Tomatoes do phenomenally well in containers. True dwarf types need 1-3 gallon containers. Bush types need 5-10 gallon containers and indeterminate maters need 5-15 gallon containers. The container size is directly related to water usage. You can use smaller pots, but you will have to water multiple times per day to have them do well and that is no fun for most.

Roma's did fine for me also last year if you want a sauce/paste tomato. Cherry tomatoes are another good one. I'd use at least 1 cu ft pots (I have ones that are about 1 & 1/2 cu ft.). I'd recommend MG Moisture Control Potting Mix, that way if you over water, it really doesn't matter too much. You'll probably have to turn/rotate the pots daily to get sun on each side. I'll be growing 2 Cherry tomatoes, 2 San Marzano's, 2 Early Girl Hybrid's, some Cali Wonder Bells, some hot peppers (Jalapeño Early Organic & Serrano) and a few other things on my porch this year...lol...it'll be quite crowded. :) Check out the Container Gardening forum on here if you haven't already.

Peace - Steve

True dwarf types?

Not looking a Cherry tomatoes; interested in the "bush" tomatoes.

GG

Cherries aren't dwarf types! Some of them can grow to 18' tall if you believe some posters here. And I do, I do!

I think you're looking for determinate tomatoes ("bush" = "determinate"), the ones that grow only a few feet tall and then stop growing, great for containers. There are lots of delicious determinate heirlooms, open-pollinated, and hybrid varieties to choose from. My favorite is New Big Dwarf, a pretty good-sized beefsteak that is an heirloom, and others have their favorites. I do have to stake it in the containers but nothing like the indeterminates.

The really small plants are also determinates but are often referred to as "patio tomatoes". I grow a couple of Red Robins each year in 6-inch pots because they're just so darned cute, and quite tasty.

I've done Bush Goliath a couple of times and it did well in Earthboxes. Bush Champion is another favorite of ours for containers and we like its taste best of the "bush" varieties. Bush Beefsteak is another that one often sees sold as a transplant around here. Never done Bush Early Girl as we never cared for regular Early Girl's flavor. I would recommend a 5-10 gallon container as already mentioned for any of them - the bigger the better.

Dwarf varieties, which can be done in smaller containers, include Patio, Husky Cherry Red, New Big Dwarf (very nice), Totem, Pik-Red. They grow on very compact plants.

Then there are the many determinate varieties - 100+ of them. ;) Bradley is readily available as a transplant so you might want to look for it.

Dave

some tips here

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing-tomatoes-in-buckets

So Bush Goliath Hybrid Tomato are better than Tomato Bush Early Girl Hybrid?

In a 5 gallon pot size, can you put more than one plant in each pot or keep it to one?

The plants I saw were several inches tall.

So Bush Goliath Hybrid Tomato are better than Tomato Bush Early Girl Hybrid?

Can't say that. Taste is a very personal thing. For me, yes, I like the Goliath better than Early Girl but that is just one guy's opinion. Some folks love the Early Girl and it gets you tomatoes sooner than Goliath.

In a 5 gallon container you definitely only put one plant. Personally, I don't use any container smaller than 10 gallons for anything other than a dwarf variety but many do use 5 gallon containers - one plant only.

When planting tall transplants, strip off all the leaves except the top cluster and bury all of the stem in the soil. Roots develop all along the buried stem.

Dave

As for overall size, does one end up growing bigger than the other or are they about the same?

If though they are "bush" type, is it best early on to put up some form of a cage to support them?

As for fertilizer, is something like Miracle-Grow for tomatoes the best route or how would using Miracle-Grow Bloom Booster...would that actually encourage more fruit (tomatoes)?

Had heard based on a 6â plant, sprinkle ü cup Epsom Salt in the bottom of the hole when planting; what does this provide?

The night before you plant your tomatoes, place them in water that reaches about 1 inch up the pot. Sprinkle ü tsp Miracle Grow PER plant to the water. Let stand overnight. Is this recommended?

Instead of planting evenly, straight up, is it better to lay the tomato plant in the prepared hole at an angle of approx. 20 degrees.

