Help with my container list, please?

[Stacey]

Hi,

I have some extra plants and a lot of containers. Can any of the following be grown in containers? I have 12, 16, 20 and 25 gallon container. I only have 2 20 gallon and 1 25 gallon container.

I also have no idea which plant to put in which size container.

Lastly: Do any of the below grow over 6 feet tall on average?


Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Here is my list of plants:

Black Cherry
Box Car Willie
Brandywine OTV
Brandywine Red
Carbon
Cherokee Purple
Delicious
Eva Purple Ball
Kellogs Breakfast
Lucky Cross
Ludyas Mom's Red Ukraine
Marianna's Peace
Omar's Lebanese
Paul Robeson

Kind regards,

Stacey

[Stacey]

If I can get away with it, I'd like to plant 2 plants in a cpouple of containers. I was thinking maybe a cherry with a larger variety? Any ideas?

Thanks again!

[Mischka]

All of the varieties on your list can be successfully grown in a container.

Keep in mind as a general rule of thumb that the more room a tomato plant has for root growth, the larger the plant and higher yield.

I wouldn't place 2 plants in a container; the foliage gets crowded and invites diseases to gain a foothold.

I'd put the Black Cherry in the 25 gallon container, myself. I'd also put Omar's Lebanese and either Brandywine OTV or Red in the 20 gallon ones.

The key is to make sure that you establish a regular water and fertilization schedule when growing in containers.

[DonnaMarieNJ]

Which of those would be good for a 12 gal. container? I am growing some of those plants, also, and only have 12 gal. planters. Should I take them back and get larger containers?

[Suze]

Originally Posted by DonnaMarieNJ

Which of those would be good for a 12 gal. container? I am growing some of those plants, also, and only have 12 gal. planters. Should I take them back and get larger containers?

Which ones do you have?

Quickly looking at the list, Carbon, Paul Robeson, Eva Purple Ball tend to be the more compact ones on the list, in my personal growing experience. And maybe CP as well.

And I do think that in NJ, you could grow any of those in a 12 gal container as long as you mulch and have the time to water and fertilize on a regular basis.

[DonnaMarieNJ]

Thanks, Suze! That helps me some! I have too many to list. Don't want to rehash what others posted. I'll just do some research. But it looks like I'll need bigger pots

[Stacey]

Thanks so much for the replies! I had no idea Black Cherry was such a monster!

[supergirl]

I'm growing a few from your list in containers:
Box Car Willie
Carbon
Kellogg's Breakfast
Marianna's Peace
Paul Robeson (last year)

Of them, Box Car Willie so far has been super-productive. I have two together in a half barrel (however many gallons that would be), and they're amazing so far, probably 40-50 green tomatoes on each plant. If it's even remotely tasty when it gets ripe, which from feedback it seems to be, I will definitely grow again in a container. Marianna's Peace is also doing very well; and KB as well. Carbon has been slow to fruit, but the plant itself is doing very well and has the thickest stem I've ever seen. I don't have black cherry, but my cherries (sungold and riesentraube), definitely need their own space, especially sungold, which is a good few feet over my head in its container vs the maybe a foot overhead for most of the others.

If you do put two in a container, make sure it's a really big container. I do see more disease problems with the two per half-barrel plants than the single plants (except that Boxcar Willie!) Paul Robeson last year was really really tasty, but did have some disease problems being with Black Prince, who was not nearly as tasty, and was one of the first to get pulled.

[Mantis]

Don't give up on Carbon. For me last year it put out fruit very late when others had run their race. It was container grown as well.
BTW, Well done

[feldon30]

Originally Posted by Stacey

Thanks so much for the replies! I had no idea Black Cherry was such a monster!

The 4 cherry powerhouses (which all get high marks for taste), Black Cherry, Sungold, Matt's Wild Cherry (marble-sized), and Sweet 100 (or Rose Quartz if you prefer OP) can all reach 8-10 feet and give hundreds of tomatoes given ideal conditions.