Some of us wouldn't have any toms at all without growing them in containers as we don't have any garden space, or live in apartments. We cage, prop, tie, bungee, etc, too. You do what you can to get those homegrown toms!
This year the deer topped my plants twice before I could get netting for them, so they splayed out and got top-heavy. Then we got a lot of storms and they blew over easily, so I had to group them closely together and tie them to one another, which caused a whole line of them to blow over at one time,etc, etc.
Sounds like you're doing all right with yours. Production of container toms will never be as good as those in the ground, unless you have earthboxes or other large self-watering containers as some do, but IMO the trouble is definitely worth it! With a little more planning, you'll do better next season. If you see any more frass on the leaves, look under the leaves just above the frass, there may be caterpillars on the underside of them...I had cabbage loopers this year and had to spray with Bt. They were very hard to spot, being the same color as the leaves.

Any suggestions?

You can grow a great crop using containers but it will require much more work and attention to the plants. You can reduce that extra effort somewhat with:

Bigger containers. The bigger the better. As big as possible and nothing smaller 10 gallon.

Self-watering containers or drip irrigation on an auto timer. And adding an auto- fertigation system to it is even better.

Mulch the containers well.

Otherwise stick with only determinate or bush varieties.

Dave

I have tomatoes in 18 gallon containers, and I use 8' T-posts and a Florida weave anyway. It seems to be working great for support. Some of the vines are so long they're drooping over the top line and heading back down, but that's ok.

The length of your growing season also has a lot to do with container size. 5 gallon containers are fine for your short season as long as you use a well draining porous mix and no dirt or garden soil. Maybe 7-10 gallon for larger indeterminates. I have mine on a drip system now but going to try a gravity feed/float valve and atmospheric pressure system next year. It will be virtually automated except for adding water and nutrients to the holding tank maybe once during the season unless something gets broken.

I have been using 10 gallon buckets with plenty of drainage holes, filled with Al's 5:1:1 mix. So no drainage problems. Mulched with straw. In my zone 5b should the buckets be larger than that? Any recommendations on smaller, patio-type varieties? Probably my watering could be more regulated. It's been quite warm and I've needed to water every 1-2 days this month. Structure is also something I need to perfect. Something to research this winter, I guess!

Laura

Actually your drainage is probably the issue. That mix doesn't hold enough water for tomatoes unless you want to water 2-3 times a day when it's hot. I would use more peat for tomatoes. The bark fines could also be locking up the nitrogen. I've been using approx. 2/1 peat/perlite and occasionally some bark if the peat is really pure and fine.

Taz, thanks, that makes sense. I will try that ratio next year. Isn't the 2 parts peat rather acidic? Any specific fertilizer type/frequency that you would recommend?
Thanks again!
Laura

Yes peat is acidic but tomato plants like it. I use a basic fertilizer with fairly even #s like 10-10-10 or 12-12-12 weekly at 1/4 strength and a light foliar spray of fish emulsion if they are not green enough for me. If production slows I switch to a bloom booster fertilizer until production resumes.

My mix consisted of 3 parts white peat, 1 part bark fines and 1 part Perlite plus lime and organic ferts. The PH measured around (6.5). Water retention is good and I grow in 5-10 gal containers with attached cages which are tie wrapped to a fence line,top and bottom, which I grow them on. I add organic nutrients (BioBizz BioGrow) 2 to 3 times a week when watering as fruit set kicks in. I use Actinovate and EXEL LG as a foliar for disease control and mix Mycorrhiza and Actinovate to water and dip my seedlings into the solution prior to planting the seedlings into the containers.
I grow determinates and indeterminates and do not prune the suckers or side shoots if you will and have excellent plant growth and fruit production as long as they don't get hit with a hail storm. Ami