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-   -   Why grow in containers (http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=47654)

NicolasGarcia June 10, 2018 09:43 AM

Why grow in containers
 
Good afternoon from Spain.
Since I am registered in tomatoville I have observed that most of you have the tomato plants in pots or containers, even gardeners who have enough land and space prefer to cultivate in containers to cultivate directly in the garden soil.
And I find it very curious. From my short experience in the tomato plants always in my country has been cultivated in the direct garden from ancestors and generation after generation, good soil, aerated and oxygenated, with earthworm humus, dried leaves and cow, sheep or horse manure .
This year is my first year growing in containers, but only dwarf plants, but the experience I have in pots is that the plant has weakened and has not developed well.
This year I have only grown in containers dwarf plants and two of pink KARMA also to see how they adapt to the pots, apart I have 5 pink KARMA in the garden.
I wonder ... will it be only for aesthetics?
Thank you very much

.

encore June 10, 2018 09:50 AM

i grow mine in a RGGS (rain gutter grow system) mostly because of limited space, if i wanted to grow in the ground, the neighobrs trees would block the sun too much so the plants would'nt get the needed amount of sun, and it being a self watering system i really don't have to baby sit it as much---tom

GrowingCoastal June 10, 2018 09:53 AM

Last year I grew almost 300 lbs of tomatoes in containers, organically. That was from 28 plants, 6 of which were cherry tomatoes producing not as much as regular size tomatoes. In my northern climate I think that is pretty good. I do it this way now because tree roots have taken over my garden area. I would prefer to grow in soil if I could.

Following what people here at Tomatoville have written about growing tomatoes in containers is what has given me such a good result.

There are other reasons for container growing but those are mine. :yes:

bower June 10, 2018 10:10 AM

In my climate, containers give me an early start because the soil warms much faster than in the ground. :)
Another advantage of containers is that they are moveable. I can start early in the greenhouse, and more plants than I can fit full grown, then when the outdoors is warm enough, I bring the excess plants outside which are already mature and setting fruit.

If I had a big hoop house though I would grow in the ground as my friends do. My greenhouse has a stone floor so there's no ground there to plant in. We can still warm the soil by using raised beds and black mulch if wanted to start earlier. With good soil you're absolutely right, there is a better yield and the plants are better off, sturdier etc. and will have a longer season.

brownrexx June 10, 2018 10:15 AM

Many of us grow in ground. I have never grown tomatoes in containers

Gerardo June 10, 2018 11:04 AM

Many of us that grow in containers would love to grow in soil, circumstances do not allow us. In my case trees have all the soil locked up. If I leave a container directly on the ground the tree roots will start to infiltrate the potting mix.
In some cases, tomatoes do better in containers.

Worth1 June 10, 2018 11:14 AM

I grow in containers and raised beds because my soil sucks big time and I mean big time.
The other reason is where I do have good soil it is too shady for just about anything.
Now if I were to drive down the hill to the other street they have wonderful sandy loam bottom soil.

As far as here I have seen people grow in raised beds and containers for no reason at all and have looked past some of the best soils we have in Texas simply because they think soil has to be fluffy.
This is the famous Houston black soil scattered around Texas.
And the vertisols plus many others.

Much if not most of it used to be farm land and with proper maintenance can be brought back to the way is was before it was farmed.

Where I live there was some sort of glacial outflow or something that happened many years ago that deposited round river rocks all over the place plus rolling hills and deposits of sand.
This must have been one heck of an event on a very large scale that happened several times from looking at the horizons of the soils.
This all after the place was covered in ocean at one time.


Worth
.

