Container Tomatoes and a question regarding Sunflowers

[Aya]

I think I'm finally at the point where I can do the last transplanting of my tomatoes. I'm growing several varieties including a Roma(San Marzano), a Plum(Black Plum) and a Cherry(Fox) - along with both green and purple Tomatillos. My question is, since I live in an apartment and am gardening on my balcony, what is the appropriate size planter to house each of my tomato plants? 1 gallon? 5 gallon? They're now all outgrowing their baby pots..

Regarding Sunflowers, can they be potted? I started two varieties, Evening Sun and Tiger's Eye Mixed Variety. Are both appropriate for seed collecting/eating? They also, are VERY quickly outgrowing the yogurt containers..

Thanks!

[feldon30]

Fox Cherry is actually a small (2 oz) red saladette tomato growing on large indetermine vines, which means the plant may reach 8 feet tall if left untrimmed. I would recommend 8-15 gallons.

Black Plum is actually a grape-sized reddish purple tomato. Plants can also reach 8 feet in the right conditions. I too would recommend 8-15 gallons.

As for San Marzano, there are several variations out there. If it's the real deal, then it's a medium indeterminate which can reach 6 feet tall. I would also recommend 8-15 gallons.

If you put these in 5 gallon pots, you will need to water frequently and production may be significantly reduced.

[Aya]

Thanks! I haven't bought pots yet, I wanted to be sure of the correct size before doing so. Would I need to line the bottom with rocks to help facilitate draining or would they be okay in just the potting medium?

[feldon30]

Thanks! I haven't bought pots yet, I wanted to be sure of the correct size before doing so. Would I need to line the bottom with rocks to help facilitate draining or would they be okay in just the potting medium?

Putting rocks in the bottom of a pot is one of those myths that has been busted. You can just put potting mix in the container. I don't know how much time or money you're willing to spend but there are some options such as Earthboxes and self-watering containers which may interest you. One holds upwards of 35-40 gallons of soil and would be able to fully support two of your tomato plants.

[imafan26]

Evening sun is 5 ft tall sunflower. Sunflower roots spread out a bit. If you have a big enough container it should be ok. I would use a half 55 gallon drum otherwise, you could use smaller containers with sunflowers like Teddy Bear which only gets about 18 inches tall max.

Sunflower seeds can be collected but they are not good at self pollinating. A lot of the seeds will be empty. The only sunflower I grow for their edible seeds are mammoth. It gets up to 8 ft tall for me and definitely would rather be in the ground or a very large pot. Evening sun has multiple heads that helps with pollination but the seeds are rather small so they don't have a lot of meat to them, so I haven't tried eating them. If you have birds around that have a taste for sunflowers, you will have to net the head.

[Bobberman]

Sunflowersw usually grow half the size in pots but look good. The tomatoe in the 5 gallon contaoiners are great if you put your drain hole about 4 inches from the bottom so water will be stored in the bottom for the roots to reach!

[PaulF]

And remember, when you water your pots be sure every 10 days or so add a little liquid fertilizer to your water. Watering containers will flush the nutrients out of the pots and you need to replenish the nutrients every so often. I would use a balanced product like 10-10-10 or 10-12-10 or close to that especially on tomatoes since excess nitrogen will make the plants grow but fruit will not set very well.

[Aya]

My balcony is on the third floor, but I never gave thought about whether it could hold several large planters..
Also, I'm attempting to grow an organic garden, my seeds are organic as well as my potting soil. Are there organic fertilizers I could use on the tomatoes?

[imafan26]

You should look into getting a community garden if you want to really grow large plants. There is usually a waiting list, but if you are committed it is worth it.

If you are on a balcony you will need to watch watering as the wind will dry out your pots and the neighbors might complain about the water falling on their heads. I would suggest self watering pots. The water will be contained in a reservoir so the plants should not dry out and you only need to fill the reservoir when needed and there will be less water running off your balcony. I would still put down a rubber mat to protect the floor from staining.

If you want to grow sun loving plants well you will need to get about 6 hours of sunlight or choose plants that fit the size of your balcony and conditions.

[feldon30]

My balcony is on the third floor, but I never gave thought about whether it could hold several large planters..
Also, I'm attempting to grow an organic garden, my seeds are organic as well as my potting soil. Are there organic fertilizers I could use on the tomatoes?

Happy Frog and TomatoTone (or GardenTone) are two.

[ElizabethB]

Aya - you bring back memories. I moved to NOLA in 1984 and lived there for 4 years. I had a 3rd floor apartment. I planted indeterminate tomatoes, cucumbers, pepper and eggplant in 5 gallon pickle buckets that I purchased for $1 each from fast food restaurants. Drilled holes for drainage. Used screw hooks on the ceiling and hung twine to the base of the tomato and cucumber pots. Trained the plants up the twine for vertical gardening. I purchased PVC gutters and drilled holes in the bottom for drainage and screwed it to the balcony rail. Planted purse lane, portulaca and marigolds in the gutters. I also had large foliage plants. My down stairs neighbors were not happy with my watering but management gave me a lot of freedom because my beautiful balcony was a big "sell" for prospective tenants.

Have fun and good luck

[rainbowgardener]

One butterfly - you should know I am reporting all these posts as spam and they will soon be deleted and may get you banned from the forum. So you might as well stop.

[GardeningCook]

Balcony gardening can be enjoyable, but unfortunately also dangerous. With all the plants you are considering, you really need to contact your landlord/apt. management office & find out exactly what's allowed from both an esthetic viewpoint as well as a safety viewpoint. It would be very disheartening to do all this work only to be told you need to get rid of it all due to neighbor complaints of whatever reason; even MORE disheartening to have your balcony collapse & injure or kill someone (yourself included). It has happened.

(I know this is an old thread, but think that the advice is still pertinent. )