skip to main content

Growing Tomatoes

I need some suggestions for next year!

joeorganictomatoes

10 years ago

I'm really limited on space in my garden. Is a container that is 19" in diameter and 20" deep large enough to grow a regular heirloom tomato or do I need to focus on a choosing varieties that are recommended for large containers. Also any suggestions on which container varieties to choose would be most appreciated. Thanks everyone. I'm looking forward to your responses.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (10)

dickiefickle
10 years ago
That would make a great container. One plant only. Your best results will be in growing Determinate. Rutgers is a great tomato ,also fond of Russian Persimmon.
sheltieche
10 years ago
If you browse Tatiana website for containers varieties there is lots of choices. There are also some dwarf ones that will grow in smaller containers which you can tackle into sunny spot if space is at premium. Watering will be a problem with smaller container but something can always be rigged to be semiautomatic.
http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Tomato_Seeds_for_Container_Growers
Also someone might chime in which better varieties came out of dwarf project? I am curious to know as well.
Related Discussions
Please help me pick some roses for next year
Q
Comments (13)
Austins, Austins, Austins!! Many of them are hardy in an average Maine winter. I will admit that I lost 3 of mine last winter, due to the extreme cold and no snow cover. But I replaced them all and then some more because, for me, they perform better than nearly every rose I have tried. I have never winter-protected in the past, but may consider placing some leaf mulch around the Austins this winter. If I had done this last winter, I may not have lost the ones I did. Let me say that if you are looking for very fragrant, big fluffy flowers, David Austins are the way to go. Your wife will fall in love with them. I have fallen in love with them. They are the only roses I have ever been enamored by. Although the Canadian Explorers and Bucks are hardier, you are right in that they have no scent. I have two Champlains (Can. Expl.) that do bloom red continuously all summer, but I am not impressed by them because they have no scent and their form is not as nice as Austins. I have tried a couple French Rugosas, and though they are fragrant, they have not been anywhere near the blooming machines as my Austins. In fact, I have been quite disappointed with my rugosa "Souvenir de Philemon Cochet" because all the buds just beginning to open balled in the rain (turned an ucky brown color and never really opened). Nearly all Austins will bloom all summer long, even into the fall sometimes. Their fragrance will make women swoon (and some men too). They are absolutely beautiful, old-fashioned round, fat, thousand-petaled, scrumptious blooms. They have been very disease-resistant for me. An occasional speck or two of black spot is all I have seen on some of them. Many are 100% clean. Now to the hardiness part: Last winter was a doozy, but I have had Austins sail through the previous two winters very well. Their canes do winter-kill, usually down to 6-12" depending on the conditions. In mid-April, when they have started to put out new buds, I prune off the winter-killed canes down to live growth. They make up for the lost height by mid-summer. If you winter-protect, you will have less winter-kill. Email me if you want some pics or more growing information, and sources.
...See More
Next Year's Pepper Crop. I need your help!
Q
Comments (26)
...Everyone that emailed me about getting the Naga Jolokia seeds, I will email you again when the seeds are prepared... A little bit more about my garden... Currently, it is 2 raised beds 9' x 3' When I get a little time off of work soon (probably around thanksgiving) I will combine these 2 beds (which will make 1 bed around 21' x 3'. Then I am adding up to 4 more beds (depending on how much lumber costs ect ect. Each of these beds will be 13' x 3'. Right now my plan is to have each bed dedicated to 1 pepper variety. 1 bed Bhut Jolokia (the 21' bed), 1/2 bed Orange Hab, 1/2 bed Red Savina, 1/2 bed Scotch Bonnet 1/2 bed Chocolate Hab, 1/2 bed Jalapeno (who can recomend a good Jap to look for?) 1/2 bed TO BE DETERMINED (HELP!) 1 bed Lemon Drop ... What do you guys think about 3 feet width for the beds? Is that enough to fit 2 rows of pepper plants and have them not be crowded? I have peppers like that this year, and they seem a little croweded, but they also seem to be healthy. I *COULD* build them bigger, if your advice as to if it would be beneficial to the plants (like 3.5 or 4 feet)
...See More
I Need a Good Paste Tomato For Next Year
Q
Comments (46)
Carolyn, my Opalka seeds were sourced from Sandhill. I will admit, my first year growing Opalka BER became a problem for several varieties(but not all) of tomato that year. Lots of rain followed by drought, and then I think probably over watered to compensate. Last year I gave Opalka another shot. And while I didn't get any BER problems, the production, fruit size, and plant vigor just wasn't all that spectacular. As I said before, the taste, while not bad, was only a slight improvement over Roma(which I consider to be far more vigorous and productive). I know most here won't share my opinion, but I've found leaf problems are far less pronounced when growing hybrid tomatoes and varieties bred for resistance. I understand that all tomato varies are susceptible to one thing or another regardless of being OP or Hybrid, dictated by the grower, but more accurately, by the environment and soil- which is sometimes difficult if not impossible to control. Mulio, I am far from being an expert, but this "grower" has successfully grown and harvested many varieties of tomatoes over the last decade. I've made a few mistakes along the way, but it ain't my first rodeo. I mean, really, how hard is it to grow a tomato? Opalka just didn't pan out the way I hoped it would. Just because the majority likes it(and Carolyn recommends it) doesn't mean I have to. I know it's not a popular opinion and I'm ok with that. This year is a mostly hybrid centric crop, and the plants just look so much happier and healthier than before, and producing like mad. Pure luck? science? grower? There are a few heirlooms that I would probably grow again, but 1 or 2 varieties out of the few dozen I've tried is hardly worth it.
...See More
Advice please
Q
Comments (3)
Gerry, What is your soil like? Too much nitrogen? (lots of green leaves and not many tomies) Not enough nutrients? (skimpy plants) Is there enough sunshine? I believe they need at least 6 hours a day. Is there a walnut tree in the vicinity? Of course you can try different varieties although the varieties that you grew are good ones. Eva did well for me this year. Roma is a determinate, but it has always given me a good crop of tomatoes before it dies. Rutgers has a stella reputation. Linda
...See More
fireduck
10 years ago
Joe...that will be great. I used 15 gal nursery pots...and I think yours is a bit larger. If you want to try indeterminate heirlooms...go for it. I grew Brandywine and Cherokee Purple this year. Grow the Cherokee's...you will love them. Think out your support system AHEAD OF TIME. Next year I will...PS you will need to water every day in warm weather.
seysonn
10 years ago
I have seen a lot of pot gardening pictures that show growing tomato in 5 gal bucket is common.( 7 dry gal ?)
fireduck
10 years ago
S...is correct. However, IMHO bigger IS better. My plants did "very good" this year. Next year I am bumping up to 20 gal trash cans. Hoping for even better...
joeorganictomatoes
Original Author
10 years ago
Wow! Thanks everyone for your input! I'm already planning for next year. Yep I'm going to try growing one plant in a large trash can(30+gallon), and also one in a Rubbermaid 36 gallon tote I'm also going to try and grow some from seed and Tatiana's website gives me plenty of choices. Growing heirloom tomatoes is a hobby with me. (I'm strictly organic). I love eating them and giving away free samples. I can't wait till February/March to start all over again..
beeman_gardener
10 years ago
I grew an indeterminate Big Beef in the equivalent of a 5 gallon bucket and it did extremely well. Pruned to a single stem, it reached over 7 feet before I tipped it.
I plan to do a similar idea for my greenhouse next year using Alaska Grow buckets. If you're not familiar I would suggest you have a look, it's a good idea.

