Growing 'maters in buckets?

[JayPoc]

I'm thinking about saving some space in the ground by growing a few more tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets. I've always done my cherry tomatoes that way, but never my big 'uns. Anything to watch out for or do differently? I know they'll dry out quicker, and I know they'll probably produce less. What else?

[rainbowgardener]

I think you have got it. When I tried growing tomatoes in containers, they needed daily watering in summer. And of course when you are watering a lot, then you need to keep replenishing nutrients.

[gixxerific]

A part shade area is nice if you have one. Since the pots heat up so fast, shade can help with them drying out too fast.

Of course dwarfs are much more compatible with pots. Cherry's as well since they grow small fruit any way's. But I have never had real good luck with big tomatoes in pots.

Good luck, would like some dwarf seeds to put in pot I can send you some.

Dono

[JayPoc]

I really don't know anything about dwarf tomatoes...just smaller plants and fruit? How do the produce? And, most importantly, how do they taste?

[lakngulf]

I began growing tomatoes in big pots last year. I tried some smaller ones, with mixed success. If you are going to use 5 gallon buckets, then protect them from all day sun, and try to keep them evenly watered. I think most of my pots got too much sun last year, and I am taking some steps to hopefully help: (1) bigger pots, filled with soil. I have heard it is not good for the roots to hit the hot sides of the container. (2) mulch, I am using pinestraw around the plants, and will probably stuff some straw around the pots, when the temps begin to heat up. (3) I may put something of a mist among the pots

Good luck with the tomatoes. Here are my pots:

[gixxerific]

Dwarfs are great especially for pots. Not all are small fruited we are working on many crosses trying to get bigger, tastier fruit on small compact plants. They normally get anywhere from 1 - 4 foot. They would do much better than full size plants in pots I am positive of that. Still if you are interested pm me I will send you a sampling of dwarfs.

Here are mine outside right now, there are many more to plant yet though.

[imafan26]

Bigger tomatoes, bigger pots. They will dry out slower. I have some of mine in homemade earth boxes and they are on a drip system so watering is really not a problem. I plant one tomato in an 18 gallon container.

The recipe for the earth box mix is to have 2 cups of slow release fertilizer added to the potting mix as a strip before planting. I found when I put that much fertilizer in at the start, at the end of the season I still had a lot of fertilizer left. I switched to 1/2 cup of starter fertilizer and did side dressings at flowering, first fruit, and monthly thereafter. I still ended up using about 2 cups in all but the plants used the fertilizer without so much left over. I do not add dolomite lime and I don't have problems with BER because the pots don't dry out.

https://www.seattleoil.com/Flyers/Earthbox.pdf
https://schools.nhps.net/barnard/teacher ... ctions.pdf

I did not really have a problem with the pots heating up and I live in zone 11. I used the bags from perlite and potting mixes (they are white) and I had some red mulch (plastic), as a covering for the earthboxes to keep moisture in and weeds out. The containers were grouped around the trellis support and there were other plant companions surrounding them so that helps to keep the pots insulated. It also helps to use lighter colored containers to reflect heat. Styrofoam boxes and coolers made the best earthboxes because they are easy to make holes in and they are self insulating. I could only get smaller sizes so I use them for the surrounding companion plants.

[Dillbert]

the USDA Zone definitions are based on min. winter temperatures - and don't remotely describe the temperature / conditions / climate the rest of the time. unfortunately, "the rest of the time" is when people in non-tropical zones garden.... so "what it is the rest of the time" is pretty important.

I've never had any luck doing tomatoes in containers - five gallon thru half wine barrel size - the soil temp gets too hot to suit the plants and they just do not thrive.
regardless of how well watered.

[sepeters]

I guess we all have different experiences and styles. I live in the Phx, AZ area and have grown dwarf toms in containers for years with success. It is already routinely 90+F and despite my constant worrying and being paranoid that this next set of blossoms is my last fruit of the season for sure (every single time), all the container toms are still steadily setting fruit and growing.

Like imafan, I use large containers and start off with a small amount of fertilizer then side dress when the soil line drops a little and use water soluble ferts when they start to look a little less vibrant. At least 5 gallons for 1-2 foot plants and 10 gallon containers for 3-4 footers. Sometimes I still need to up-pot to a larger container midway through the season but it doesn't seem to hurt the plants as long as I don't rip up the roots too much. Anything larger than that seems to do poorly and goes in the bed. I am careful to never let them dry out and last year was able to extend my growing season into the beginning of july (temps up to 115F) by watering once a week with aerated vermicompost tea. Best year for me yet! I also make sure they only get full sun in the morning when it is over 90F.

This year I bought several varieties of heat and pest resistant tomatoes that I have never tried before in an attempt to increase my harvest from the relatively puny harvests of past years when I grew all those pretty heirloom types. I have also given up on the idea that I can get them all the way through summer for a fall bumper crop or grow them perennially. That was a hard step for me, but so far, so good.

The best advice I can give you is to just give it a shot and see how they do and then determine if you think it is worth the effort. We will all be here to give advice or just listen when/if you have set backs. If nothing else, gardening is a never-ending learning experience!