wendyv
Newly Registered
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun May 02, 2010 5:01 am
Location: The Alpujarra valley, Southern Spain

Growing potted tomatoes in southern Spain

I am a new member of the Helpful Gardener, and am really pleased to have found this site, and forum...
I'm living in southern Spain, where it is very hot and dry, and I want to grow some tomatoes in pots this summer, as we are in the process of moving onto a small property, and don't know what our moving date will be!
If anyone has some advice for me, regarding growing under these conditions, I would very much appreciate it.
I am going to try to find some heirloom tomatoes if I can... it's difficult here to find much of anything, so I need to look for my support from my north american counterparts for the time being!
Also, advice on planting seeds that come from plants that are naturalized to certain climates... how important is this?
Perhaps in a year or so, I will have some old Spanish tomato seeds I can share : )

Thanks a million, in advance,

TZ -OH6
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2097
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:27 pm
Location: Mid Ohio

My advice is to use the largest container possible for a single plant so that it can get a consistent water supply. You could also look for smaller varieties. Check out heirloomtomatoplants.com for varieties good for container growing (it is the only website I know that puts in a little picture code for them) . Dwarf varieties such as New Big Dwarf, and Golden Dwarf Champion are also very good for containers. Stay away from Romas/plum types becasue they are susceptible to Blossom End Rot, and container growing makes it worse.


Named varieties are genetically "locked in" to their characteristics so the best you can hope for are varieties specifically bred for certain conditions. Unfortunately, Spain is not noted for having good tomato varieties. However, the last I heard, Italians have been growing tomatoes for a few years and probably have a few adapted to a Mediteranean climate. Many varieties do well in a wide range of climates you just have to avoid those few that have trouble setting fruit in high heat and humidity.
Most people in hot dry areas try to time their growing to avoid the heat of summer so that the maximum harvest is just before it gets too hot, and then plant a second crop in late summer so that it can be harvested before it gets too cold. Depending on your seasons, short season (early) varieties might do better than long season (late) varieties. Many people think that early tomatoes are cold adapted, but that is not really the case, they just grow and ripen fruits faster than most, and possibly flower at a younger age.

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Ozark Lady
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Posts: 1862
Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2010 5:28 pm
Location: NW Arkansas, USA zone 7A elevation 1561 feet

Hi, welcome to the forum.

There are many tomatoes that just get their second wind when the temperatures get hot. You just have to really do alot of reading to find them.

I have a Spanish tomato growing! I got it from the USDA Grin site. Try checking them out, they collect seeds from all countries and save them there, and then they will disperse some out to folks, doesn't matter what country you are in! You do have to tell them what you are going to do with them, they want research, not just gardening. But, really isn't gardening all about research? And you do need to keep records and report your results. But seeds are free from them, and they do tell you what country they came from. Even if you don't get seeds from them, they will have information to help you.

To help all tomatoes in a hot climate, plant them deep, get as deep of a pot as you can. And make the soil one that is really good at water holding.

You can also shade your tomatoes. I have shade rigged to keep the noon sun off of them, and only allow morning and evening sun to shine on them.

And don't forget mulch. You can put the pots into a larger container and put mulch in the larger container to keep them cooler. Then if you move, you can still simply pick your pots up and go!

wendyv
Newly Registered
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun May 02, 2010 5:01 am
Location: The Alpujarra valley, Southern Spain

Thanks so much both of you, I'll check both of your sources out, and see what I can come up with. I'm just in the research stage of things now, so it's great to have your knowledge coupled with the resources I am bound to find through the organizations you have suggested.

I'll make a post once I get going to report!!

Lovely to have your input.



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