Tomato plants only last for one growing season, and that makes them a perfect plant to grow in grow bags, as you can store reusable bags much more easily than pots and containers. Since our first famous year where we grew more than 400 tomatoes for a household of two people, we’ve been able to grow tomatoes in pots, containers and directly in the soil. Growing tomatoes in grow bags, is, though, our preferred way of growing tomatoes. Growing tomatoes in grow bags is seriously convenient. If you use reusable bags you can clean them and store them until next year. And then there’s the consideration of the weather. Late cold spell? Move your tomato grow bags indoors until it goes. Perfect! Here are our views on the best tomato grow bags as well as how to plant tomatoes, tomato care tips and how to get the best from your tomato harvest.
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Best Tomato Grow Bags At a Glance
| Tomato Grow Bags | Highlights | What It Looks Like | Read Reviews & Buy Now! |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Tomato Grow Bag | Made of high-quality 300G non-woven fabric Heavy-duty and durable, wear-resistant, highly tear-resistant Easy to clean Can be used for up to 8 years Non-woven tomato grow bag has great drainage Reinforced nylon handles make them easy to move Easy to clean, fold and store Size – Height: 25cm, diameter: 30cm, capacity: 5 gallons (17.7 liters) | Buy best buy tomato grow bags here | |
| Best Hanging Tomato Growing Bag | Size 45 cm x 19 cm 16 slits for planting tomatoes Dark Green polyethene UV treated for long life | Buy these best hanging tomato grow bags here | |
| Best Tomato Planter (Single Use) | Size: 99 centimetre by 39 centimetre by 10 centimetre Bigger bag for easy watering, better growth and extra yields New deeper thicker planter for hardier root growth Enriched with Tomorite plant food with added seaweed for full-flavoured tomatoes | Buy this Levington Tomorite Tomato Grow Bag |
Why Use Tomato Grow Bags?
Growing tomatoes in bags is incredibly simple. Your tomato plant will only last for one growing season, so using grow bags is a great option if you don’t have much space. Reusable grow bags can be cleaned, dried and stored incredibly easily, ready for next year! Alternatively, most grow bags can be reused for other fruits, vegetables and plants, so it’s never a waste.
We love the flexibility that tomato grow bags give us. You can easily move tomato plants to different locations – into more sun as the summer progresses or inside if it’s a little too cold. Tomato grow bags are also an excellent option if you’re worried about overwatering your tomato plants as excess water leaks out. We’ve more tomato growing secrets here.
In this tomato grow bags guide we’ve included reusable tomato grow bags, one-time use tomato grow bags and hanging tomato grow bags. We’ve also included details of some items that make growing tomatoes infinitely easier.
Tomato Fertilizer and Tomato Feed
Tomatoes are heavy feeders. Especially when they’re fruiting. And as the aim when growing tomatoes is not just to have a decent yield, but to get great fruits, then you should also invest in a great tomato fertilizer. There are a variety of tomato feeds around, but we think that the best tomato feed is this tomato feed from Levingon Tomorite is fabulous.
Even if you’re using a specifically designed one time use tomato grow bag we think it’s important to feed. And when to feed tomato plants in grow bags? Once the first truss of fruits has set. Feed your tomato plants before that and you’ll get a lot of leaves and the plant won’t focus on the fruit.
Tomato Grow Bag Pots
You’ll only need these tomato grow bag pots if you’re using a single-use tomato planter, like the amazing Levington Tomorite bag. They’re called “tomato watering grow bag pots” or words to that effect. These growbag pots for tomatoes and other veg make watering and plant management infinitely easier when using one of these plastic grow bags. See more about tomato grow bag pots here.
A Tomato Greenhouse
Tomatoes are one of those plants that love sunshine, likes the heat and really doesn’t do too well in inclement weather. We grew tomatoes on windowsills in our first season of growing, and then, when we ran out of windowsills, bought ourselves a mini-greenhouse. This tomato greenhouse is a great investment. It folds down when not in use and cleans really easily. And yes, it does seriously help with yield and prolonging the growing season. Check out tomato greenhouses here.
Reviews of Best Tomato Grow Bags
There are essentially THREE types of tomato grow bags and I refer to the style of bags.
- Reusable Hanging Tomato Bags
- Reusable Standing Tomato Grow Bags
- One Time Tomato Planters
When it comes to reusable tomato grow bags you can find plastic tomato grow bags, non-woven fabric tomato grow bags and felt tomato grow bags. One-time tomato planters (our best buy option is this one from Levington here ) work excellently with a watering and support system and we’ll discuss that further in the article.
Here are our reviews of the best tomato grow bags to get started with.
