy enough and rot resistant, and cost less than a plastic pot. I would think that, if you ever moved them, you'd disturb the roots because the soil was packed so loosely. Also, the containment provided by the sides of a pot is important to the stability of the plant. Finally, if they were just sitting on your deck, I would think they could cause moisture damage unless they were sitting on something to protect the deck. It's a quaint historical footnote, but I suspect that there are good reasons why this technique is not much practiced these days.

They are called Grow Bags and are available from many places, I think Peaceful Valley sells them too (groworganic.com.)

Some have also grown right out of a bag of composted manure or compost or whatever, like the flat 40 lb bags, just by slitting a hole in the top and planting the plant and adding some drain holes in the bottom.

Your 1 cu ft idea should work if you water frequently and fertilize regularly. I grow many of my plants in 4 gallon plastic buckets often barely 3/4ths full, on drip fertigation, and have had great success. The key is consistent & frequent watering & fertilizing.

Hope this helps.

Mark

tom

You can certainly grow tomatoes in large bags of planting soil. Just make sure to cut some drainage slits on the sides at the bottom of the bags -- you don't want the roots to rot in standing water. Also give them the sturdy support they need no matter where they're planted. Those dinky 3' cages in most garden centers won't work and are a waste of money.

I bought 10 cu ft of garden soil in 10 plastis bags ,slit the top and used a garden fork to punch drainage holes in the bottom.Put one plant/bg and laid them next to my railings .The deck is CCA ,I'm not worried about rot .Will water as neccessary and add blue water once /week . lets see what happens.

I grew tomatoes in bags very successfully last summer, but not in a way that would be suitable for decks or patios. I used 40 kilo coffee bean bags filled with composted horse manure and stall bedding. The bags were about 3/4 full so they weighed about 50 - 60 pounds each, and were laid directly on the ground in a long row so the folded top of one was held shut by the bulging bottom of the next one in line.

I grew one plant per bag and probably could've grown two per bags. The plants grew full sized and the burlap eventually rotted away over the winter. But the bags held up through one season and it was very easy to water through the fabric. I call the system Sack-O-Scheist.

A friend of mine grows commercially in low plastic tunnels (hoop houses about 9 feet tall) and he grows in plastic bags set directly on the concrete floor in shallow trenches. Each bag holds one plant in about 3 gallons of soilless growing medium and are fed by a constant drip system and the effluent runs down the shallow trench to a collection sump. I've seen other growers do the exact same thing but in plastic grow bags filled with commercial growing media and laying flat on the floor in some cases or set on the narrow edge in a formed concrete trench system like my friend's.

Tom, all other things being sufficient (sunlight, weather, days to develop, etc.), I think your system will work just fine so long as:

1) You don't mind your deck material becoming stained.
2) You supply adequate water and nutrients.
3) You have some sort of support system for the plants.
4) You prevent chronic wetness or complete dessication of the growing medium.

Good luck and let us know how your grow bag system works out.

Check this out: Growing Tomatoes in Bags on Your Deck or Patio

Notes:

"The recommended volume of aggregate medium is 1/2 cubic foot per plant. With pine bark, this is easily achieved by using 2 cubic-foot bags and transplanting three or four plants per bag. You can buy these pine-bark filled, perforated, polyethylene bags from Mississippi suppliers (see list at end of this publication). Alternatively, two plants can be grown in a 7 1/2-gallon bag or bucket, or you can grow one plant in a 3- or 4-gallon container (1 cubic foot equals 7 1/2 gallons)." [found under "Growing in Aggregate Media" at MSU Tomato Growers Manual ]

Did someone say something about growing in bags?

If you can't find a "grow bag" in the store, what other kinds of bags can you use (i.e. potting mix, potting soil, compost, etc.)?

Also, Can you grow other plants that are similar to tomatoes, like zucchini squash and peppers, in bags as well? (with the proper support, of course)

And thirdly, If I wanted to add something like Espoma's Tomato Tone to the plant, how would I go about doing this with the plant in the bag? (do I just sprinkle around the base of the plant and water?)

I am desperately wanting to grow some tomatoes, but need some help doing so! I've thought about the 5 gallon buckets, but the bags seem easier. I have the time to care for the plants, all I need is a successful way to produce fruit! =) Thank you all for any help and advice! Being "garden dumb" I could use all I can get! =)

Carissa, I too am hoping for response to your questions. I do see some dirt cheap bags online but haven't verified shipping cost. I tried 5 gal. buckets last year and would like to try bags this year.

I grow right in the plastic soil bag. I use potting soil instead of garden soil because of the drainage issue.I also use compost teas as they have proven to be more powerful than just regular compost. I've also used our dog's old plastic swimming pool after she put a hole in it. Talk about a great raised bed.