Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Clampit on April 06, 2008, 18:06

Title: Growing tomatoes in containers.
Post by: Clampit on April 06, 2008, 18:06: I will soon be putting my tomato seeds in, Alicante (yummy!) and Sweet millions (Double yummy!). As my allotment is very exposed I was thinking of growing my tomatoes at home. I have never grown in containers before and I would be grateful for any advice you may be able to give me.
I was thinking of growing in 9" pots filled with compost which would then be sat in growbags. I am not sure of how to support the plants yet either.
Title: Growing tomatoes in containers.
Post by: Wildeone on April 06, 2008, 18:08: I grew mine in pots last year (20cm pots) but they could of done with a tad more pot room so grows sound great. I tied my toms to the shelves i had in the green house and we ate tomatoes for ages!
Title: Growing tomatoes in containers.
Post by: spoons on April 06, 2008, 18:14: i was thinking of doing something similar with the flower buckets you can get from the supermarkets, but wanted know about drainage. In a grow bag there are no holes, would it be ok in these buckets with no drainage or do you think i should drill a few holes in the bottom. many thnx
Title: Growing tomatoes in containers.
Post by: DD. on April 06, 2008, 18:19: You'll need drainage. If the buckets are quite brittle plastic, melt some holes in the bottom, rather than drill, otherwise they'll crack.
Title: Growing tomatoes in containers.
Post by: mabel on April 06, 2008, 18:35: I'm growing mine in the black supermarket buckets but I have cut the bottoms off completely and sunk them into the soil in my polytunnel. that way I have a deep compost and it keeps them from drowning as it is flooded at the moment. I think also that the roots will reach down into the ground but still have loads of compost at the top. that is the theory anyway. Years ago I grew them the same way but planted into growbags. it worked quite well.
Title: Growing tomatoes in containers.
Post by: charley1980 on April 06, 2008, 20:18: Need lots of depth for tom roots! Did mine in 'doubled' growbags last year and they did geat. Used canes for support which i pushed through the bottom of the bag and into the soil the growbags were sitting on for extra support. good to have canes tied horizontally across the vertical canes too if you are growing bush varieties as gives even more support. The proper tomato supporters in garden stores are far too expensive when bamboo will do.
Title: Growing tomatoes in containers.
Post by: Teen76 on April 06, 2008, 21:30: Hi

I have grown tomatoes in large pots for two years (last year shouldn't be counted though because of the terrible weather which caused blight and therefore had hardly any tomatoes).

I tended to find they dry out quickly (so water regularly or else you'll have split tomatoes after heavy rain) and they get blown over easily in strong winds. I wonder if growing a bush variety such as Amateur would be better in pots?
Title: Growing tomatoes in containers.
Post by: compostqueen on April 06, 2008, 21:51: I always grow outdoors in pots but they need to be at least 9" A 12" pot would be better or two deep grow bags :D
Title: Growing tomatoes in containers.
Post by: mumsy on April 06, 2008, 22:05: http://www.guardianecostore.co.uk/guardian/product.aspx?subGroup=3150

I am using these this year, buying 4 growbags for a fiver at the garden centre & using the soil in these, think they look much nicer than a grow bag.
Did get them from Harrod Horticultural though......not from the above.
Title: Growing tomatoes in containers.
Post by: Ann on April 06, 2008, 22:45: We've always grown our tomatoes in large tubs. Last year as it was very windy and the tubs were blowing over we repotted them and put a couple of house bricks in the bottom to weigh them down. We also find putting water retaining crystals in with the compost helps retain moisture and lessens the need for watering.
Title: Growing tomatoes in containers.
Post by: Clampit on April 07, 2008, 05:48: My pots will be stood on the driveway next to the house so supporting the plants may be a little tricky. I was thinking of filling a few buckets with concrete and having a wooden stake sticking out, if I put 3 or 4 of these along and tied strings horizontally between them to support the canes do you think this would work?
Title: Growing tomatoes in containers.
Post by: fivespud364 on April 07, 2008, 08:54: i grow most of my own tomatos in flower buckets with 3 holes drilled in the bottom and put a shovel full of manure in the bottom before adding the compost and i usually put the water retaining gel in as well

