5 gallon tomato question

swinefka · March 2, 2013

I had a problem last year when growing tomatoes in my 5 gallon containers. Once they got to be around 3 to 4 feet high I had a problem with them tipping over on windy days or stormy days. All of my buckets are on a cement patio and it is the only place I can keep them at. It is a great location because it gets the enitre afternoon sun all the way until it gets dark. Here are the few questions I have.

Is there a smaller indeterminate tomatoe planet I can use that doesn't get so tall which will help this situation?
Is there anyone else who has had this problem that has built supports for the 5 gallon buckets that can be used on concrete? If so do you have any pictures of it that I can see?

Keger · March 2, 2013

Red Rocket is a early vairiety and doesnt get too tall, and is kind of wide and bulky, that should work.

Father'sDaughter · March 2, 2013

Check out the released dwarf project varieties. I did have one or two dwarfs in grow bags tip over on me last year, but it was strictly due to the weight of all the fruit!

swinefka · March 2, 2013

Thanks for the replies and I think I have an idea to end my buckets from tipping over. Once I build it I will post it on here.

Alpinejs · March 2, 2013

A couple possibilities.......

Place a concrete block lengthwise between each pail (tight) and drill a hole at the top of each
pail to tie a good string/cord between the pail.

Another solution that I use on all of mine out on my floating docks. Drill a small hole in the
base of the pail, insert a fairly long wood screw through a fender washer and drill each into
a fairly lengthy wood plank. They won't tip in a hurricane!!

Stvrob · March 2, 2013

I like Alpinejs idea with the plank. You could make an X with the lapped parts beveled thru 1/2 way thru each board. Then you could also use the planks as the base of your support system somehow. Maybe a post straignt up the middle of the bucket with guy wires from each plank to the top of the support post.

amideutch · March 2, 2013

If your patio has any kind of railing or fence around it attach the containers to the fence. At my previous residence I had a 60 foot fence line and attached my containers to it. If you can take a picture of your patio and post here it might be easier to make suggestions. Ami

Cole_Robbie · March 2, 2013

Look for tomato varieties with either "dwarf" or "bush" in the name.

Rockporter · March 2, 2013

I had the very problem you speak of and I had nothing I could attach to with the space being far too small to build anything. I also need to evacuate quickly if threat of hurricane is in the near distance. I used a cinder block on all three sides of the round bucket if you know what I mean? The cinder blocks seemed to hold the buckets well and I could move the buckets in and out of sun if I needed to.

When I had high wind gusts I decided to stack the cinder blocks to two tall and never had a bucket tip over again.

swinefka · March 2, 2013

Thanks for all of the replies and ideas, I would love to do the screw and washer methods in the base of the pail but they are self watering buckets and I dont want the chance of them leaking in the bottom of them.

JamesL · March 2, 2013

Scott,
How many buckets do you have? I saw a picture somewhere of the following.
Lay a ladder down with 2 cement blocks supporting the ends sawhorse style. Put the buckets in between the rungs, or every other. You could build that fairly simply as well.

Crandrew · March 3, 2013

could you buy some wood and frame them to a certain extent and then the frame could also be used to attach poles/bamboo/trellis etc.

swinefka · March 3, 2013

I have 9 buckets so not too many, I think I will build a frame around them out of 2x4's so they cant tip over.

Stvrob · March 3, 2013

You could make a wood frame like James' Ladder idea

March 2, 2013	#1
swinefka Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Gilberts, Illinois Posts: 27	5 gallon tomato question I had a problem last year when growing tomatoes in my 5 gallon containers. Once they got to be around 3 to 4 feet high I had a problem with them tipping over on windy days or stormy days. All of my buckets are on a cement patio and it is the only place I can keep them at. It is a great location because it gets the enitre afternoon sun all the way until it gets dark. Here are the few questions I have. Is there a smaller indeterminate tomatoe planet I can use that doesn't get so tall which will help this situation? Is there anyone else who has had this problem that has built supports for the 5 gallon buckets that can be used on concrete? If so do you have any pictures of it that I can see?

March 2, 2013	#7
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	If your patio has any kind of railing or fence around it attach the containers to the fence. At my previous residence I had a 60 foot fence line and attached my containers to it. If you can take a picture of your patio and post here it might be easier to make suggestions. Ami __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

March 2, 2013	#9
Rockporter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Texas Coastal Bend Posts: 3,205	I had the very problem you speak of and I had nothing I could attach to with the space being far too small to build anything. I also need to evacuate quickly if threat of hurricane is in the near distance. I used a cinder block on all three sides of the round bucket if you know what I mean? The cinder blocks seemed to hold the buckets well and I could move the buckets in and out of sun if I needed to. When I had high wind gusts I decided to stack the cinder blocks to two tall and never had a bucket tip over again. __________________ In the spring at the end of the day you should smell like dirt ~Margaret Atwood~

March 2, 2013	#2
Keger Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Richmond, TX Posts: 327	Red Rocket is a early vairiety and doesnt get too tall, and is kind of wide and bulky, that should work.

March 2, 2013	#3
Father'sDaughter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: MA/NH Border Posts: 4,917	Check out the released dwarf project varieties. I did have one or two dwarfs in grow bags tip over on me last year, but it was strictly due to the weight of all the fruit!

March 2, 2013	#5
Alpinejs Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Alpine, Calif. in winter. Sandpoint Lake, Ont. Canada summers Posts: 850	A couple possibilities....... Place a concrete block lengthwise between each pail (tight) and drill a hole at the top of each pail to tie a good string/cord between the pail. Another solution that I use on all of mine out on my floating docks. Drill a small hole in the base of the pail, insert a fairly long wood screw through a fender washer and drill each into a fairly lengthy wood plank. They won't tip in a hurricane!!

March 2, 2013	#6
Stvrob Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 1,413	I like Alpinejs idea with the plank. You could make an X with the lapped parts beveled thru 1/2 way thru each board. Then you could also use the planks as the base of your support system somehow. Maybe a post straignt up the middle of the bucket with guy wires from each plank to the top of the support post.

March 2, 2013	#8
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	Look for tomato varieties with either "dwarf" or "bush" in the name.

March 2, 2013	#11
JamesL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 1,992	Scott, How many buckets do you have? I saw a picture somewhere of the following. Lay a ladder down with 2 cement blocks supporting the ends sawhorse style. Put the buckets in between the rungs, or every other. You could build that fairly simply as well.

March 3, 2013	#12
Crandrew Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: asdf Posts: 1,202	could you buy some wood and frame them to a certain extent and then the frame could also be used to attach poles/bamboo/trellis etc.