Heirlooms in Containers
 

Because of my high temps, flooding than droughts and unreal humidity, I mainly grow hybrids. Last year I started doing some heirlooms. I had started them late, which was a good thing as most of the insects and normal diseases had done passed on through, but early frost took out a lot of the tomatoes before they got good producing or turning ripe.

Since, the heirlooms lived and my hybrids were iffy, I decided to plant almost all heirlooms this year. I am not familiar with any of the seed I am planting, so it wil be an experience for me and hopefully, I'll be enjoying a lot of flavorful tomatoes.

I have to grow in containers here. Just about everything I grow is in a container. I read a blog on I believe it was nctomatoman's site which helped, but I am wondering with the high heats usually over 100+F and 100% humidity, what can I do, or add to my containers to help these heirlooms flourish and protect them if possible from disease.

3 gallon is the biggest size containers that I have. Have plenty of them, plus they a size I can lift and move if I have to provide a bit of shade during blistering , drought days, so if I have to pinch, crop or do something else to get them to grow in a 3 gallons, would appreciate any advice.

Even if I only get a few tomatoes to save seed from and to taste, that is fine. I'd just like to see if I can't switch over to more heirlooms than hybrids and to show other folks down my way, we can grow the heirlooms and don't have to eat those hard, flavorless tomatoes from grocery store.

Paint your pots white or another bright color. Or wrap them in foil, anything to reflect the sunlight off the pots. Also use a light colored mulch to slow evaporation and reflect the sunlight. You could even run shade cloth around a row of pots to keep the soil from heating up.

Your pots are too small for ollas, so the self waterers that you put bottles on would keep the soil from completely drying out during the day. Sorry, I'm on the iPad, and don't have the links. I'll get those later.

To help with water issues, look up rain gutter grow system per Larry halls videos on YouTube. Imo, the most ideal subirrigated setup.

Sorry folks, I haven't figured out how to work the quote button yet.

[b]Blueaussi[/b] It would cost me a fortune for spray paint, but that is an idea if I only have a few containers of something. I like your ideas of the foil and the shade cloth. Both those I can do very easily.

[b]luigiwu[/b] My computer is on dial up and just about ancient, so I can go to YouTube until I get to a library, but I had seen somebody throw out about 8 almost brand new rain gutters to the trash and I dragged them home. Now I know what they can be used for.

Thank you both for the advice. I'm so nervous trying all these new heirlooms for the first time. :)

Here's a link to the Rain Gutter Grow System video for when you get to a library.

[URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRQzhFBCot4[/URL]

He also has a great active Facebook group, of which I am a member. I have three raised beds in my new house which will get used for the first time this year. Unclear on how well the previous owners kept up the soil. But, I am also putting two 10-foot gutter systems on the deck this year since it gets better sun that where these folk place the raised beds. I get my buckets for free from local grocery stores.

Thanks for the link Kleebin. The idea of the rain gutters sounds like it might solve a lot of problems and I'm for trying new things.

A friend of mine brought me a bunch of her totes she didn't want anymore as they don't have lids and they range from 7 to 10 gallon size, so I am going to slice a bunch of holes in them and use them this year.

That's good news Starlight! If those totes were used for growing before or left outside then you might want to bleach them just to be sure you don't ruin your season with bacteria growth.

Just trying to be helpful.

Al

I would suggest rather than fighting the sun and heat, use it to your advantage.

You should be able to find verbena [URL]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verbena[/URL]

veronica [URL]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veronica_(plant[/URL])

and Spiderwort [URL]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_wort[/URL]

growing wild or in your or a friend's yard. Plant several containers of these and allow them to shade your tomato containers soil as well as their own. Claud

[QUOTE=Al@NC;452175]That's good news Starlight! If those totes were used for growing before or left outside then you might want to bleach them just to be sure you don't ruin your season with bacteria growth.

Just trying to be helpful.

Al[/QUOTE]

I'm always glad of advice and help. Thanks Al. I will bleach them. They had clothes all stored in them, but than she had them sitting outside and with heirlooms and some of these seeds being new to me, I sure don't want to take any chances. Want to give these babies the best start in life I can. :)

[quote]Plant several containers of these and allow them to shade your tomato containers soil as well as their own. Claud[/quote]

Now that is a nifty idea. I plant herbs or some trap crops a bit away and along side some veggies, but it never crossed my mind to use some of the taller perennial and annual plants to shade the pots.

If this cold arctic blast hasn't frozen my pots solid, I have a bunch of pots of the Verbena Homestead and that is a good suggestion as it will climb up so far and spread out all over and shade the pots.