As for overall size, does one end up growing bigger than the other or are they about the same?

Determinate/Bush types generally get 3-5ft tall. Indeterminates grow larger in most cases. If though they are "bush" type, is it best early on to put up some form of a cage to support them? Yes, all tomatos require support unless you don't mind them growing along the ground.
As for fertilizer, is something like Miracle-Grow for tomatoes the best route or how would using Miracle-Grow Bloom Booster...would that actually encourage more fruit (tomatoes)?

Bloom boosters will never result in more fruit. The are simply high phosphorus fertilizers and they are a complete waste of money unless one is growing in the ground and a soil test shows a low amount of phosphorus in the soil. In Wisconsin where I live some cities had banned the sale of fertilizers with any phosphorus, but now it's state law. It's a needed plant nutrient, but it isn't needed in the amount many seem to think it is. All a high P fert does is make a few micro nutrients unavailable inducing a nutrient deficiency which stresses the plant. This stress may result in earlier flowers, but at the expense of plant health. Please, just say no to high P ferts. Had heard based on a 6â plant, sprinkle ü cup Epsom Salt in the bottom of the hole when planting; what does this provide?

Magnesium and sulfur. Epsom salt is water soluble so the advice to add it to a container makes no sense. It will just flush out after a few watrerings. Add it to irrigation water if you use it at all. If growing in the ground you may not need it and if growing in a container check the fert to see if it contains magnesium and sulfur. The night before you plant your tomatoes, place them in water that reaches about 1 inch up the pot. Sprinkle ü tsp Miracle Grow PER plant to the water. Let stand overnight. Is this recommended?

No. Probably won't hurt, but the moral behind this is to have a plant that isn't water or nutrient stressed when planting outside. Instead of planting evenly, straight up, is it better to lay the tomato plant in the prepared hole at an angle of approx. 20 degrees.

Meh. If you have a 2ft tall plant and wish to bury much of it in hopes of more roots then feel free. If you have a 6" transplant and would rather plant it normally, feel free.

Hi gardenguy,
Growing in containers transplanting on the horizontal is irrelevant - set seedling in a deep center hole.
Miracle Grow for Toms is how to start fertilizing - not Bloom, as supposedly your seedlings are still immature.
Epsom salts will provide Magnesium - which many fertilizers are low in (in ratio to Calcium) for tomatoes.
You mention some tactics on how to use Epsom Salts from other growers. The 1/4 cup at planting sounds like an in ground cultivation suggestion.
The overnight soak stumps me (I am not doing the calculation to review that ppm concentration) - do tell us where the technique came from.

I'll tell y'all what...don't knock cherry tomatoes in a container garden on an apartment porch. Mine will be my best tomatoes this year, I can already tell. I'll take a picture after they are taller than me in 2 months or so. They are currently 13-17 inches at 4 weeks and 6 days old from seed. =)

tn_veggie_gardner - thanks, but as noted in the OP I am not interested in cherry tomatoes

Looking to purchases my plants locally and plant them in the containers.

good luck...starting from seed is much better...take a very good look at the plants before you buy them for bugs, diseases, fungus, mold, overwatering, dry crappy soil, etc., etc..

Watering - How often should they be watered? And when you do, best to soak the entire pot?

Surface coverage - After planting, can you put a small layer of mulch on the surface?

Normally, the avergage watering for tomato plants is at least 1 inch of water per week. Most people will vary that depending on sunlight, wind, soil composition, etc.. I'd probably only soak them if they got really dry (missed a watering or something). Your surface coverage idea is great...go for it.

Peace - Steve

The two pots I planted are looking really good so far.

I added some lime to the soil when I initially planted them. Is this sufficient for the entire season or should any more be added later?

I planted the plants about 2/3 of the plant deep and snipped off all the lower pieces. Going forward, is there any need to snip off the lower pieces or just let them grow naturally?

I had posted a fertilizer experiment for peppers in a container. The main issues I have found with containers is related to water in 2 ways. One is how often and the other is fertilizer run off. The extra application perhaps compensated. I think this is one possible reason why the triple fertilizer pot still did very well. BTW depending on the fertilizer you use one may also want to consider what happens to your run off. I suppose heat can be a 3rd one which is an advantage in spring and can work against you in summer.

