Using a Grow Bag Properly

Grow Bags are a great bonus for anyone wanting to grow their own tomatoes, aubergines and cucumbers (or any type of crop which does not require deep soil). They are especially good if you have a shortage of space in your garden, or are restricted to a balcony or yard. You might think that using a grow bag is fairly straightforward, and indeed you would be right. However, there are several things you can do to improve their efficiency.

1. Prepare the bag. When you get the grow bag home, loosen the soil inside by shaking and kneading it like a pillow. crumble up any hard lumps of compost before planting anything in it.

2. Position the bag. Place the grow bag on a level surface which gets plenty of sunlight. Shift the compost around a bit until it is slightly in the middle, where the plants will sit.

3. Drainage. Grow bags are great at retaining water, so you need to allow for drainage. Make several small, evenly spaced holes in the bottom of the bag to allow excess water to escape.

4. Essential Extras. Plants such as tomato and cucumber will require support as they grow. Invest in some grow bag frames and bamboo canes. The frames sit over the grow bag and the canes can then be attached to the frames. Your plants can now grow up through the frames and be tied to the canes to give them support. You can also get grow pots, which you place over the plant, letting the plant grow up through them. Grow pots can be filled with water, which then drips slowly onto the roots, ensuring perfect watering. Also good for delivering liquid plant food directly to the root system.

5. Re-use. Once your have finished with your grow bag, you can split it open and use the compost to condition the soil in your garden.

Colour Me, Colour My Garden campaign for summer...

When it comes to fashion, clashing colours and clever colour combinations can say a lot about people and their personality, but does the same apply when we choose our plants? PlantforLife has teamed up with TV’s fashion expert and celebrity stylist, Mark Heyes plus gardening’s hottest designer Chris Collins to advise on how to choose the right colours to suit you and your garden. The ‘Colour Me Colour My Garden’ campaign demonstrates how you can apply classic colour fashion rules to an outdoor space and garden.

New research from PlantforLife released today shows that 80% of people admit their moods are affected by colour in their garden, yet more than a fifth wished they could be braver and have the confidence to experiment with colour. When it comes to fashion, 41% of women agree that wearing the right colour can make or break an outfit. We’d all like to know a bit more about which colours to wear, with 31% of women admitting they play it safe when it comes to colour.

Celebrity stylist and TV fashion expert Mark Heyes comments “Colour plays a big role in people’s lives especially when thinking about the clothes they wear. It is often used to lift or reflect a person’s mood and personality but how can people get this right unless they know the colours that truly suit them? Most people fall in to one of four colour personalities each with its own distinct palette. Once you’ve got your colour palette cracked you can start projecting your true personality and colours!” Colour Me Colour My Garden helps people to identify which colour personality they are, which colours work for them and how they can plant their true colours.

People are more colour savvy and confident when it comes to fashion compared to planting. More than a quarter (27%) admit that choosing the right colours is key and nearly a quarter (24%) experiment with new styles and colours in their wardrobe. Yet when it comes to their garden, it’s a different story:
- 92% agree colour is important
- Yet, 76% admit they don’t think about the colour combinations
- 22% wish they could be braver and experiment with different colours
- A fifth (20%) admit to playing it safe with colour
- More than a quarter (28%) are envious of other people’s colourful gardens

Celebrity plantsman Chris Collins comments, “Knowing how to combine your best colours can really give a personal touch to your garden and make your hard work say a lot more about who you are! Colour in the garden can also create drama and effect whilst benefiting the environment too. A border of colourful plants is perfect for attracting birdlife and insects and plays a vital role encouraging key pollinators such as bees which can help with the reproduction of flowers.”

To discover your gardens true colours visit www.plantforlife.info/colour and download the Colour Me Colour My Garden guide for free.