You have ProMix in IL? I use about 2/3 ProMix and 1/3 or more municipal compost, plus at least a time release fertilizer.

I haven't seen Pro Mix in this area............

Sorry no input on the MG dirt but I will say that the varities that you choose will do MUCH better in the ground!

Or at least a much much larger container!

big orange box carries pro-mix.

These {{gwi:1340390}} were grown over the winter in MG Moisture Control potting mix. They did fine, but they didn't produce as well as I thought they would, so the next ones were planted with half MGMC and half regular potting mix. They are doing well.

Thanks to those posting on the Container Forum I am growing the best crop of potted tomatoes ever. Today they stand 5'-6' tall free of disease and very healthy, setting a bumper crop. I use Fafard potting soil.

Plan to elevate your pots on bricks or whatever to keep the bottoms off the soil/deck.

Coil a piece of cotton clothesline rope (or thick cotton twine) around the inside bottom of the pot and pull it through one of the drainage holes to create a wick before adding soil to pot. Very important.

Now, locate the nearest Lesco store in your area. Purchase a 40# bag of Turface. It will probably be sold under the name Pro's Choice. Turface is tiny, round bits of clay which slowly disintegrate in soil over a period of years.
It absorbs water/fertilizers and you will not need to water your containers as often using it. It also keeps soil from compacting. As you fill a pot with soil, stir in about six cups of Turface. After planting use Turface as a surface mulch, about 2" thick. Water well.

You might want to experiment with one pot, growing a tomato plant in pure Turface and using a liquid fertilizer at one-half strength every time you water.

MG moisture control will work fine in pots. It is expensive although you can get the large bags at costco for about $11 I think you need a pot at least as big a one of the big bags of MG to grom indeterminants in. 1 and a half would be better. They are great the first season but need to be supplemented the second season and are pretty much dead the third

MG moisture control seemed to get pretty soggy for me. I added a fair amount of perlite and am happy with the results.

Gary

The person with plants today 5-6 tall in pots is feeding them good b.s. or us.

The varieties you mentioned will be dissapointing in pots but hey will produce. I do agree with using a cloth wick to drain moisture but at this point will say try the "container garden" forum.

Are you sure it was fusarium, I would plant a resistant variety and live on the edge.

dgroworelse,
Don't think you noted my growing zone, 8b, when you stated that I was b.s.ing about my tomatoes being 5'-6' tall. We have been experiencing daytime temperatures in the high 80's for two months. Perfect tomato growing situation. They have received no fertilizer to date.

Also, you should know that I am a retired professional of many years and have quietly posted numerous ideas on these forums which are now accepted practices. Hopefully a few will read what I wrote above re container tomatoes and give it a try. The tomato which has grown to 6' is Thai Red Turtle Egg which I am trying for the first time this year to see how it produces in our torrid summer heat. Truly a beautiful plant, very healthy so far. Fingers crossed!

Tanzi,
I have grown an indeterminate plant for an entire season in MG. In my very unscientific experiment I couldn't tell a performance difference between MG and my normal mix. However, the MG was a bit more expensive.

Moisture control or not, be prepared to water often once the plants start getting big. Also be prepared to "anchor" your plants so they don't blow over during windy conditions. [Note the rope tied to the stake in the picture below.]

Nandina,
I believe you regarding the 6 foot tall plant in a container. I've grown large plants in not very big containers (zone 6). In my case I took pictures to prove it. :-)

All,
I would have "in-lined" the pictures so they could be seen without having to follow a hyperlink, but that isn't proper etiquette.

The picture in the clickable link below is a picture of a Mortgage Lifter in a container. It was either a 5 or 7 gallon container, I don't recall which. That is an 8 foot stake and the fence in the background is a standard 6 foot chain link fence. In the upper right hand corner of the picture another plant can be seen. It is the plant I mentioned earlier that was grown in straight MG. It is a SuperSweet 100. Sorry that I don't have a picture of it at my finger tips.

The following hyperlink can be copied to the address bar of your browser. It is a close up of one of the fruit on the Mortgage Lifter. When ripe the fruit weighed 1.5 lbs. In fact the reason I grew a ML in a container was to prove you could get a big tomato when container growing.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a81/WVTomatoMan/Garden2005MLContainer003.jpg

Good luck.

Randy

Here is a link that might be useful:

I grew Brandy Boys in 5-gallon self-watering containers (EarthBox variation), and they grew more than ten feet tall by the time cold weather killed them. Four plants produced almost more main-season tomatoes than we could eat.

This year I'm using all the self-waterers on the deck for lettuce, determinate Rutgers tomatoes, and two sweet pepper plants. So the rest of my tomatoes are now in the mulched soil. I'm curious to see if they'll grow any differently.

Thank you everybody for your input.

We did decide to "live on the edge" and plant 1 SunSugar, the Brandywine, and both Celebrities in the ground. The plants that succumbed last year to what we think was fusarium wilt were Better Boys (we also had pepper and potato plants die) which are also in the nightshade family.

Wanted to experiment a little to see what happens this year with disease; different varieties & planted in different locations from last year in various areas around the yard. So the only tomato I have in a pot is a SunSugar and also a Serrano pepper plant. I used the MG moisture control mixed with some vermiculite for both. Also put some crushed eggshells in the tomato plant pot.

Now, I hope I have tomatoes this year!