Koala Doug June 10, 2018 11:23 AM

[LEFT][SIZE=3][FONT=Garamond][B]Nicolas, each of use who container grow does so for a variety of reasons. Usually, we're trying to overcome some deficiency or problem. Or, in my case, multiple problems.
[/B][/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Garamond][/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Garamond][B]For me, I can't grow in the ground due to thick, heavy clay soil. And, to make matters worse, the property is completely shaded by large, mature trees. The only spot that gets any direct sunlight is a tiny patch of the driveway (about 10 feet by 10 feet)... and that spot only gets 4 to 5 hours of sunlight a day. Also, the deer eat everything that grows and that means I have to carry all my containers into the garage at night and bring them back out to the driveway each morning. If I didn't do that, I'd wake up to find bare stumps in my containers!
[/B][/FONT][/SIZE]


[SIZE=3][FONT=Garamond][B]I'd love to be able to grow in the ground, but it is simply impossible for me on this particular piece of property. Honestly, I am jealous everyone who can grow dozens of plants in the ground and not have to put in the extra effort that is required of container tomatoes.[/B][/FONT][/SIZE]

[/LEFT]
:)

NicolasGarcia June 10, 2018 11:31 AM

Ok, I understand better, thank you very much for your explanations, I have everything very clear.
I think everything is due to limitations.
I have a garden in a small house of about 100 square meters, and I love to see them grow on land as natural as possible, this year is my first year that I sow in containers (dwarf).
This year in Spain the weather has been quite abnormal regarding time, we have not had spring and enough rain ... climate change? the truth that I start to scare ....
In normal circumstances I have about 10 hours of full sun for 5 months.
The dwarf tomato plants are covered in me, they are beautiful.
Greetings and thanks
Nico

NicolasGarcia June 10, 2018 11:35 AM

Worth1 I love the humor you have.
Maybe you have Spanish and Andalusian genes? :twisted:
To Los Andaluces we are lacking in contact with the rest of Spaniards for our good humor.
I hope the translator behaves well and they understand me
Nico.

NicolasGarcia June 10, 2018 11:41 AM

Koala Doug always paid a lot of attention to his comments.
The truth that I find it very easy to understand.
Thank you very much for your comments
Nico

NicolasGarcia June 10, 2018 11:53 AM

The doubt has arisen, because I have seen in pictures published in tomatoville, there are jarinderos in which they see enough space in your garden and yet I see in the photos that grow in containers .....

SueCT June 10, 2018 12:12 PM

I do both sometimes. I live on a hill so made a small garden that is raised on one side so it it level. When I run out of room in the garden, sometimes I plant addtional plants in pots. Yup, it is almost always to get around limitations that vary depending on each persons circumstances.

Worth1 June 10, 2018 12:23 PM

[QUOTE=NicolasGarcia;703650]The doubt has arisen, because I have seen in pictures published in tomatoville, there are jarinderos in which they see enough space in your garden and yet I see in the photos that grow in containers .....[/QUOTE]

Many people grow in containers due to infestations of nematodes or other viruses that once there will be there for a life time if not more.

Other reasons are the ability to get closer to the soil without bending over so much.

Then there is the whole tree root thing that was mentioned.
That I have too and they have infested my raised beds.
So much so I cant harvest my sweet potatoes I planted last year.
Cedar Elm has to have the worst root system on earth.
It is like a massive hair ball in the soil.
I have some sunken no drain hole containers that the root has gone over the top and back into the container.
It sucks the containers dry so I have to find and cut the things off the edge of the container.

NicolasGarcia June 10, 2018 12:43 PM

Thank you SueCTposus cometarios.
Worth1 thanks also to you for your comenatarios, I learn a lot from all of you.
Starting from that I am a novice and I have not been long with tomatoes, I have always asked farmers in the area to learn. tomatoville is teaching me a lot, apart from meeting wonderful people who share such a beautiful hobby in different parts of the world.
I try to make a hole in the ground and bury the fruit peels, vegetables, egg shells, sheets of paper, dry boil and ash from my chiemea, I also add cow dung to the ground and I try to disinfect the earth with hydrogen peroxide
I hope you understand me since I work under the translator.
Nico


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