How Can I Improve the Taste of Container Grown Tomatoes?

rnewste · February 17, 2009

Without generalizing too much, I have found over the years that in-the-dirt tomato plants have yielded the better tasting tomatoes as compared with those at the other end of the spectrum, grown hydroponically. Container grown tomatoes fall in somewhere between, but closer to in-the-ground ones, in my past experience.

This season I want to "experiment" with some additional additives to try to get as close as I can in EarthTainer growing, to the "in-the-ground" taste parity. In addition to the Tomato-tone fertilizer with the additional micro-nutrients they add, I will be using Actinovate, which the package claims: "Enhances plant vitality; Encourages larger root systems". While I am always skeptical of package claims, I have personally verified that Actinovate did give me much larger and more vigorous Oregon Snow Pea plants vs. no additive.

In reading a Thread on another forum, it is claimed that addition of Sea Salt improves the flavor and BRIX level of the tomatoes. While I don't want to dump some seawater into the 'Tainer and "wing it", possibly killing off all my plants, I have been thinking about adding some Greensand into the Potting Mix as a better substitute.

Again, I would like to make these additive decisions based on scientific reasoning rather than old wives tales, so if there is some solid basis on what additives I could experiment with (and not clog up the wicking action of the EarthTainer medium), I would appreciate any suggestions - - either what DID work, and just as valuable, what DID NOT work for you.

Thanks,

Ray

February 17, 2009	#1
rnewste Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Campbell, CA Posts: 4,064	How Can I Improve the Taste of Container Grown Tomatoes? Without generalizing too much, I have found over the years that in-the-dirt tomato plants have yielded the better tasting tomatoes as compared with those at the other end of the spectrum, grown hydroponically. Container grown tomatoes fall in somewhere between, but closer to in-the-ground ones, in my past experience. This season I want to "experiment" with some additional additives to try to get as close as I can in EarthTainer growing, to the "in-the-ground" taste parity. In addition to the Tomato-tone fertilizer with the additional micro-nutrients they add, I will be using Actinovate, which the package claims: "Enhances plant vitality; Encourages larger root systems". While I am always skeptical of package claims, I have personally verified that Actinovate did give me much larger and more vigorous Oregon Snow Pea plants vs. no additive. In reading a Thread on another forum, it is claimed that addition of Sea Salt improves the flavor and BRIX level of the tomatoes. While I don't want to dump some seawater into the 'Tainer and "wing it", possibly killing off all my plants, I have been thinking about adding some Greensand into the Potting Mix as a better substitute. Again, I would like to make these additive decisions based on scientific reasoning rather than old wives tales, so if there is some solid basis on what additives I could experiment with (and not clog up the wicking action of the EarthTainer medium), I would appreciate any suggestions - - either what DID work, and just as valuable, what DID NOT work for you. Thanks, Ray