Best Grow Bags for Tomatoes
We’ve opted for the best in class grow bags for tomatoes – hanging tomato planters, ground, single-use and reusable planters for tomatoes.
Best tomato grow bag – non-woven tomato growing bags
These excellent reusable grow bags for tomatoes will last for up to 8 seasons. These deep grow bags for tomatoes are made of 300-gram non-woven fabric which is durable and heavy-duty. Reusable growbag planters for tomatoes are easy to clean and have great drainage which will prevent root rot. The large tomato grow bags come with reinforced nylon handles so they’re easy to move – but also easy to fold and store. These growbags for tomatoes measure 23 centimetres high, 30 centimetres deep and have a capacity of 17.7 litres (5 gallons). Buy these best tomato growing bags now.
Key features of these non-woven tomato grow bags
- Made of high-quality 300G non-woven fabric
- Heavy-duty and durable, wear-resistant, highly tear-resistant
- Easy to clean deep tomato grow bags
- Can be used for up to 8 years
- Non-woven tomato grow bag has great drainage
- Reinforced nylon handles make them easy to move
- Easy to clean, fold and store
- Size – Height: 25cm, diameter: 30cm, capacity: 5 gallons (17.7 liters)
Buy these superb tomato grow bags now!
Best hanging tomato grow bag – Tumbling Tomato Grow Bag
We love this hanging tomato grow bag. Hanging grow bags for tomatoes are great for tumbling tomatoes aka hanging tomato plants and making the best use of ALL the space you have. The hanging tomato planter bags are cylindrical and measure 45 centimetres by 19 centimetres. There are 16 slits for planting tomatoes (it’s also great for herbs and flowers too). These tumbling tomatoes are a great variety to grow in this grow bag. Growing tomatoes in hanging bags means you can grow tomatoes just about anywhere. You can hang this tomato grow bag in the garden, on a balcony or in any sunny spot. This hanging tomato planter is UV treated for long life and is dark green in colour and is made from polyethylene. See more details about this hanging tomato grow bag here.
Key Features of the Hanging Grow Bag for Tomatoes
- Size 45 cm x 19 cm
- 16 slits for planting tomatoes
- Dark Green polyethene
- UV treated for long life
Buy this fab hanging tomato grow bag now.
Best tomato planter – Levington Tomorite Giant Planter
These Levington Tomorite giant grow bag are infused with seaweed and are bigger than a standard vegetable garden grow bag. This Levington Tomorite giant tomato planter makes it easier to water, control dampness and encourages greater growth and yield. The compost in all Levington tomato grow bags is enriched with Tomorite plant food and seaweed to give better-flavoured tomatoes. The Levington giant tomato planter is plastic and weighs 18 kilos and measures 99 centimetres x 39 centimetres x 10 centimetres. Buy this excellent tomato Levington grow bag now.
This great giant tomato planter is a fabulous way to start growing tomatoes. When it comes to single-use grow bags this really is the BEST grow bag for tomatoes.
Key Features of the Levington Tomorite Tomato Planter
- Size: 99 centimetre by 39 centimetre by 10 centimetre
- Bigger bag for easy watering, better growth and extra yields
- New deeper thicker planter for hardier root growth
- Enriched with Tomorite plant food with added seaweed for full-flavoured tomatoes
Buy these amazing Levington Giant tomato grow bags now.
We’ve found that using this type of grow bag works excellently well with grow bag pots. These specially designed tomato grow bag pots will seriously aid your tomato growing if used with the planter. The grow bag pot cuts neatly into the tomato planter with a serrated base – you’ll get three pots on one tomato planter. Then the outer trough on the pots will hold 4 pints of water or tomato feed, which seeps gradually into the compost. Your tomato plant lives in the inner pot, which you fill with extra compost to promote healthy root growth.
It’s an excellent solution that means you’ll get no wastage of water or tomato fertilizer and no spilling of compost. You can find a variety of grow bag pots, but we think that these are the perfect ones – they measure 28 centimetres in diameter, stop slugs from reaching plants and they’re made from strong plastic. You can reuse them season after season. Check our tomato grow bag pots here
Key features of Tomato Growbag Pots
- Creates a free draining growing environment
- 3 fit neatly on a grow bag
- Inner and outer watering trough
- Increases fruit yield
- Tomato Grow Bag Dimensions: 28cm D x 28cm W x 18cm H
Make your tomato growing in a tomato planter really easy with these grow bag pots – buy them now!
What to consider when buying tomato grow bags
There are several options when it comes to buying tomato grow bags, you’ll want to consider
- Single-use or reusable
- Hanging or Ground Standing
- Materials
- Durability
What size tomato grow bag should you use?
Most tomato grow bags vary between 5 to 7 gallons in capacity. You need to ensure that you have enough compost in the bag to support the tomato plants you put in it.
