Tomatoes do very well in containers as many of us can attest. Use a quality potting mix, not soil and fertilize regularly. Take a look at posts in this forum and the vegetable garden forum for more ideas/info.

Tomatoes DO require quite a bit of water, and a fairly large container. I've never used less than a 3-gallon container, and then I grew "patio" hybrid tomatoes. I always grow my tomatoes in a container. I usually grow "bush" varieties...although I did once grow "Big Boy" tomatoes...by the end of the season I was picking cherry-sized tomatoes off it, but I got a lot of them! At the temps you get, you'd probably need to water every day. Broccoli? I wouldn't do more than one in a 5-gallon bucket, because of the shape of the bucket more than anything. I don't really know how deep their roots get, but the plants themselves get very big. I've heard of the potting soil "grow in a bag" trick, but have never tried it. Keep looking around here. This place is wonderful for info!

Tomatoes DO require quite a bit of water, and a fairly large container. I've never used less than a 3-gallon container, and then I grew "patio" hybrid tomatoes. I always grow my tomatoes in a container. I usually grow "bush" varieties...although I did once grow "Big Boy" tomatoes...by the end of the season I was picking cherry-sized tomatoes off it, but I got a lot of them! At the temps you get, you'd probably need to water every day. Broccoli? I wouldn't do more than one in a 5-gallon bucket, because of the shape of the bucket more than anything. I don't really know how deep their roots get, but the plants themselves get very big. I've heard of the potting soil "grow in a bag" trick, but have never tried it. Keep looking around here. This place is wonderful for info!

The good points have already been covered, mostly. Like justaguy said, use a good quality potting mix. I've had great results with MG Moisture Control as a base for it. Like alys said, they will need a bit more water than in-ground maters, but don't over water. Also, Cherry varieties & some others will be fine with a minimum 5 gallon (preferably 8-10) container. Others may need up to a 20 gallon container to reach their full potential.

- Steve

My toms in containers are far outpacing those in my garden. I use regular style pots and not huge SWC, but they do well. Use the link to see pictures.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Corner Yard

ribbit: message me on here...we'll blog link up, if you want. Nice site.

Steve's Garden

Peace - Steve

Thanks, Steve! I appreciate it.

I tried self-watering containers this year for first time, a big planter box I made, plastic tubs, and regular buckets, and I have cherry tomatoes growing in all of them. I started seedlings in house so I already have plants outside now from 4'-7' tall. The key is the water resevoir under the soil I believe. They make an "Earthbox" product that does the same thing, but online I found PDF of how to make your own containers and build in a water resevoir under the soil in each! I'm also growing squash, bell peppers, green beans... I'm in Rancho Cucamonga. I don't think I'll ever go back to growing in the ground/dirt.

Please take a look at my container garden....on photo bucket.com/organic_dusty. I am also a newbie:) It is very gratifying and calming to garden.....I love it.
On the search engine - (tomatoes) it shows the bag of soil with a mater growing out of it. I believe it is under the one with the bucket farm..........

Steve, my father asked me to grow a Tomato plant for him. Has to go in container.

Made mistake of buying Big Boy and 2 Better Boy since I've read they will need huge containers. Didn't know there was such a thing as Bush Big Boy.

Don't know if they sell 10 gallon containers in big box stores where I got 5 gallon paint containers.

I also got the idea to buy MG Moisture Control as I read your post prior to shopping. I know I can grow in "gritty mix" with additives but I only have enough components for flowers.

I was going to get the Organic Choice Moisture Control as someone else on forums swears by it but they didn't have it and I didn't feel like schlepping other places to find it.

I've seen posts and articles where people add so many different things I'm confused. Things added alone or in some combination include: compost (home made or bagged), "other" organic material, oyster shells (for calcium), gypsum (calcium?), epsom salts, worm castings and other things.

Then I read never add compost because you're introducing bacteria to a relatively sterile starting medium and could encourage Tomato plant disease/pests.

What do you add to this "base" when planting? It's already got some nutrients but probably not nearly enough to sustain a Tomato through a season.

Fertilizers used also run the gamut. Tomato Tone enough on its own? I haven't read package or bought any fert for these plants but would think Tomato Tone has micros needed for Toms in addition to NPK. Open to suggestions and experience on fert also.

Should I give the Big Boy away and stick with the Better Boys or just look around for a Bush Big Boy?

Is 10 gallon paint container large enough for Better Boy? I know one can go smaller than needed at the expense of smaller fruits but I'd prefer quality over quantity with fruits. I've also read "the bigger the container the better" so I could look for larger than 10 gallon.

I can see a couple tomato plants are going to be expensive with things needed to grow properly in container so the tomatoes better be good...LOL.

I have one 25-30 gallon real plant container but it's like a V shape where it fans out in size from bottom. Think uniformity of straight sides better for roots, correct?

Thanks in advance for some advice as to mix additives and container sizes.

My father also came home from church with 2 "red Bell Pepper" starts from a friend of his. They're going in 5 gallon pots unless these too need larger to get peppers that aren't marble to baseball sized!

I'm just getting the hang of flowers and now I'm being forced into an area that seems more difficult and variable.

