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No success with peatfree growbags.

(9 Posts)
Grammaretto Sat 25-Jul-26 17:04:47

The growbags I bought this year have been useless. I try growing lettuces and cucumbers in them in my greenhouse to keep slugs at bay.
The soil in them is like cardboard.

I've just been chucking out all the lettuces which bolted in the heat anyway.

Has anyone had success? If so what make were they?

MiniMoon Sat 25-Jul-26 17:21:14

DH bought RHS peat free growbags and these growbag pots. He used peat free compost in the pots and also mixed in some farmyard manure. He planted his tomatoes rather deeper than he usually does. They are growing well, he waters them daily.

Astitchintime Sat 25-Jul-26 17:29:25

Our grow bags are doing very well but the tomatoes do need watering daily. I wouldn’t grow lettuce in them anyway…..much prefer cut and come again salad leaves in wide shallow pots about 10cm deep to a full head lettuce. Although my cucumber plants has died but I did get one cumber off it and I’ve harvested the seeds…….pleased with that considering I paid £4 for FOUR seeds - special variety - won’t be F1 but worth a try.

CV2020 Sat 25-Jul-26 17:45:13

I’ve found a supplier locally for peat compost. Peat free is rubbish in my opinion.

Grammaretto Sat 25-Jul-26 18:50:36

Interesting. Thankyou folks
I have had success in the past with a couple of growbags, but they were probably peaty ones. The compost was much softer and easy to water.
I do grow them outside as well but I have problems with slugs and snails.
I can keep a closer eye on them in the greenhouse.
Everything has gone to seed this year or shriveled. I'm in Scotland but even here we've not had nearly enough rain.

valdali Sat 25-Jul-26 18:58:19

Peat is lovely to grow things in, but it really needs to stay where it is.
It's like anything in the garden - weeds, aphids, fungus - it may be more arduous to grow things more-or-less organically, but unless we do, we absolutely can't condemn farmers who use these chemicals & take up hedges etc.

Gwyllt Sat 25-Jul-26 19:00:44

The heat even if well watered can affect growth for some plants. I grow cot and come again leaves in the next raised bed to last year. They have all bolted

TillyTrotter Sat 25-Jul-26 19:40:23

Peat-free compost is abysmal IMO.
I suppose we should make our own
but for those who don’t want to it’s a long search trialling the brands on offer and I’ve yet to find one which gives me good crops of veg and flowers.

Silvershadow Sat 25-Jul-26 20:38:29

Our lettuces have bolted, the tomatoes didn’t do well at all but two courgette plants in a grow bag have produced a few courgettes. I think this will be the last year we attempt vegetables. Our garden looks like the dessert.