my container tomatos

These are my container tomatos the containers ain't prutty but the maters don't care

Whitewidower,
How big are your white buckets on the end? They look pretty deep.

What type soil/mix are you growing your maters in?

You have trellises over the buckets, right?

Gymgirl
The white bucket closest to you in the picture is a half 55 gallon barrel. The smaller buckets are five gallon and maybe one that is a pool chemical bucket which is just the right size. I am now taking the bottom out of one five gallon bucket and putting the bottomless bucket inside a bucket with a bottom. That works well. Now don't laugh. I use potting soil about half a bucket with about a shovel full of chicken litter, no more than that or you will burn up your plants, I put four or five fish oil tablets and four or five calcisum tablets and water for a day or so. You can add grass clipping, leaves or dirt and leaves from the woods. Drill a small hole about two inches from the bottom of the bucket for dranage. I have some muffler pipes driven into the soil and that is where I water my plants mostly.The reason I use the muffler pipes is they are free. Pvc pipes work really good. Of course you know if you don't get rain like we have not had any in weeks you must water your plants daily. Hey I am on a roll want to see the rest of my graden?

Sure! Thanks for the info! I found a source for the 5 gallon buckets at a local laundry, so your advise is right on time!

Post your garden pics!

P.S. Why do you cut the bottom off one bucket, only to put it inside another bucket with a bottom?


Do you mix your ingredients or layer it? I'd probably use the same ingredients as in my Earthboxes: Miracle Grow potting mix, 2 cups dolomite lime (calcium) and 2 cups CTR fertilizer (10-10-10).

Also, since your pipes are for watering, did you drill holes in them for water flow into the soil? Otherwise, wouldn't the water just sort of flow to the bottom of the bucket and out the drainage holes?
This message was edited May 7, 2007 3:07 PM

This message was edited May 7, 2007 3:18 PM

I just feel that with a bottomless bucket inside on with a bottom gives you more space for your plant. You can add more potting mix or whatever you think your plant might like. As for the pipes I push one down, say six or eight inches pull it out and clean out the dirt then put it back. That way when you water the water goes deep and your roots will have to reach it. Your mixture sounds almost like mine and as far as I am concerended the bucket system is only a round earth box. Only home made. I do not mix in layers I ususally mix it in a wheel barrell then put in buckets. Another don't laugh I have dead fish mixed in some of them. Heck the Indians did it. My container plants are way ahead of the ground ones. I just drill one small hole in the side of the bucket. Say 1/4 inch and no bigger. That way you will not drown the plant. If you have earth boxes you know probably more than I do about growing vegetables. These are some of my peas also there is cabbage,some more tomatos and okra along with several other things I can't remember right now.

Rest of garden
Corn

watermelons

The barrels are 50-55 gallons before cutting them in half. The half barrels hold about 25 gallons of soil.

We have many of the barrels. We buy them in their 50+ gallon normal size, cut them in half and go from there.

We have squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, loofah, irises and carrots in ours.

25 gallons holds a LOT of potting soil OR potting mix! My EBs take 75 qts (2-12 cu. ft.) of MG potting mix. That's the big bag....don't believe I can handle more that the big bag of anything. Gets to be $$$.

It takes about 4 - 3 cubic foot bags to fill one of these barrels and that still leaves room for mulch. lol

Whitewidower,

Those are some great looking tomatoes! They must be on the verge of ripening? Keep those pictures coming!

Red

WOW! Those are some great looking tomato plants you have there Whitewidower!!! Do you have plans for all those tomatoes? hehehe

Okay, you're probably going to laugh...and I'm almost embarrased (but curious)

I'm such a sucker for internet plants and seen this advertisement for 8' tomato trees! I read the bd news about them during the time I was waiting for them to be shipped, as everybody said they were crap! Tomatoes tasted bad, they didn't grow...etc, etc, etc! My sick little order came and I didn't get to them in a day and they withered and died! I wasn't upset and figured I just saved a good pot and soil!

