Tomatoes in Pots

[opabinia51]

I recently planted three heirloom tomatoes in three different pots in the following soil mix:

4 parts Sea Soil
1 part coffee Bean Chaff
1 part horse manure
1 part mushroom manure

just curious to hear how people think the tomatoes will do in the soil mix.

Thanks.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Horse manure can be hot the first year; is it composted?

[opabinia51]

Yes, it was composted. Had to think there for a moment.

How do you think the tomatoes will do in the coffee bean chaff? I add that stuff to my compost but, thought that I would give a go of making a soil mix from it as well.
'
The tomatoes seem to be doing just fine in it so far.

[opabinia51]

Thought that I might was well tack this one on here as well:

When growing tomatoes in pots it is important to know what type of tomatoe you have: ie) Is it Determinate, Indeterminate or Semi Determinate?

Determinate tomatoes are short tomatoes with stems that end with clusters of flowers and do not require staking. Those little wire contraptions are fine for these tomatoes in a pot. Actually, determinate tomatoes are the best type for pots.

Indeterminate tomatoes are also known as vining tomatoes. You can grow these in pots and do just fine but, those wire contraptions do not work so well for indeterminate tomatoes because the vine soon outgrows the wire framework. Best to use a wooden stake and some old nylons to tie the tomatoe up.

Semi-Determinate tomatoes also have stems that end with a cluster of fruit but tend to be taller than determinate. I would personally choose the stake method for these tomatoes.

[Grey]

Well, growing tomatoes in pots this year is an all-new experiment for me. I've also got some in part clay mixed with Black Kow, and the pots are filled with Black Kow. In one tub I am using only Miracle Gro, in the other I am using a different fertilzer (can't recall the name just now, but it has some good stuff in it).

I've done very well with Black Kow and my compost before - but I have no compost here just yet (sigh), so the Kow only for now it is.

[Grey]

Oh, and mine are semi-determinate.

[opabinia51]

I have three determinate, one semi determinate and the rest (16) are Indeterminate.

I mean really, an indeterminate plant really shouldn't be grown in a pot but, I am growing (what is it?) 8 of them in pots just because I don't have the space in my little garden at my house.

I actually planted an indeterminate plant (Russian Black) in a planter at my Aunt's place on Sunday night for her. So, I guess you can do what you want.

On that note, last year I planted Indeterminate plants in hanging baskets and they were actually pretty cool.

[Grey]

I have heard of growing indeterminate tomatoes in hanging baskets - but have yet to try it! lol. It sounds pretty cool.

[opabinia51]

Actually it is really cool. There is a person on the Garden Web who has them growing out of the bottoms of these hanging pots! It looks really great. The Hanging Basket thing is really cool as well though.

Hey Grey, what is Black Kow exactly? (I'm guessing it has something to do with manure????)

If you can find some; Sea Soil works wonders. I should email the guys up in Port Mcneal who make the stuff and see if they ship it or if they can ship it down to the states. It sure is amazing!

[The Helpful Gardener]

Seems every locale has it's organic goodies; for us it's Cock a Doodle Doo (chicken manure) Heart and Soil (wood ash), and my favorite, Coast of Maine, who besides having various sea based composts and manures (with seashells, seaweed, lobstah, etc.) has seaweed and salmon based fertilizers. I love this company...

HG

[opabinia51]

Well there you go! When in doubt, ask the master!


Hey, I'm currently listening to CBC (our national radio/tv station) and the song is: We are the Beaver. Oh my goodness . Don't get me wrong, it's a good song!

Anyway, back to tomatoes. Yeah, that sea stuff.....seaweed, seashells, lobster... (oh those lucky plants) sounds great. Boy, if my digital camera was working, I could post pictures of how fast my tomatoes have grown in just a week. Incidentally, they do just about as well in Composted Chicken manure.

[FairyDust]

How did growing them in pots turn out last year?

I just started seeds this morning indoors for this summer. We don't want to dig up the only sunny area in our yard to put in a garden since we're only here for a couple of years. So I'm going to be doing the tomatoes and herbs on the patio in pots. I'm doing big boy and roma tomatoes.

What is the ideal soil and manure or other additives for tomatoes in pots?

[opabinia51]

Tomatoes do exceptionally well in pots, especially if you have them in a sunny location. Give them really good soil with lots of compost and some good, well rotted manure.

Don't use those cages unless you have determinate varieties. I'm pretty sure that Roma and (was it Big boy) are both intederminate so, a cedar stake and used nylons to tie them off will do just fine.

A weekly shot of liquid fish fertilizer is good as well.

My mother does a roma every year in a pot on her back patio, and it does excellant.

I personally haven't done romas yet, but, I've done every heirloom that is "not normal" that I can find.

[cottongin]

Nobody laugh now..I've only been (attempting) gardening for a few years, and last year I actually bought one of those little bucket kits from Home Depot. It was supposed to grow up to 80 tomatos! Needless to say, no tomatos came out of my gravelly little bucket...live and learn!

[opabinia51]

That's what we call a "live and learn" and I think that everyone has done at least one of those. I've done several myself.

For instance, when I first started (or rathe, restarted) growing tomatoes again I was all intrigued about growing them hydroponically but, thankfully, I did not try as I would have been disappointed anyway.

[uggabugga]

There is a person on the Garden Web who has them growing out of the bottoms of these hanging pots! It looks really great.

I'm trying that this year myself! it's doing ok but needs a sunnier location.

[opabinia51]

Yes, I had rethought about the idea after posting that post and you will have to be really careful that the mass of the tomatoe vine when fully laden with tomatoes does not pull itself out of the pot. Other than that, it looked like a great idea.

[uggabugga]

i think it should be ok - it's a super sweet 100 plant and the exit hole is less than half an inch. i saw some place once selling specialized planters for just this kind of thing, but i just tried it with a discarded hanging basket.