I have tons of flower seeds. Now I'll go through them and find ones that will have the height and spreading to shade the pots. Your idea will also help with bringing the pollinators and beneficals too, to help protect the tomatoes.

Thanks so much for the awesome idea Claud. :D

3-gallons is really small. You will want to grow dwarfs or compact determinates. I think you will be happy with anything from the dwarf project.

If you can stack concrete blocks or big rocks around the pots, that will add mass and help them not heat up so much during the day. The ideal place for a container is buried in the ground, at least temperature-wise, but that's not very easy to accomplish. You'd need a hole that the rain won't flood.

If you don't have blocks, wood mulch, gravel, or straw piled around the container will also help. Anything is better than a black pot cooking in direct sun.

Another approach is to use white plastic as shade cover and/or mulch cover.

Note how Earthboxes and Earthtainers use plastic as a mulch cover to conserve moisture and reflect heat. I have also wrapped larger containers with white plastic for the summer. As an example, you could make a white plastic skirt over the top of smaller containers with the tomato stalk poking out the center. Make sure there is still aeration around your container.

I prefer to use heavy duty compactor bags to make these white skirts and mulch covers.

Now if you want aesthetics you could build screens around groups of containers to shield south and west sun. I made three-panel screens from wood fencing and hinges that stand about 2 feet tall. You can make a group of containers look like a raised bed from a distance.

Hope this helps,
Rick

Fantastic!! More great ideas to try. I am so excited, yet so nervous. I so want to have some nice healthy plants and so beautiful tomatoes this year. I drool over other folks pictures. I can grow a tomato plant, but I haven't grown like you professionals have and not with the heirlooms.

I know I have so much to learn about them and their care, so I am really, really glad for all the advice and help. Whether it is seed I have bought or seed shared, somebody, somewhere went to a lot of work to grow the plants and harvest the seeds. I sure don't want to see all their hard work wasted.

[quote]Another approach is to use white plastic as shade cover and/or mulch cover.

Note how Earthboxes and Earthtainers use plastic as a mulch cover to conserve moisture and reflect heat. I have also wrapped larger containers with white plastic for the summer. As an example, you could make a white plastic skirt over the top of smaller containers with the tomato stalk poking out the center. Make sure there is still aeration around your container.

I prefer to use heavy duty compactor bags to make these white skirts and mulch covers.

Now if you want aesthetics you could build screens around groups of containers to shield south and west sun. I made three-panel screens from wood fencing and hinges that stand about 2 feet tall. You can make a group of containers look like a raised bed from a distance.

Hope this helps,
Rick [/quote]

Sure does help. Besides dragging all those rain gutters home, about a year ago a friend was tossing out a whole box of those long and wide plastic white skirting table dressings. I asked her for them. They are brand new and I couldn't stand to see them trashed. I've had them stored wondering what I was going to do with them and almost was going to get rid of them myself a few weeks ago and am so glad I didn't now.

They may just be perfect for what you suggested Rick. :)

You never know what will or will not work in your area, so I am going to give all the ideas a try. It will be interesting to see if one works better for me than another.

I am so glad I asked for help and I do appreciate all the answers. I love to learn new things and maybe with all your help I'll have some real nice tomatoes this year. :)

[QUOTE=

(snip...)

Since, the heirlooms lived and my hybrids were iffy, I decided to plant almost all heirlooms this year. I am not familiar with any of the seed I am planting, so it wil be an experience for me and hopefully, I'll be enjoying a lot of flavorful tomatoes.


3 gallon is the biggest size containers that I have. Have plenty of them, plus they a size I can lift and move if I have to provide a bit of shade during blistering , drought days, so if I have to pinch, crop or do something else to get them to grow in a 3 gallons, would appreciate any advice.

.[/QUOTE]

What kinds of hybrids have you been growing in 3 gallon pots?

-GG

[quote]What kinds of hybrids have you been growing in 3 gallon pots?[/quote]

I had

Big Boy
Better Boy
Celebrity
Beefsteak
Beefmaster
Early Girl

Those are the ones I can remember right of hand and that is because those are the ones everybody looks for at market.

Too, last year was terrible for the weather.

I have a few 18 gal plastic containers I found at home depot for a good price. They are really just big buckets, with rope handles. I use on for a special tomato, the other I use for mixing soil in.

It's hot and humid in the summer here too starlight. The trick is to get your tomatoes in as early as possible so you can make the best advantage of the perfect spring weather and begin eating tomatoes in May. You may be able to keep things going thru the summer (B54Red can and does keep it going over the summer in South Alabama, but a lot of people just give up and retreat to AC)