Taste of container-grown tomatoes?

[SharonRossy]

Ok, so here's what I do as per Raybo's recommendation and other research.
For a 20 gallon bag, filled with Pro Mix BX, I add:
3 cups of dolomitic Lime
3 cups of slow released fertilizer with micronutrients - I actually like MG's tomato fertilizer 9-4-12. Although it has added calcium, I add the 3 cups of lime.
2 cups of epsom salts

I don't make a fertilizer strip, I mix the whole thing together, adding gradually as I add the promix. You can add additional perlite, I haven't simply because I don't feel like it.

Then, as the plants start to grow and form blossoms, I give a weekly diluted feed of either MG 18-18-24 or anything I can get my hands on - usually 6 litres or quarts per plant. I do the same for the 15 gallon pots, I really don't make a big adjustment, because in my 20 gallon bags, I might not fill them all the way to the top.
Also, I add epsom salts from time to time when I water with the additional fertilizers.
RT, the 5-1-1 drains very fast so adding the epsom salts would be a good thing.
Lindalana, I water the old fashioned way, manually with a wand shower head and water only the container mix. It takes a long time and it's a pain, but I haven't figured out a drip method yet. That's next year's project.
I would like to add that I have been using containers of all sorts for years and have had many trials and errors - lots of erros. I did the 5-1-1 but it was too much for me and not worth it in my opinion. Pro Mix works beautifully, as long as you prepare it well and keep it amended.
Hope that helps.
Sharon

[Ricky Shaw]

^ Very helpful. A good supplement program has been the common thread for those getting the best production.

[RT_Peasant]

Sharon, it's interesting to see the quantities that you used. I've got 15 gal pots, and I used close to a cup of dolomitic lime (per the 5-1-1 recommendations) and ~1/2 cup of Miracle Gro Shake-n-Feed, which is much less than what you added.

When you say that the 5-1-1 was too much for you, are you referring to the labor required to mix it, or something else? This year was the first year that I used it in any real quantity. I found that it dries out very fast, and I have to water my tomatoes every day, peppers every other day or so. Even with daily watering, my indeterminate tomatoes would wilt by the end of the day.

[SharonRossy]

RT, i found everything too much with the mix. I found it physically taxing to mix peat moss, pine bark fines, which were not remotely available here, so I used hemlock mulch, the perlite and then the ferts. Some people screen for the right size of the pine fines, I can't be bothered. Second year I found something from Home Hardware that I ordered that was close to pine bark fines, but again, it was so overwhelming that I mixed the pine bark with Pro Mix and followed the original recipe for ferts. I had my worse growing year last year. This year, I stuck only to Promix and added the ferts that Raybo uses in his earthtainer. My plants did fantastic. You just have to remember that as the plant starts forming fruits and growing, you will increase your weekly dose of water soluble from a diluted solution to full strength as the plant gets larger and there is more demand.
About the 5-1-1 mix. It drains out quickly and therefore watering becomes almost twice a day, which is why paying attention to a nutrient regime is important. At least with the Pro Mix, watering might be once a day or sometimes it can go everyother day, depending on how high the temps are. It does help to mulch the surface . And like with any tomato plant, they still need a regular regime of spraying with Serenade, copper,or Daconil and whatever you use for insects.
The 5-1-1 does well in certain environments but I'm not a fan. Plus when I read how people have to use a shredder or run the bags over with their car to break down the bark fines, that's my limit!
I found the quantities used in the 5-1-1 mix not sufficient for heavy feeders like tomatoes and will wash out quickly with constant watering.