You could try Earthboxes. Or just get some shelf liner that she likes and use that to cover the buckets. Maybe let her pick it out.

Tom has explained before his issue with bottom watering, and if I recall, had to do with the soil staying too wet. Though you could do a forum search.

As for aesthetics, my husband is the one always worried about that around here. I saw green 5 gallon buckets someplace you could buy, maybe Walmart or Ace. You could also get the white ones from HD and paint them. Use the plastic paint or plastic primer. If you have kiddos, spray paint them with a garden friendly plastic paint spray. Then give the kids a go with crafting paints to decorate them for you. Top with exterior varnish and it should last a while.

For quick and easy, I like the shelf liner idea.

Here is one of my favorite ...

~dianne

Re: #2
I've painted my buckets a pale green. Still just a bucket, but gets rid of the black lettering and helps it blend into the garden. However, I fully admit that my garden is very laid back. But just thought is throw that idea out there.

"Any suggestions for containers that might be a bit more attractive than the paint bucket?"

I have this same issue since I keep my container tomatoes in a courtyard that is filled with beautiful ornamentals that I work hard to keep looking beautiful. So I splurged and bought decorative fiberglass pots to hold my container tomatoes.

I made 2 mistakes, though. The first set of pots were black and that was not a good idea since it cooked the roots of the plants. The same set of pots were also tapered in quite a bit at the bottoms. Big mistake, the darn things kept falling over in the wind.

So the second set of pots I got are light colored, golden and have a base that is only a tiny bit smaller in diameter than the opening. I found the pots for a good price at a store called Tuesday Morning.

Please consider buying the "pickle buckets" from Firehouse subs. I think they are $2 and the money goes to a worthy cause....but do have a distinctive dill aroma.

****************** FOR ZONE 10 ************************

Regarding buckets, I think 5 gallons and 3.5 gallons is just too small a size for a bottom watering system to work in Zone 10 due to the soil heating up too much, even in white buckets. The small diameter won't keep the sides from NOT heating up ALL the soil within the bucket, unless buried or shaded, and for tomatoes shade doesn't work over the long run...that's why the smallest successful bottom-watering designs use 18 gallon totes.

Concerning aesthetics, Wally World has the best prices on plant containers in the 7-10 gallon size, but you know they come from China :-( Still, if you look at my early success (2008-2009) and what Silvia's done for several years you can't go wrong and it won't be an eyesore to your wife or neighbors :-) I've just cut back on the size to reduce the number of batches of soil I have to make every season, but without close attention to what I'm doing it's dang hard to be successful in 3.5 gallon containers "tricked" into thinking they contain 5 gallons of soil ;-)

Tough call on the mix, during the rainy season a 5:1:1 mix will keep your maters from drowning when they are small (under 24"), but once they get going and have a significant root system they soak water up like a sponge, especially as we move into the dry season, so I prefer a 4:2:1 mix (more peat). If you're final potting is over 12" I'd use a 4:2:1 *** IF *** you can shelter them from rain until they are over 24" and we start to dry out. Outside of those two criteria I'd use a 5:1:1 mix, but you'll definitely have to water more frequently unless we have an unusually wet dry season.

Tom

My man is using a med sized tote box just drilled holes in it for drainage.

I made a double bucket with 2-5 gallon containers that has housed the same jalapeno for over a year now. It keeps on producing fruit. I admit that I probably have let it dry out a bit at times and then I will water it from the top and bottom.

As for appearance, I am planning to make some wooden covers to wrap around them to keep the sun off them a little and to help with the aesthetics. Something like this in the link
but very simple and no bottom is necessary.

Here is a link that might be useful: Simple planter box

I really enjoy my 2 bucket system. I use the "Global bucket" design. As far as appearance, I buy the $5.00 bamboo looking window shades at Big Lots and wrap it around several buckets. Here is one wrapped around a tote designed like the 2 bucket system:

Jo

Thanks for all the helpful replies, everyone.

I ended up making a standard 5:1:1 mix over the weekend and putting it into top-water double 5-gallon bucket containers. Got the pine bark fines from The Bushel Stop up in Southwest Ranches (very helpful folks) - oddly enough, getting the perlite was the toughest part, since the big boxes don't stock the large bags anymore.

Because I have to grow my seedlings indoors (I don't really have a place that works outdoors), I have to transplant well before they get up to 2'. I'll just have to water more frequently.

I think screening will have a nicer effect than painting the buckets (and will aslo provide a little shading for the bucket to keep them a bit cooler). I could modify that planter box design to work with my garden configuration, and as long as I can move the screen, tending to the plants will not be a problem.

Jo, how well do those bamboo curtains hold up to exposure to weather and rain? The one in your pic looks great, and doesn't show any weathering at all - is it new?

Alan

Today I came across an ad for 25 gallon containers for $2 each. They told me they have lots of them. They are all halves of 55 gallon plastic containers, and these people have many, many of them. I use 60 gallon containers for my tomatoes, but I think 25 would be enough. These are located close to the Dover exit of I4, just west of Plant City.

Thanks for the warning, Tom. I have a few 7.5 gallon nursery pots that I could paint a light color. Should that work?

Thanks for the warning, Tom. I have a few 7.5 gallon nursery pots that I could paint a light color. Should that work?

When I switched to containers in 2008 I started with #7 nursery containers, which hold about 6 gallons of soil. They worked well for the Beefmasters, Big Beef and Jetsetters. I used #5 containers, which only holds 4 gallons of mix, for all the other maters and they did well too, so I'd say the answer is yes, with no painting necessary. I just can't resist pushing the envelope a little more using the bottom-watering bucket design with a 3.5 gallon top bucket and using the wicking cup below to wick water out instead of into the mix....

Tom

Cool. My little early-planted Heatwave varieties are doing just great, and I'll pot 'em up in a few weeks. Bought some Beefsteak seeds from Echo that I guess I'll start in Sept. I should end up with something!

Bought some Beefsteak seeds from Echo that I guess I'll start in Sept. I should end up with something!

That should be interesting. ECHO's philosophy is more attuned to open pollinated varieties, but given our availability of hybrid seeds with LOTS of disease resistance, if you don't have success with what you purchased I HIGHLY recommend Beefmaster as a hardy, productive great tasting beefsteak for Zone 10...you won't be sorry.

Tom

Is there anyone growing tomatoes in the ground. What about the drought tolerant and disease resistant varieties? I get the nematode thing but there are things one can try to experiment.

Tropicalfreak

I don't think there are any drought tolerant tomatoes :) I don't try to grow in the ground anymore, but if you want to try then plant a nematode resistant plant in heavily amended soil. Also the nematode resistant gene only works below 89 at minimum and preferrably below 82.

we use the recycle bins given out by the city, not sure how we accumulated this many.....:), but they work great! hold almost two cubic foot of soil, holes for drainage....and free.......!