Here is a link that might be useful: Alaska Grow buckets.
qaguy
10 years ago
I seem to remember reading somewhere that a 5 gal
bucket was the minimum size to get decent results with
a full size tomato.

Of course, the bigger the better. I once used half-barrel
sized pots and had plants that bent my teepee style
cages to the ground.

Keep them watered though. Plants dry out quickly in
containers. I used to keep them in saucers full of water.
I'd fill the saucers in the morning and by evening they
were dry.
seysonn
10 years ago
I'm really limited on space in my garden...
&&&&&&&&&&&&

Welcome to the club. You are not alone.

-- try to plann some DWARFS(mabe in pots),
-- Try to plant some determinants.

-- Try to plant in tighter space BUT be ready to do some systematic pruning.

If you do the above combination , you probably can grow TWICE as many plants as regular/standard/conventional inDETERMINANT plants in any given space.
I plant (in average ) one plant in 3 sqr-ft. 4 sqr-ft per inDET plant is just fine. But as I said you have to control them. Right now I have one of ecah : Early Girl, Black Krim and Brandywine in a a 12 sqr-ft bed. And believe me they are HUGE.
sheltieche
10 years ago
Seysonn, my real estate is limited not as much as yours, I do like your strategy though! I have few dwarf and super early det.- not that I like det. but they have their use- and indet. for earilness. I find that I am super happy to have cherry early on but as season progresses I want to have that good heart or beefy slicer far more and cherries are just not the thing anymore. Going to be first time trying real dwarfs that could be grown in 4ÃÂ´ÃÂ¨pot too...

Related Stories

LANDSCAPE DESIGN The Best Winter Garden Project? Plan for Next Year

By Steve Asbell

Consider these 9 ideas now for a highly personal, truly enjoyable garden come spring

DECORATING GUIDES 11 Tips for Picture-Perfect Mantel Styling All Year

By Natalie Myers

The garland is gone; the holly is history. But you can keep your mantel arrangements artful no matter which decorations you choose next

COLOR Colors of the Year: Look Back and Ahead for New Color Inspiration

By Jennifer Ott Design

See which color trends from 2014 are sticking, which ones struck out and which colors we’ll be watching for next year

KITCHEN DESIGN Get Ideas From This Year’s Top 20 Kitchen Tours

By Becky Harris

Smart storage, functionality for cooks and families, vintage touches and lots of personality mark your favorites of 2015

GARDENING GUIDES 8 New Ways to Garden This Year

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

A successful garden means knowing the plants, the wildlife and yourself

FALL GARDENING Reflecting on a Gardening Year

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Mistakes and successes, surprises and comforts. The garden helps us grow in new ways every year

COLOR Pantone Unearths Emerald as Its 2013 Color of the Year

By Becky Harris

Whether you dig a natural version or go for one with polish, Pantone is predicting you'll treasure emerald green at home over the next year

HISTORIC HOMES Taliesin Celebrates a Landmark Day

By Bud Dietrich, AIA

This Wisconsin studio and retreat built by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1911 was where he designed many of his architectural masterpieces

COLOR Color of the Year: Off-White Is On Trend for 2016

By Jennifer Ott Design

See why four paint brands have chosen a shade of white as their hot hue for the new year

DECLUTTERING Your Clutter-Clearing Plan for the New Year

By Laura Gaskill

Tackle these tasks month by month for a decluttering strategy that will really pay off

Sponsored

More Discussions

Has anyone heard of a storage tomato? Looking at Giallorosso di Crispi

4

"Purple" tomatoes?

4

What tools and materials for planting tomato

0