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tomato in 5 gallon bucket wilting in the sun

13 years ago

First time growing tomato (indeterminate) in 5 gallon buckets. Previous attempt failed when soil became mucky at the bottom from poor drainage. This time, additional 20 3/8" holes on the side near the bottom, and more fine pine bark and vermiculite. So far so good.

Now plant is wilting in the sun. Inevitable? Is shading the only way?

I am watering 3 times a day, 9 am, 1 pm, and 4 pm, appx 1/3 gallon per watering. Not enough?

At transplanting to 5 gallon bucket, I placed the plant at the bottom and covered the stem with soil for max roots.

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Comments (9)

amberroses
13 years ago
Move it to more shade. It's portable right?
eb3604
13 years ago
mulch the top of your plants. How big are they? I have 5 tomatoes and 1 watermelon in 5 gallon containers. Tomatoes are about 1.5' high right now. They barely drink 2 gallons a day.
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Greg, I have grown many tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets, although they grow better/bigger/produce more fruit if grown in 10 gallon or larger containers. Here are some that have worked for me. Cherry/Grape Types: Snow White Sungold Yellow Pear Red Pear Porter and Porter Improved Window Box Roma Sweet Baby Girl Supersweet 100 Jelly Bean Juliet Red Currant Medium to Large Fruit Types: Cherokee Purple Red Brandywine Brandywine OTV Nebraska Wedding Celebrity Champion and Bush Champion Early Girl and Bush Early Girl Better Bush Lime Green Salad Rosalita Fourth of July Bloody Butcher Lemon Boy Persimmon Here's some tomatoes that people I know have grown in 5 gallon buckets, but I haven't grown them in buckets myself: Orange Pixie Golden Dwarf Champion Husky Red Husky Gold Patio Tiny Tim Tumbler Red Robin Yellow Canary Here's what I have planted in containers so far: 1 Kimberly (25 gallon container) 2 New Big Dwarf (5 gallon containers) 1 Little Lucky (25 gallon container) 1 Lucky Cross (25 gallon container) 1 Nebraska Wedding (25 gallon container) 2 Better Bush (5 gallon containers) 2 Principe Borghese (5 gallon containers) 1 Ultimate Opener (5 gallon container) 1 Red Star (5 gallon container) 1 Galina's Yellow (25 gallon container) Almost any tomato can be grown successfully in containers provided they have good drainage and are well watered (sometimes twice a day in the worst summer weather). With 5 gallon containers, though, I stay away from huge indeterminate varieties like Big Boy, Better Boy, Brandy Boy or Sweet Million. When selecting plants for 5 gallon buckets, you can't go wrong with any of the determinate varieties. Anything with "Dwarf" or "Bush" in its name will likely do quite well, as will any in the "Husky" line. I always grow Better Bush for early tomatoes. Mine have been in their pots since February and have green tomatoes about the size of ping pong balls. I haven't grown Bush Goliath, but have grown the regular Goliath in the ground, and it performed quite well. I hope this info helps. If you have any other questions, let me know. Dawn
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I'm been growing det., semi-det., and ind. plant in 3-5-gallon pots. The tricky part? Good soil, good drainage, feeding them, mulching, watering, & staking them. I think with all the above, you can almost grow any tom plant in a pot (in my experience). But yeah, det. & semi-det. would prob. be easier. Suggestions? Bloody Butcher (semi-det.) Silvery Fir Tree (det.) New Big Dwarf (dwarf tree type) Dwarf Champion (dwarf tree type) And any Ind. you think you cold "keep up" with ... ~ Tom Here is a link that might be useful:
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novice_grower
Original Author
13 years ago
They are bushy and practically impossible to move without damaging plants. They are about 4' tall above the soil.

If your plant drinks 2 gallons a day, I need to give more water. I put another dripper in each bucket. Thanks for the tip.
carolinarubi06
13 years ago
i had no idea that tomatoes needed that much water! this is my first time growing them and i have been watering them everyday but not 2 gal. I have noticed theyve been wilting a little bit too. I will try watering them more.
saldut
13 years ago
I put saucers under mine and that helps to keep the water from wasting away... sally
tomncath
13 years ago
You're definitely having to water too frequently. From what you're saying you have to move them to some shade or you'll end up with a lot of blossom end rot (BER)...every time they wilt you decrease their ability to absorb calcium appropriately and the result of too much or too little calcium absorption is BER. Good drainage is important for gas exchange at the root zone, the down side is that in a container with a small volume of soil mix and good drainage you will have to provide more water but you sure don't have to be watering as frequently as you are...that means the sun is on your containers too much and is heating up the soil. You have to keep the soil cool and well drained in order to have a healthy root zone and thus healthy plants.

Just to make sure you're clear on soil dynamics more holes at the bottom does not equate to better drainage, it will only allow more air to the root zone if you're perched water table isn't above the extra holes you've drilled.

Find a way to support the plants and move them....

Tom
novice_grower
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks for the tips. I bumped up nozzle size. I just didn't know how much water tomato drinks. The container getting warm and drying out the soil/roots is definitely a factor. Now I am confident I can grow tomatoes in 5 gallon containers, that is, until summer comes. I think I will have to put a shading fabric above the plants.
an_ill-mannered_ache
13 years ago
i water my four gallon plants less than half a gallon a day at 8am and they dont wilt a bit and are heavy with fruit... they get a bit of shade but mostly full sun. something is up here. follow toms advice. he & i both like als mix: 5 parts fines, one part peat, one part perlite--lime, micronutrients and slow-release fertilizer plus very weak miracle gro
novice_grower
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks for the reply. I have containers in a row, east to west. Only the westernmost container was wilting. As Tom said, it has much to do with the soil getting hot. The plant is doing well now with 0.5 gallon x 3 times a day. It's not too frequent for the plant.

The soil has some compost + little sand + much fine bark + some vermiculite. Drainage is no problem.

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