you can get 10 flower buckets from most Morrisons supermarkets for bout 85p
Title: Growing tomatoes in containers.
Post by: Big Jen on April 07, 2008, 09:04: Hi
Last year for the first time I used big plastc pots with the bottoms cut off and stood in grow bags. The toms looked much healthier and I found them easier to water correctly. Until they got blight! Anyway I will do the same this year.
BJ
Title: Growing tomatoes in containers.
Post by: compostqueen on April 07, 2008, 09:11: to sum up then goodly sized pots and well supported from the off :D
Title: Growing tomatoes in containers.
Post by: Lynne on April 07, 2008, 09:26: I used to grow mine in large pots which worked quite well but then I tried them in some large bags - the kind with handles that you can you buy for gardening uses or as a tidy in the car boot. They are just like the woven plastic sacks that they sell for growing potatoes at home. I just make a few holes in the bottom for drainage and fill with compost.

They are quite handy as you can move them around if needed.

Had a great crop and then saved them to use again this year.
Title: Growing tomatoes in containers.
Post by: Celtic Eagle on April 07, 2008, 12:36: I've used old flower buckets for the last 3 years they wok well for me ar regards support I use canes in the bucket and wired to a heavier cross wire at the top again works fine . Really it's what works best for you try a couple of ideas a see which is best
Title: Growing tomatoes in containers.
Post by: Clampit on April 07, 2008, 18:29: I am going to make some sort of timber frame support that can be easily dismantled and stored in the garage when not in use. It has to be free standing as SWMBO has forbidden me to drill holes in the side of the house, I will also have to paint them and make them look nice as SWMBO says she doesn't want the house looking like an allotment. :roll: :lol:
Title: Growing tomatoes in containers.
Post by: Bombers on April 07, 2008, 19:43: I made a trough from Decking boards, about 12" high x 12" wide by about 4' long. It had flowery thingys in it last year :( - SWMBO doesn't know it yet but Iv'e got plans for the Toms this year! :wink: (http://[img]http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm278/srebmob/5.jpg)[/IMG]
Title: Growing tomatoes in containers.
Post by: gobs on April 07, 2008, 22:42: Quote from: "srebmob"
I made a trough from Decking boards, about 12" high x 12" wide by about 4' long. It had flowery thingys in it last year :( - SWMBO doesn't know it yet but Iv'e got plans for the Toms this year! :wink: (http://[img]http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm278/srebmob/5.jpg)
[/IMG]

Ain't it small? if you mean the planter. :?
Title: Growing tomatoes in containers.
Post by: Bombers on April 07, 2008, 22:50: I could double up, I think that would give me enuff room for about 8 plants?
Surely that's enough for 2 pps? (Kidz wont eat em!!) :roll:
Title: Growing tomatoes in containers.
Post by: gobs on April 07, 2008, 22:53: Eight plants should be more than enough for two to say the least, they just look thin in the picture for tom roots.
Title: Growing tomatoes in containers.
Post by: Bombers on April 07, 2008, 23:00: D'ya mean the width (12") or the thickness of the timber (1")?? :?
Title: Growing tomatoes in containers.
Post by: gobs on April 07, 2008, 23:19: Quote from: "srebmob"
D'ya mean the width (12") or the thickness of the timber (1")?? :?

Looks smallish in the picture I have no way of knowing it's size , 1 foot sounds wide enough. :)
Title: Growing tomatoes in containers.
Post by: Bombers on April 07, 2008, 23:24: managed to purchase 4 - 30 ltr grow bags from local farm shop for £4. that should fill em! :lol: :lol: :lol: