[rogertb]

Sorry to raise a perennial problem but I've had a disastrous year with tomatoes, greenhouse plants were plagued with end rot and wilting leaves, outdoor plants all got blighted ... so I am starting early to plan for next year. My small greenhouse is built on a concrete base (I have no choice about that) so the plants have to be in containers ... I squeezed 7 plants in a less than 6x4 space (I have a bench in there as well) drip trays hold 15" high 14" diameter plastic pots with drain holes. I'm going to grow fewer plants next year to allow more air circulation, I'd like one cherry type one beef type and, maybe, three of a basic variety. Do I need bigger containers, I try and water regularly but this is sometimes difficult, I could possibly work out an auto water system with a cistern and valve.

Some general advice on pot size, suitable varieties, watering/feeding techniques, pest and problem control etc etc would be very welcome. I know this is a big question but I'm sure that there are plenty of people on here that have encountered (and solved) these problems.

Many thanks Roger

PS peppers did well but an aubergine had no fruit at all !

[mumofstig]

If you can't water more regularly, I suggest bigger containers or as a second choice deep saucers/trays for water retention.
Water drip systems work ok but need filling and turning on and off so still need regular attention (unless you spend loads on an auto system)
Another thought - if you use multipurpose compost, a lot of them let water drain straight through, so perhaps mix it with some soil or moisture retaining granules

[Snoop]

This doesn't really address your question but: would you consider growing them outside?

[Eblana]

I have had problems in the past with toms in my small greenhouse.  This year I cut the bottoms out of my pots and sat them on top of grow bags and then planted to plants into the pots,  I sat the whole lot in a tray (having pierced a whole load of holes in the bottom of the grow bag) this seemed to give the roots more soil depth and reduced both water logging and drying out (the grow bag seemed to work like a wick drawing up the water and feed from the tray and releasing it to the pots).

[Headgardener22]

I cut growbags in half, turn them upright and plant one plant in each halfbag. Cut slits in the bottom of the bag about 1/2 inch up so that water can run out but you also get a small reservoir in the bottom of the bag. To keep the tops of the bags open, I use an old 6 inch pot with the bottom taken out and sellotape the top of the halfbag to that. That way you can water from the top without the bag collapsing and all the water running down the side.

If you can't water regularly, then I stand the half growbags in a drip tray and water that as well.

I've also used a dripper system attached to a waterbutt which I fill up but the problem with it is judging the watering so that it doesn't flood the plants.

[rogertb]

Excellent ... thanks chaps - I new you wouldn't let me down. There's plenty of helpful advice here and it's helped to get my head around the problem. Don't want to wait until next year I want to go try it now ... oh well ... patience !

[ARPoet]

I grow toms in flower buckets (free). Drill a few holes a third of the way up, put stones in the bottom and cover with well rotted manure and or home made compost. Stand the bucket in a carrier bag as this helps stop drying out.
You can see mine in the 6 X 6  greenhouse in this short Video about half way through. D1wqVYLaGyg

[syks grower]

If you search for ring culture on the net it may help you.
Basically it involves growing the plant in a bottom less pot on top of an aggregate.
You used to be able to purchase pots for the purpose but I now use flower buckets with the bottom cut out filled with compost and placed on a large tray filled with pea gravel. The tray should be as deep as possible about 3_6 " .
You water the pots only to get the plant established then you just water the gravel and feed into the pot. I do it twice a week with half strength feed.
The idea is that the plant gets it water from the aggregate and food from the pot..
The beauty is you can't really over water the gravel.
It's not new I have been using it since the 1970's.
Hope this helps you

[rogertb]

Even more help ... splendid video ARP and I will investigate the ring culture suggestion. I did once devise a trickle system which was a bit 'Heath robinson" because I'm tight and try and do everything on the cheap, so I have a nearby rain fed water butt raised high enough for a gravity feed, I also bought a tiny plastic stop-cock off ebay so I have a nice little project to keep me busy ...

[Mr Dog]

For toms, cucs and peppers grown in the greenhouse at home (solid floor) I made a semi-self watering system using builders buckets, normal plant pots, capillary matting and some old plastic drainpipe: 2-3" wide strips of capillary matting were passed through the drainage holes of the plant pots - long enough to reach 3/4 of the way to the top of the pot with 2-3" sticking out of the bottom. I then placed 2 or 3 of pieces of drainpipe (2" or so long) into the bucket and finally placed the filled pot into the bucket ensuring the matting strips were pushed down. Watering was as easy as filling the bucket up to the bottom of the pot and only had to be done twice a week at most. It's a bonus with cucs as you never have to water from the top reducing the risk of stem rot.

[cadalot]

Previous years I have used flower buckets with 4 holes made with a soldering Iron at quarter points around the bottom about 15mm up so that the bottom holds water. This year much smaller pots but standing in a large gravel tray that I filled up to about an inch depth that lasted 3-4 days between top ups during the summer in a blow a way greenhouse and I had a great crop of toms this year.