Planted tomatoes in large containers this year (probably 25-30 gallon pots.) In years past, we have lost a few either from us choosing bad plants or neglecting them in the Texas heat. So, this year we decided we would be better and use soaker hoses on a timer, fertilize, and watch out for pests and diseases. So, we bought more tomatoes than we wanted, expecting some not to survive the transplant process.

Well, apparently our thumb is turning more green from its previous black state.

We were out of town for a few days and when we returned it seemed like some of our tomatoes had almost doubled in size. I'd guess they might be over 2 foot tall now.

We planted two tomatoes per pot, hoping for one to live. One pot had two indeterminates and one pot had two determinates. A third pot had a few cherry tomatoes. (They are only around 6" tall at the moment, so we still have time to see if they are all going to thrive or not.)

So, here is my question. Since it looks like everything is going to live, do we need to remove one tomato from each container and repot? If so, do we leave the remaining tomato where it is (over to one side) or do we dig it up and replant it in the center? Or, do we leave them alone and either prune or just expect a limited yield from them.

Cost is the only thing making me question repotting them. I get the containers for free, but for our water system to work, they almost have to be that large of container. We put plastic bottles in the bottom to take up space, but it is still taking a large bag of potting mix per container. It is also going to add a bit of cost to expand the watering system (we like our current system of tree ring soaker hoses connected to a leader hose which is connected to a manifold/diverter on a timer - we would need to add two more tree rings, two more leader hoses, and a few more splitters).

Just a few notes:Only two people in my household and everyone else in my family/circle of friends has their own garden so a lower yield is not necessarily a bad thing. Also, the soil at our house is not okay for a garden. We are moving within a year, so not worth it to try to get it in good shape for this year. Soil where we will be moving is so-so, but access to a tiller, a hundred acres, and as much compost and goat manure as we want. Therefore, container gardening will only be used this year and possibly next year, so we do not want to put much money into it. We will save that for our in ground garden.

So, any suggestions? Thank you!