What are the disadvantages of tomato grow bags?
The main disadvantage of tomato grow bags is that they need more watering than if you’re using a traditional – in-ground type of growing. Water wicks out or spills when you’re watering. Tomato planters made from plastic tend to be single-use only – but you can use the used compost at the end of the season as a soil improver on the rest of the garden. Another primary disadvantage of tomato grow bags is that the compost contained within them tends to be of poor quality. Do yourself a favour and go for good quality ones – like the Levington Tomorite one. Remember you’ll only get good quality fruit and vegetables if you put quality in.
Tomatoes will benefit from additional feeding during the growing season – here’s my guide to the best tomato food.
Tomato grow bags are not as durable as a hard-sided pot or container, however, the ones we’ve selected in this guide to growing tomatoes in bags last up to 8 seasons, but that will depend on how well you clean and store them.
What are the advantages of tomato grow bags?
There are several advantages to growing tomatoes in bags – here are the main benefits to growing your tomatoes in bags
- Some tomato grow bags are reusable, so you don’t just use them once, you can use them for multiple seasons. Less waste, less cost.
- Grow bags for tomatoes don’t just need to be used for tomatoes. You can also grow other vegetables – like potatoes, courgettes or carrots or salad leaves in them.
- Tomato grow bags are portable – most come with handles that mean you can move them while full easily and quickly.
FAQs on Growing Tomatoes in Bags
Got questions about growing tomatoes in bags? Or want to know how to grow tomatoes in bags and we haven’t answered your questions? Check out our frequently asked questions about growing tomatoes below, or ask us yours in the comments.
What’s the best type of compost for growing tomatoes?
Good multi-purpose compost is essential for good tomatoes. Remember that the health of your tomatoes will depend on the goodness that they’re able to take from the compost or soil that you plant them in. So if you’re buying a grow bag for tomatoes that already contains compost, BUY A GREAT ONE, like the Levington Tomorite tomato grow bag
Do you need fertilizer for growing tomatoes?
Yes. It’s key when growing tomatoes to not only give them good compost in which to grow, but also to ensure you feed them regularly. This tomato feed from tomorite is fabulous.
What is the best grow bag for tomatoes?
We hope that we’ve given you several options for the best grow bags for tomatoes – whether you prefer the best hanging tomato planter, fabric grow bags for tomatoes or Levington extra large grow bags for tomatoes with tomorite tomato compost.
How long do grow bags last?
You can buy single-use grow bags for tomatoes. When you have harvested the tomatoes it doesn’t mean that you should throw the compost from the bag away. You can use the compost again, but you will need to add feed to it. You can also buy reusable grow bags which will last for up to 8 years.
How many tomato plants per grow bag?
Generally speaking, you’ll want to leave about 60 centimetres between tomato plants. That said. The number of tomato plants you can plant depends on the variety of tomatoes that you are growing. Check your tomato seed packets for details. One time use tomato grow bags will indicate where to cut holes and therefore plant your tomatoes.
How to support tomato plants in grow bags?
The easiest way to support tomato plants in grow bags is to rig up a frame of bamboo canes. We always place the canes in the grow bag when the plants are very young so that we’re not trying to force canes through the tomato root system.
These bamboo canes are perfect for tomato supports. Tie them together with twine to provide a stable structure.
How to use tomato grow bag pots
Tomato grow bag pots are simple to use. You use tomato growbag watering pots by placing them on top of single use tomato grow bag. Shake the bag to loosen the compost. Place the tomato grow bag pot on the places indicated on the grow bag. Twist slightly and apply pressure to break the plastic with the “teeth”. Get rid of the circle of plastic. fill the inner pot with compost. Put your tomato plant inside. Water using the watering area. Easy.
How often should you water tomato plants in grow bags?
Tomatoes are 95% water. That means they need a LOT of water to grow. You should aim to keep the compost around your tomatoes moist. Right now – in June – I’m watering the tomatoes that I have planted in grow bags in the greenhouse THREE times a day. I’m checking the compost, if it’s not moist, then the tomatoes get some water.
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Final Words on the Best Tomato Grow Bags
Tomatoes were the first of the fruits and vegetables that we grew and, being that we were limited on space in our first season, we grew then in pots, containers and grow bags, all at the same time, as we’d sowed a heck of a lot of seeds and didn’t have many failures. Since that first year, we’ve grown tomatoes in the greenhouse, in the ground, in containers and also in bags. Bags, we’ve found for tomatoes, as they’re annuals is just so much more convenient. Reusable bags are great for cleaning and storing for the next year and they’re super easy to move around. Let us know what you decide to do and which you’ve found to be the best tomato grow bags for your garden.
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