But...My darling Man decided to buy some for me (maybe he thought I looked heartbroken or something - but I just think it was coincidence and a joke!). He gave them to me and of course, I had to plant them!!!! It's the thought that counts!

Well, I can see how they're going to grow to 8' as they've probably grown more than a foot in 2 weeks! I figure they were developed as seedlings next to a nuclear plant in who-knows-where!

Being a tomato afficienado like you are, have you ever heard of anything like this??? What I love about the catalog is that there are no photo's - just cartoonish looking illustrations! hahaha

Hey...if anything, they'll be a real conversation piece!

Is that white trail in those leaves miner damage? I have some of that on my banana pepper leaves. Please advise. Thanks.

I haven't got a clue Gymgirl. It hasn't spread, so I'm thinking it might just be a product of the water or possibly all the smoke residue around here lately. Could be that they're just growing too fast.

Hey folks sorry I have not been on the net lately but Wildblue was down or part of my equipment. Anyway I am back and yes my tomatoes are almost vine ripe now. I tell you I am probably going to go with only contanier tomatoes from now on. I have some small watermelons about the size of golf balls. We are dry dry dry.

very nice tomatoes WW, and yes Gymgirl those are leafminers on the leaves.

Thanks Araness.

Yes, Thank-you Araness...

I cut off any leaves that had these marks...hope it does the trick as it doesn't seem to be coming back.

Whitewidower....Yep, there's definitely a drought in the southeast, west, & northwest...While I wouldn't wish anyone hurricanes, I hope this season brings moisture & keeps fires down, too. This year I planted tomatoes in containers, but every darned one ended up kindof sickly looking. Last year, my tomatoes were in the ground, and looked terrific...last year's were Early Girl hybrids, though. This year I used 8 gal. square plastic planters, drilled for drainage, & I used Hyponex garden soil...which I later found out is only slightly processed animal sludge. My tomatoes were already up, and sickly,when I read the label on the bag of Hyponex, (shoulda used potting, not garden soil!) so I added potting soil, hope it helps. Plus, since my plants are (non-hybrid) heirlooms not native to here, I don't think they had a lot of resistance to local tomato viruses...Sure looks like virus damage on the leaves. Will try your soil mix next season, Whitewidower....
Cyra

FYI -source of 5 gallon containers; I teach at a local high school and all of the public schools in our county, stripe, clean, and wax the tile floors during the summer; they have a lot of 5 gal buckets they love to give away. Maybe the same in your locality.

whitewidower - berautiful gardens and wonderful looking tomato in yhour containers. i use onlyh containes to garden with now up on my deck. i have just tomatoes and basil and peppers. .

kygreg - thanks for that time. my sons friend who mows our lawn is a custodian for the school system so he might be able to hook me up with some. thanks again

katg - i see that add for the tomato tree all the time in magazines. i have nevere tried it because i hear the same bad comments as you have. i wold be very interested to see if you have any sucess with them. please keep us updated on this thread about how they are dong. thanks

Herbie...Don't do it! They were coming along okay but suddenly turned bad. Too much growth, too fast! It's a gaff and the worst tasting tomatoes I've ever had. Mind you, it's not tomato time here in Florida, but don't waste your money. It was an interesting experiment for me! hehe.

This is sad, but after coddling these plants for months and tasting that rotten tomato, I just abandoned them. Here's what they look like today! I'm kind of ashamed, as I take great care of my plants.

Now meanwhile...My good man bought this planter for me. It's an upside-down tomato planter. Makes sense. I started out with 4 vines. I had to pull out 2 because it rained so hard that they just got drowned. I still have 2 vines still going, but it's just too hot for tomatoes in Florida right now and as you can see, everything I planted on top has gone crazy! My eggplant and basil are out of control!
I will try again and replant in October. It's actually kind of scary...reminds me of "Cousin It" from the Adam's family" hehe.

katg - live and learn. the upside down planters looks great.