[bluelou]

How many tomato plants can you plant in a small hanging basket? And do you plant them in the middle or at the edge?

Can you plant hanging basket tomatoes in container on the floor? 

[HilaryG]

I put 3 Tumbling Toms per basket last year and it was too many really although I did get lots of little toms. They dried out and used up all the compost far too quickly. 2 would have been better. I put 4 into a container on ground and they did well, but it was a big pot! I put the plants around the edge and kept them well watered and fed.

[bluelou]

What was the size of your container?

[viettaclark]

I invested in B&Q baskets (2 for £10 with fitting, coir and fertiliser) but didn't use the coir. Did a mix of compost, manure. topsoil and a sprinkle of bfb and just one Tumbling Tom to a basket because last year with 2 plants to a large pot they were a bit overcrowded come summer. Tumbling toms are quite bushy!!!
Only prob with baskets is the water drains through so quickly so they need watering often!!! With more plants to a basket I'd be forever watering. Maybe should've lined them with plastic.....ah well......always next year!

[Babstreefern]

I had two 16" hanging baskets and put 3 in each basket, and they did well.  I used fleece as the liner and all I did to water them was to unhook the baskets and dunk them in the very large tank of water that we have - watered in seconds, and of course, I used the watering can when I needed to feed them.

[viettaclark]

I think mine are only 12". Good idea to dunk though!!! See you like cats too, Babs!

[tam]

I did one to a basket, don't think it needed more.. got a massive crop off them:



I planted them leaning towards the edge, lined the baskets with plastic (no holes) and put plastic bottles in to hold water. Then watered them once a day.

If you want to put them in a container it's best to raise it up, eg stand it on an unturned bucket. Otherwise they'll rest on the floor.

[upert]

one.

[Babstreefern]

Hi Viettaclark,

Yes, I love cats, in fact the picture is the spitting image of my Mainecoon, Merlin

[viettaclark]

I thought putting top soil and manure in would retain water. They're not very big (8" or so)yet (in fact some in a more exposed part of the garden have gone blue so I may lose them?) so do you think it's worth redoing the baskets with plastic?

[sunshineband]

LIning the baskets with plastic (some holes) helps. I usually put an old deepish saucer inside the base of the basket as that helps with water retention when it is very hot//dry 

[viettaclark]

Think I might be able to do something because the baskets are lined with coconut matting which could be lifted out (plant, earth and all)  and I could put some plastic round and pop it all back in. Got some grey roofing plastic which is rot-proof and although it won't look particularly sightly it should do the job!
That's if the plants survive and we actually get a summer.....

[Elcie]

I got my baskets from Poundland last year (they were very cheap!) and I think I put 2 per basket.  This year I have put one in each of these and two in my slightly larger Asda baskets.  They grow quite big.

[tam]

For plastic, I use the bags from compost, turned inside out. They are usually black on the inside so look fairly neat.

[bluelou]

My hanging baskets are small, so better do just one plant per basket. I have one problem now, i have 10 plants and only 2 baskets. Does anyone want a tomato plant?