Help! :)

Here is the link to my instructions for building Self watering containers. Tomatoes do very well in them. Hey Newbie in NJ if you need help building them I am in Matawan NJ. sent me an email. The link below contains four documents:

How to make a self watering container
The new dual tub design (best design so far)
comparison results against commercial self watering containers
decorative self watering containers

Here is a link that might be useful: Here is the link to the SWC PDF files

newbie_in_nj: First off, the Red Bell Pepper plants should be fine in 5 gallon containers. Smaller pepper varieties can actually grow just fine in 2-3 gallon containers. With Bell Peppers, expect your final fruit size to be almost directly proportional to the size of the container you grow it in. I gew a Bell plant in a 5 gallon last year and got several nice looking peppers from it, but they were only about 2 - 2&1/2 inches long and about 1&1/2 - 2 inches wide. I'd probably recommend a somewhat bigger container, but if you want to grow them in the 5 gallon ones, you should be fine.

You can keep the Big Boy & Better Boy plants. I would probably visit your local garden center and grab some 10 gallon (or larger) containers for them though. Most chain stores show a cu ft measure on theirs. 1 cu ft is equal to about 7 & 1/2 gallons. I use the MG Moisture Control for my maters and it does just fine. I use varied mixes per plant type (peppers, maters, etc.). I would definitely use a fertilizer with a normal routine (every 3 weeks, every 2 weeks, etc...depends on how much fertilizer you give at each interval). A good guide to go by would be that if you fertilize according to the directions on the bottle, you will probably only have to do it 2-3 times all year. I dilute mine to about 1/4 strength and do it every 2-3 weeks. I also give my plants a boost of sorts with it, if they've had any trouble (broken branches, etc.). Tomato Tone will do just fine. Once you start the plants on a fertilization plan, don't deviate from it too much or it may affect the plants in a negative way.

"I have one 25-30 gallon real plant container but it's like a V shape where it fans out in size from bottom. Think uniformity of straight sides better for roots, correct?"

It depends on how bad of a V it is. =) I'd have to see a picture. You're probably right. Even though it's a huge container, it would require extra support & the roots might now grow as healthy due to the odd shape. Always worth a try if you have an extra plant though.

Regarding potting mix additives, that's really based on personal choice, opinion & soil tests. =) For my maters, I simply mix the MG with a little Canadian Sphagnum Peat (about 90% MG to 10% Peat) and feed on a normal basis like previously mentioned. I will also spray down the potting soil with warm-water based Epsom Salts spray every week when they start to bloom & produce fruit. That works just fine for me. If you have the funds available, some other additives work well too. Do a bit of research on the Tomatoes forum on here and you can formulate a plan about what you want to use. Hope this helps.

- Steve

Newbie,

A good place to get 10 gal containers, if you aren't particularly concerned about aesthetics is a landscape supply place. They will have black plastic pots in all sizes they consider trash. Typically they will give you them for free.

In terms of various additives to a potting mix I understand the whole thing can be confusing. It need not be. All you need is a decent potting mix and a decent fertilizer. Stuff like epsom salts, compost, worm castings etc. are not necessary. The 'goal' of all these additives is to ensure the plants get all required nutrients. Common fertilizers such as Miracle Grow lack Calcium, magnesium and kinda sorta sulfur. All 3 of these *may* be present in your irrigation water. You would need to analyze your water supply to know for sure if they are present in useful amounts. For most, it's easier to just supply them. Lime adds calcium and magnesium and epsom salts adds magnesium and sulfur which is why folks often add these.

For this year I would encourage you to 'just do it' and if you are inclined to learn more so things are less confusing to you then I recommend two thread in particular to aid you in understanding potting mixes and fertilizing in containers. This one and this one.

They may seem overwhelming right now, but if that is the case perhaps bookmark them and come back to them over the winter.

Don't be cheap when buying soil especially if this is your fist time. Buy miserly soil get a miserly unproductive tomatoes plant

I've always said: "In container gardening, you can put two-bit plants in a ten-dollar soil (a structurally stable, well aerated soil) and have a beautiful garden, but if you put ten-dollar plants in a two-bit soil you'll have nothing but disappointment and frustration."

Al

hahaha...good one, Al.

Thanks for the suggestions, Steve and you other generous folks.

You usually get another chance with perennial plants next year but vegetables only give you one chance!

Justaguy2, I've tried nurseries that do landscaping around here for large pots and most of them collect their used pots and send them to a recycling place for cash. Aesthetics aren't my first concern with limited resources in most situations...I use a spray paint for plastic on outside of whatever containers I can scrounge up to dress up enough for my father and keep roots from getting overheated with dark color. I may call some landscapers not attached to nursery who might not want to lug them all back to wherever they take them...probably trash.

Spending $40-80 on a plastic 5-10 gallon planter is out of my reach. I'll save the money for plants, seed, light set ups and everything else that goes into growing plants. Those shrub pots are just fine for me and my purposes if I can pry some loose from a landscaper.

The well water here is iron heavy requiring a softener system. Water from garden hose is not softened. Lime and epsom salts are easy enough to add.

After spending over $70. at Lowe's for MG soil and bamboo stakes I don't think I skimped on supplies for 2-3 plants considering I don't even have the pots yet.

NAPA auto parts came through like a champ on the Floor Dry, Al. Bought all 5 bags they got and used some for gardens. Pellets last longer than powdered DE especially after 3 straight days of pounding rain.

I'm going over to read the threads you recommended, Steve. Thanks.

I'll let you know how I make out. This is so late to start on Toms & Peppers but what's a girl to do! LOL

Thank you, Justaguy2, for link to threads. Sorry. :)

Thank you, Justaguy2, for link to threads. Sorry. :)

You are welcome and you have nothing to apologize for ;)