Calling all gardeners

Hi
last year I made a planter to grow veggies salad etc and want to do the same this year.

I just used growbags to fill the planter as it is off the ground so easier to manage-however onviosly over the winter things died away and am left with remains of plants (in particular courgettes plant ) and am aware it said on the growbags that I should use fir one season. So do I need to use new soil. Or can I add compost to my existing soil - also things munched away at the veg last year so will they have eggs in the existing soil etc

sorry for the questions - novice gardener alert!!!!!

Hi, personally I would use new fresh bags, last years will have had all the goodness taken out of it and be stale and no good for anything apart from mulching, and it's more than possible that the critters that munched last year, could have laid their eggs in the soil, and when these hatch out have a good old feast on your new young tender plants or roots, plus if last years plants carried any diseases that weren't obvious, they could be passed onto your new plants and do them harm, and you may end up with a very poor crop. HTHs

That's great and what I thought to be honest . Something for hubby to do this weekend then lol !! Thankyou

if you have a problem with slugs, put copper tape around your containers...they don't like it!!
from link removed
you can get great organic seeds from that site too at a great price

Have new bags...use once throw away......

Hi,

Best to use new bags as all the nutrients will have been used after about 6 weeks in any case. Rather than just throwing them away put the contents in your compost bin and let it break down naturally so that in a few months you can put it all back on the garden as organic matter.

Good luck!

I'm thinking of doing this, Dani. I'm going to buy a trough and plant a couple of tomato plants. I would also like to grow courgettes - are they difficult?

I've just planted some Beetroot and Spring onions today, as well as some dwarf Sunflowers, it's been glorious out there today

Dani, hope you don't mind me jumping in and answering this

Vicki,
Tomatoes are relatively easy, they need to be kept well watered and fed, if they are allowed to dry out the fruit will get blossom end rot (little black spots where the flower joins the fruit) and you should pick out all side shoots, unless you get a variety like Gardeners Delight, which is a cherry tomatoes, where you don't have to

No idea about Courgettes, can't stand the little green blighters