Kelly,

It all depends on the size of the containers. If the containers are large enough, any tomato variety will grow well in a container.

All the varieties you listed are Indeterminate, I think, except for Nebraska Wedding and Black Sea Man. I've grown both of them in containers and both did well in 10-gallon containers and not nearly as well in 5-gallon or 7-gallon containers. So, those two will be fine in containers, but the larger the container, the better they'll produce.

With Indeterminates, I really prefer to use 20-gallon containers or larger because indeterminate tomatoes really need lots of space in which to grow in order for you to get maximum production. You can grow indeterminates in 10-gallon containers (and sometimes I do), but the plants will stay smaller and will give you less fruit. Anything smaller than 10-gallon will need to be watered two or three times a day in our hot July and August weather most years which means it is a real challenge to keep them well-watered and evenly moist. Tomato plants in smaller containers that are not kept evenly moist and which swing back and forth from wet to dry on a regular basis often struggle to produce well and have lots of issues with Blossom End Rot.

Of the ones you listed, if you can only put 5 in the ground, then the other four I'd put in the ground besides Freckled Child, which is already there, would be Black Cherry (because it grows so large and is so tasty), Royal Hillbilly (because it grows so large, is so tasty and produces heavily), Boxcar Willie (because it grows so large, is so tasty and produces so very well in extreme heat) and Opalka (large plant, tasty fruit, and a paste type). It is much better for Opalka to be in the ground than in a container because it is a paste type, and paste types are more prone to blossom end rot. Since container-grown tomatoes are harder to keep evenly moist, paste types do better in the ground.

So, for containers that would leave the two determinates I mentioned above (Nebraska Wedding and Black Sea Man), both of which have grown fine in containers for me, and also Snow White Cherry (prone to foliar diseases, so might do better in a container than in the ground), Indian Stripe (grows well for me in 10-gallon containers but if in a 20-gallon container will produce just as many fruit as if in the ground) and Tigerella, about which I have nothing good to say, so I'll say nothing more.

Finally, one thing more, there is no such thing as "too many tomatoes". : ) I love tomatoes and the only year in which I felt I had too many of them was the year I had 400 plants and over 175 varieties. That's the only time I've ever found myself with more tomatoes than I could handle. Then the deer found the ones that were outside the fenced garden, and I didn't have "too many" any more. I'm just teasing you, you know. You really can have too many tomatoes, but it is just an abundance of riches when you do.

If you don't have containers yet, you might try your local Freecyle or Craig's List and look for molasses feed tubs. The ones that my neighbor Fred gave me about a decade ago are about the same size as a whiskey half-barrel and tomato plants in them produce just as many fruit per plant as plants in the ground. Another fairly inexpensive container is grow bags, available in all sizes, and I'll link one of my favorite sources below. I have had pretty good luck with 10-gallon grow bags. Finally, storage totes with holes drilled in the bottom are great for tomatoes, especially the Rubbermaid Roughneck or Toughneck or whatever it is they call the really heavy-duty ones because they last for years without cracking. Being rectangular, storage totes line up nicely along a fenceline, sidewalk or driveway, building wall, etc.

Good luck with all your tomatoes and I hope they grow and produce well and give you so many tomatoes that you don't know what to do with them all!

There are many kinds of Grow Bags available. Sunleaves are my favorite because they are white on the outside which helps deflect sunlight which keeps the plants' roots inside the bags a little cooler.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Sunleaves Grow Bag at Worm's Way

Kelly, I've got as few 10 gallon Sunleaves gro bags if you are in the City again soon, I will give to you. Let me know.

Susan

Susan,

That is so sweet of you. I actually managed to move enough stuff around, shrink my bean plot, and fit a few more tomatoes in. But thank you so much for offering.

Dawn,

Thanks for all the great info! Why don't you like the Tigerella's? Prone to disease?

Kelly

Kelly, Sorry about Tigerella, this is my first year to grow it. When I started looking it up on-line, I found several different descriptions of it and none of them looked the same. This pack said, "Tigerella (Mr Stripey)" so in case you hate it, you will know not to buy that one.

Carol,

Don't apologize! The plant looks, big, beautiful and healthy. I'm sure I'll love whatever it wants to give me. :)

Kelly