newbyplantlover
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container planting tomatoes and pruning

Hi there everyone! I'm a newcomer to the plant world, and am just trying my hand at growing several different plants.

My question is, of course, about tomatoes. Anything I want to put outside I have to grow in containers. This is because 1) we live in a small townhouse with very little yard that we can call our own, 2) we are in an association which is responsible for the landscaping, and 3) all of the landscaping of our very small plot of land is a rock garden. Therefore I cannot put anything in the ground.

Question#1 I am trying to figure out what the best container for them would be (I have 6 little plants right now which I grew from seed - don't know that I'll keep all of them). I know they need a fair amount of dirt, both for water and for the root system. Currently I am looking at half-wine barrels (roughly 30" diameter)
[img]https://www.kentuckybarrels.com/wine-half.jpg[/img]
and painted styrofoam coolers (17x12x14)
[img]https://www.hardwarestore.com/media/product/279851_front200.jpg[/img]
as possibilities. If I use these containers, how many plants can I put in each?

Question #2 Usually I don't see other plants combined in planters with tomatoes. Would it be ok to plant herbs around the base of the plant? Or would you not recommend that? (I have basil, mint, oregano, parsley, sage, and rosemary seedlings as well.)

Question #3 How do I prune tomato plants? I noticed that my plants (grown from seed) are much more lanky and leggy than the little seedlings I've seen at nurseries. I imagine that's due to my not pruning them. But ... I really don't know how to. Anyone want to give me step-by-step instruction? (You can make it "Idiots guide to pruning" level if you want - I may not know what you're talking about otherwise.)

Thanks for the help folks!

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hendi_alex
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1. Half wine barrels or anything that approximate volume should do fine.

2. Don't plant anything else with the tomatoes. They are heavy feeders and require lots of water. Unless you set up drip irrigation, watering will be your biggest chore/obstacle.

3. I don't think that anyone prunes seedlings. If yours are lanky, it probably relates to growing conditions, most likely too little light. I prune the lowest branches before planting. Some gardeners follow a very precise pruning method for tomatoes. Most gardeners, I think, only prune to lift lower branches from touching the soil and sometimes prune suckers or excess foilage to open the plant up to air flow, which helps decrease potential for disease.

newbyplantlover
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Thanks, Alex.

So if I use the wine barrels or styrofoam coolers, how many plants should I plant in each?

(Too little light on the seedlings is likely. They're indoors.)

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hendi_alex
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If you are planting indeterminate (climbing) tomatoes then only one per container and plan for some kind of basket or othe support. If you plant some small growth variety then perhaps you could plant two or three in a container, though have never done that myself.

newbyplantlover
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Location: LA area

Thanks for all your help, Alex!

newbyplantlover
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Location: LA area

Oh - one other question: how many hours of sunlight do tomatoes need? I have a great spot to put them on the east facing side of my townhome ... but I don't know if that's enough sun. The shade starts creeping up just a little after noon. I have another spot which will get sun as long as the sun is up (it's not against the house), but I don't know if that's too much sun. I have yet a third spot which is a southern exposure, but against the house ... this will get sun until around 6:00 I would guess.

Any suggestions?

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!potatoes!
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tomatoes can't have too much sun. they'll probably grow alright on the east side, but probably not as fast or productively as one in full sun.

Timlin
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If you google "Growing Tomatoes" you will find complete instructions, diagrams included to show you what the tomatoes like and why they like it. Lots of sites to help out on that front and I think it's important to read and understand the why and whens of growing food.

I agree ..........full sunshine if possible! :)

cynthia_h
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Whether you use the half-barrel or the styrofoam containers, be sure there are drainage holes in the bottom of each one. Tomatoes like a lot of water, but they don't like *standing in* the water.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

newbyplantlover
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!Potatoes! and Timlin -

Thanks so much - I did Google "growing tomatoes" and found a lot of helpful information.

Cynthia - yes, drainage I was aware of. Thanks.

pepper4
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newbyplantlover, you mentioned doing container planting. I came across a dwarf cuke plant that you can grow in containers. It is called a spacemaster 80. Requires a 12" pot or bigger. Someone on the forum gave me a site you might want to check out for container veggies.

www.seedman.com/vegecon.htm

It maybe of some help :)

newbyplantlover
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thanks pepper4! I appreciate it!

pepper4
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You're welcome! Like to try and help people because I have gotten ALOT of help from the helpful gardeners. :-()

elevenplants
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Location: alabama

Not to discourage you at all - I'm all about those tomatoes! - but please don't buy styrofoam...if you are recycling it that's fine...but you know it never breaks down completely. I just won't use it anymore for anything, UNLESS I'm recycling it. Just fyi, in case you didn't know.

Also, not sure if anyone else mentioned this, but a little epsom salt (1 tablespoon), some bone meal (about 1/4 cup), and some pellitized calcium or crushed eggshells in the planting hole will do wonders for your yield and general plant health.

Rebecca

newbyplantlover
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Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2009 5:11 pm
Location: LA area

Thanks, Rebecca! I've got the Epsom salts and eggshells. Bone meal would be at a nursery I guess?

TZ -OH6
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Location: Mid Ohio

If you are serious about container gardening and are even semi handy with simple tools you should check this out.


https://www.earthtainer.org/Home_Page.html


instructions are here

https://earthtainer.tomatofest.com/



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