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/cornucop/msg0423570028616.html

Now one could go with 10, 15, 20 gallon containers over 5 gallon and I have considered that warmer longer seasons may have different cultural aspects. I don't see 15 foot monster tomatoes in Main and if I do then I will find something even more outrageous in Texas or Georgia. Realize 10-20 gallons means double, triple the soil and its costs if using high quality potting soils. If you find yourself adding low quality filler to go from 5 to 10 you probably are better off going from 5 to 7 using the good stuff.

One can buy inexpensive irrigation systems , self watering containers or even wicking. All of these can not only water automatically but also in amounts that prevent run off. I would also alter fertilizer applications to more continuous than in the ground. Its between the extreme of simple row gardening and hydroponic fogging. Size is only one aspect of the issue. Size does make a difference but the size of what and where? Certainly the smaller you go the more you will tend to lean on technology and devices.

My choice container is 5 gallon Mel's mix with watering help from self watering or irrigation. 5 gallon is more volume than Mel's 1/2 a square foot space where people grow many pruned indeterminate tomatoes including me.

From extra and misplaced seedlings I have also pushed the limits. I also can confirm a 0 disease fully green from top to bottom Black Cherry with 2 six foot vines producing tomatoes until November because it was easily moved back into a green house in a 3 gallon. I grew a Bandy Wine in even less in a hanging basket and it gave me two large tomatoes of the finest quality being practically dry farmed.

A Roma in a poorly ventilated milk jug certainly did not do well.

I've been growing toms in 10 gallon pots for 15 years. I generally water frequently (couple times a day) lightly at first, then more and more as the plants get big and the weather gets hot. Have automatic sprinkler system, will travel!

It is imperative to empty the pot and refresh the soil before each planting. Bring lots of compost, etc. Never grow two toms in one pot; they'll fight for nutrients and everybody loses. I rarely if ever use fertilizer; I should probably use more.

It gets hot here in summer, and I have a concrete back yard. Our natural soil is clayish and alkaline. If I can do it, you can do it.

Hybrids are much easier than heirlooms, which are far more reticent to pollinate.

Soil is very important. Anything that is nutritious takes nutrients from the soil... depleting it.

I use mostly 18-30 gallon containers, but I don't hesitate to put more than one plant in these larger pots. You need to consider whether or not the plant is a large sprawling indeterminate or a more compact determinate type. I also grow some dwarf and super-dwarf types in pots as small as one gallon.

The extra watering required for containers requires additional fertilizer and micro-nutrients. I use a small amount of Miracle Grow for Tomatoes every two or three weeks, and because I start my plants in a "not full" pot, I can then topdress twice a season with compost laced with a small amount of Tomato-Tone. By the end of the season, the pots are full and better support the needs of the full-sized plants. I use plastic mulch to help control evaporation.

Throwing away last year's potting MIX is totally wasting a valuable asset. You've spent all that time keeping it healthy, so what's wrong with it at season's end. ALL my pots get emptied into a special compost pile where I add ground up leaves and some other ground up "greenery". When it's all mixed up, I put a tarp over it and let it cook. I turn it over a few times during the winter, adding moisture as needed. My tarp is a 15'X30' and only just keeps the rain out. And yes, I get lots of earthworms.

When spring comes on, I uncover it, turn it over, and let it breathe for a week or so. Then I get the wheelbarrow out and mix as follows: 60% last years, 10% Black Kow composted manure, and 30% new potting mix. I add a cup of Dolomite lime, some 10-10-10 slow release fertilizer, and blend well. This goes in my pots. I use this for tomatoes and peppers as well. After all pots are started, any of last years that remains goes into the flower beds.

Hope this helps

Ted

"I added some lime to the soil when I initially planted them. Is this sufficient for the entire season or should any more be added later?

I planted the plants about 2/3 of the plant deep and snipped off all the lower pieces. Going forward, is there any need to snip off the lower pieces or just let them grow naturally? "