Should I/Can I repot my Bush Early Girl Tomato Plant?

8 years ago

On a whim at the supermarket I just bought a well established Bush Early Girl tomato plant in a container - it seems to be about a 10 inch container. It looks lovely and healthy and already has a few small green tomatoes.

Having given up my vegetable patch after years of frustration trying to combat the animals eating my plants, I'm hoping that a container plant on a raised porch might be safe from uninvited guests. I've never grown in a container before. If I just leave it as is, will the plant have enough soil and nourishment to bring fruits to maturity?
Should I fertilize?
Does it make sense to repot, or will I lose whatever tomatoes are already growing?

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Comments (8)

johns.coastal.patio
8 years ago
I have never grown Bush Early Girl, but according to this link, they only get to be 18 inches tall!

Given that, I think it might be fine. If you want to go bigger, add another plant to your garden! Maybe a Sungold in a 5 gallon bucket, to put that out there.
howelbama
8 years ago
You will definitely want to fertilize since you intend to grow it out in a container. Its a bush variety so do not prune at all! It is a determinate variety so the potential number of fruits is genetically predetermined. Can you post a pic so we can see the overall health, size of container, and condition of the soil mix it is in?
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seysonn
8 years ago
Yes, I think it can be done.

You have to have the new pot all set and filled to and exact depth. Now you might need a couple of extra hands to gently remove the plant and transfer it to the new pot. From there on it is simple : just fill and pack around it, stake it/cage it and water it.
gosalsk
8 years ago
Bigger is better with containers. You can be sure the pot it came in is too small, though, because shipping large containers is expensive.

Tomatoes are tough and usually won't suffer much shock from being repotted (even when they're large). Just be careful with the stem and don't disturb the roots too much and you should be fine. Contrary to the prior recommendation, I would only fill the new container up to the level so that the root ball will be sitting at the proper height. Once the plant is in the new container, hold it up and pack soil around the sides. Then water it in and repeat until it's settled.

For fertilizer, get a tomato fertilizer with calcium and other micronutrients. Apply at the label rate. Vegetables in containers need complete fertilizers.

This post was edited by gosalsk on Sat, May 24, 14 at 9:23
Ohiofem 6a/5b Southwest Ohio
8 years ago
I grew it a few times in the past in a 15-gallon container. Mine was at least three feet tall and quite bushy. I wouldn't try to grow it in anything less than 10 gallons. It produced lots of hardball size tomatoes that actually tasted pretty good. I agree with most of the advice you've been given. But I can't stress enough how you will need to fertilize regularly. I'd suggest MiracleGro all purpose 24-8-16 or Dynamite Mater Magic, both of which are available from big box stores. They both include trace minerals and calcium. If you want more info, the tomato forum here is very active.

Edit: Sorry. The MiracleGro doesn't contain calcium. Their tomato formula does.

This post was edited by Ohiofem on Sat, May 24, 14 at 10:45
mari66
8 years ago
Hello
All the info above sounds right to me --I would get tomato fert. with calcium -it is the best --a large pot is best
Tomato roots are huge and long -that is how mine are when after harvesting I dump roots in dirt pile -not able to do a compost-so this is close
Good luck
grannysmith18
Original Author
8 years ago
Here's the plant. To give you size perspective, the clear plastic plate under the plant is 12 inches in diameter.
Would you leave it in the pot as is?
How soon should I start fertilizing, and how often?
gosalsk
8 years ago
It's not hopelessly tiny like you often see; you will get tomatoes from it, but if you want it to produce to its potential it needs a much larger container. Apparently that plant can get quite...Bushy... and produce lots of tomatoes, but it won't without a larger container.

A 10- or 18-gallon tote with a few holes drilled in the bottom would be perfect. I spray my totes with UV-resistant clearcoat (Krylon from Walmart). If you get a decorative container, get the biggest one they have. There's no replacement for displacement.

Start fertilizing now. You will also want to water it every day, maybe twice a day once it gets bigger.

This post was edited by gosalsk on Mon, May 26, 14 at 10:17