Tomatoville® Gardening Forums


Notices

General discussion regarding the techniques and methods used to successfully grow tomato plants in containers.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old September 8, 2006   #16
feldon30
Tomatovillian™
 
feldon30's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Rock Hill, SC
Posts: 5,346
Default

So far my success on growing tomatoes in containers is 0 for 2.

That said, soil from a construction site + lots of compost = heavy soil. It slows down root growth. By how much, I don't know.

I do agree with drilling holes a few inches up the side of the pots in addition to the holes in the bottom. If the only holes are resting on hard-packed clay, then you get no drainage.
__________________
[SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] *

[I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]
feldon30 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 8, 2006   #17
travis
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Evansville, IN
Posts: 2,984
Default

My container success has been very mixed and unpredictable.

You'd think dwarves generally would do better than indeterminates, right? Well, it seems to depend on the variety of dwarf. Some did well for me and some were complete failures ... all in the same size containers and same growing medium which basically has been composted pine bark and hardwood fines, sand, perlite, and baked clay oil absorb (unscented kitty litter).

I have a very limited experience in container grown tomatoes, but here's a scant few diverse tomato varieties that have done well for me in containers ... and I've never used anything larger than 5 gallon buckets and generally the soil is about 2 - 3 inches from the rims:

Early Girl
Health Kick
Lemon Boy
Lime Green Salad
Patio F1
Queen Anne's Lace
Silvery Fir Tree

And every single one of my hot pepper varieties did great this year in 3 - 5 gallon containers using the same or similar media with regular watering, fertilizing with MG-type blossom, rose, or tomato formulae about every two weeks, and flushing once a month.

PV
travis is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 8, 2006   #18
Tomstrees
Tomatovillian™
 
Tomstrees's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: NJ Bayshore
Posts: 3,848
Default

Pot Pics 2006:

Silvery Fir Tree
(large clay pot - has come back alive aNd is still producing tomatoes ???!!! Loved production and flavor BTW)


Golden Dwarf Champion
(large square plastic pot - I did not like the taste at all, but did produce plenty of toms)


Mary Ann
(5 gallon bucket - got 4 fruits)




Seems to me , that some fertilizer would help
my cause ... I need to use something organic ~

Tom
__________________
My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes
I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view.
~ H. Fred Ale
Tomstrees is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 8, 2006   #19
Mantis
Tomatovillian™
 
Mantis's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Oz
Posts: 1,241
Default

Thanks Michael. I will do the second way as I have already planted. The potting mix I used has some fert in it anyway.
This Sudden Impact for Roses gets rave reveiws from the rose folk so I hope the tomatoes like it as well.
Mantis is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 9, 2006   #20
Full Moon
Tomatovillian™
 
Full Moon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Montréal, Canada
Posts: 347
Default

Mantis, Have you look around to see if there is something similar to the Tomato Tone here is Australia?
Full Moon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 9, 2006   #21
Mantis
Tomatovillian™
 
Mantis's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Oz
Posts: 1,241
Default

Sudden Impact for Roses. Dont know if its Tone or not. It smells OK. Similar specs.
Mantis is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 9, 2006   #22
mdvpc
Tomatoville® Moderator
 
mdvpc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 4,386
Default

Tone is a trade name for Espoma-they have different Tones-Garden Tone, Tomato Tone, etc. The tomato forumula is 4-7-10 with all micronutrients-in other words, its a complete fert-macro and micro.
__________________
Michael
mdvpc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 9, 2006   #23
Full Moon
Tomatovillian™
 
Full Moon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Montréal, Canada
Posts: 347
Default

Tom some of those tomatoes don't look too bad considering you didn't fertilize at all. They might enjoy a nice seaweed cuppa

Thank you Michael I'll see what I can find that is organic and comes close to that formula. Mantis, I think I'd rather find something ready to use then start to raise levels of this and that myself. Bit too risky I think for me.
Full Moon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 11, 2006   #24
Tomstrees
Tomatovillian™
 
Tomstrees's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: NJ Bayshore
Posts: 3,848
Default

Full Moon -

Did you happen to get out and gather
seaweed for your garden ? Your seaons
just getting started right ?

~ Tom
__________________
My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes
I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view.
~ H. Fred Ale
Tomstrees is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 11, 2006   #25
Full Moon
Tomatovillian™
 
Full Moon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Montréal, Canada
Posts: 347
Default

Tom, Yes I did. We build the new raised bed back in March/April and fill them with half new soil and half mixture of seaweed/mushroom compost/manure.
Spring is definatly here and the weather is beautiful. Yesterday I planted 10 tommies in pots I will wait another couple of weeks for the ones in the garden.
I've been drewling over your tomato pictures all season I hope I can return the favour in a couple of months :wink:
Full Moon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 12, 2006   #26
Tomstrees
Tomatovillian™
 
Tomstrees's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: NJ Bayshore
Posts: 3,848
Default

Great to hear about the seaweed ~
I'm sure you'll see a difference !
Did you wash it ?

On that note I'll post one last
"taste-bud teaser" for you !!! ~ lol ~

Cherokee Purple:



~ Tom

ps.
I need you to post picks in my winter which is in a few months !
__________________
My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes
I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view.
~ H. Fred Ale
Tomstrees is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 12, 2006   #27
Full Moon
Tomatovillian™
 
Full Moon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Montréal, Canada
Posts: 347
Default

That is pure torture! You kept the best for last. Beautiful tomato I can almost taste it.
Looks like you had a very good season this year except for the greens if I remember correctly.

No I didn't wash the seaweed. I wasn't sure if I should or not so I went and got a few books from the librairy (so can't look it up to quote what I read) on organic gardening and it was suggested not to wash the seaweed. The little salt and sand contained in the seaweed was beneficial to the soil. Do you wash yours?
Full Moon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 13, 2006   #28
Tomstrees
Tomatovillian™
 
Tomstrees's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: NJ Bayshore
Posts: 3,848
Default

Full Moon ~
Sorry, lol ....
I had to post it ! (was one of my favs)

You are right about my season ...
everything but the "greens"
worked out great -

The first time I ever gathered seaweed,
I rinsed it ... but after noticing no ill effects
if I didn't wash it ? I just started adding it
to the compost pile, and directly into the garden
as a mulch ~
Also, I did add straw this year ...
Didn't really notice a difference of "splash-back" on the lower leaves as some of my tomatoes still had disease -
but I think lack of circulation contributed to foliage problems ~ But it did help retain water ~

Next year ... better spacing / less crowding -

~ Tom

ps.
I also posted that pic in anticipation
of you posting yours; so you can get me
through those "winter blues" !
Which is coming quite quick I might add ...
was 50 when I got up this AM !!!
__________________
My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes
I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view.
~ H. Fred Ale
Tomstrees is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:01 PM.


★ Tomatoville® is a registered trademark of Commerce Holdings, LLC ★ All Content ©2022 Commerce Holdings, LLC ★