I'm not much of a container gardener. I've had tomatoes in containers through only a few seasons and would like to have a few plants in my backyard even though I have lots of room for them in the gardens. With my limited experience, the larger the container, the better the plants have done. Still, I have had quite a few tomatoes off a few plants in 5 gallon pots.

Here are two varieties that have done well in pots: the open-pollinated Bloody Butcher and the hybrid, Sweet Baby Girl. Both are fairly small plants and wouldn't have grown much larger in the open garden.

I've mentioned an heirloom and a very popular hybrid that I have every year, on that other thread. Here is a stable cross which just might become my favorite garden tomato: Gary O Sena. It's been in my garden for about 5 or 6 seasons and done real well, each time.

I don't know how easy these open-pollinated varieties will be for you to find, Popmama. It would be a good idea for people who know your garden centers to make suggestions based on what they carry, if you are planning to purchase plants.

Steve

I have horrid experiences of growing tomatoes in pots, I've even used ones as big as 18-20 gallons with determinate tomatoes in them and still it turned out awful. If you don't have a place in ground then I guess you don't have a lot of options, but of you do, in my experience, that is where they are happiest. Course, that being said, God knows how many pounds of perfect tomatoes are pulled off of plants grown in containers each year, it just that none of them happen to have ever come off of mine.

as far as a raised bed, I'd make it about 18" deep if you're putting a bottom on it. If you leave the bottom open, you can make it shallower, and then mix whatever whatever dirt your putting into the box in with the dirt you're putting it on top of. Thats IF you want to go with a box at all. You can also just loosen, amend and "mound" the dirt into a bed and save yourself the expense of building the frame.

So, I'm pretty terrible at picking tomato varieties. One that did preform very well for me was a Middle Eastern variety called "Nineveh" which is a determinate red with, from what I could tell had a DTM of about 60-70 days. It's advertised as a highly acid tomato, but, I didn't find that to be the case at all. Another good performer (though, I wasn't overly impressed with the taste, but that's just me maybe) was "silver fir tree" which is also a short season determinate - almost a dwarf - and that one DID do well in a container. I don't think you'd be able to find either of those varieties in a garden center, if you're buying plants. But, I'm growing Nineveh this year and will have a couple extras if you're interested.

This year I've stuck with short or midseason tomatoes ad mostly determinates. They seem to do the best for me.

I'm diving into container gardening this year and I intend to pot at least 4 or 5 tomato plants in 5gal buckets or in larger 18 gal rubbermaid totes inside the sunshed using something close to Al's 5bark-1peat-1perlite mix as discussed at length over on the soils forum, except using diatomaceous earth in place of the perlite due to greenhouse placement requiring a bit more water retention.

None of my WS tomato seeds have shown any signs of waking up so I may start some more indoors because it's almost too late now!

Plan is to grow black krim, some cherrys, early girl, and maybe a couple other varieties I can pick up next time I get to the store.

I've grown 90 percent of the over 350 varieties I've grown over the years in various types of containers. I usually use 8-15 gallon containers for them. Some of the dets, I'll go down to a 5 gallon size, but that's pushing it. As long as you don't expect one variety to be "the one" you do well with most varieties that fall with 80 DTM limit at the most. Our short growing season limits us in some ways, but I have no problem finding new and different varieties to try every year. I have my favorites that return every year, but always make sure I try new ones as well. Thessaloniki, Rainy's Maltese, Gary'O Sena, Bloody Butcher, Neves Azorean Red, Black Cherry are the mainstays in my garden.

Everyone has to find their own particular favorites. You have to know what you expect of the varieties you choose as to taste, texture and production.

As I mentioned on the other thread, Thessaloniki seems to be resistant to what ever crud wipes out 40% of everybody's tomato plants over here in SW Colorado, the general consensus (including the ag extension guy) is curly top virus. The best way around this is to plant 40% more tomato plants. :)

Early Girl is sorta the staple tomato around here, the nursery guy was telling me that they represent over half the tomato plants he sells.

Thanks for all the tips. I appreciate you all! No on the Smart Pots! Got it.

I've made a list of some of the varieties mentioned here. I also plan to visit a small farm nearby that grow and sell tomatoes plants to see what they are growing.

As far as garden area, I really don't have any garden beds available for tomatoes since I seem to fill them up with flowers from the swaps, haha. Well that and my habit of strolling garden centers and bringing home new things for which I have no space. So I will probably try containers.

Anyone have any suggestions about soil, soil mixes, etc.?

Ah, the subject of container soils and mixes stirs many a passionate soul. Over at the container forum, they've settled on one or two custom mixes, which are possible if the ingredients are available, and they're not were I live. If you don't want the hassle, try Happy Frog potting soil - the medium of choice, I understand, for that now-booming previously illegal industry. I recycle my potting soil from year to year, sprucing it up as needed, so its easier to think of it as an investment.

Jalirancher, what do you use?

I agree with you David. We had quite the brouhaha in here last year about those mixtures last year. Don't want to go down that trail again. :) Like your Happy Frog, I'd say any good potting soil (distinct from garden soil) that doesn't have a lot of big chunks of wood. With our aridity, the potting soil needs to be a bit more of a meat and potatoes substance than a light salad meal to it.

I do 1/3 of each: compost; peat; and bark fines/pulverized corn cob (some filler that I can find easily). Mix it all together well before I scoop it into the containers or grow bags. It doesn't dry out as fast in our aridity with the compost in there. Learned it from one of my mater mentors who used pecan shells as the filler. Not many pecan shell sources on the prairie. :)

I third the happy frog, if you can afford it. It's a good mix and I have had a nice experience with it. I think I just used MG potting mix last year for peppers because I could get it in 2 cu ft bags at Wally-World, making the toll on my wallet a little lighter, with perfectly acceptable results. Might buy 2-3 bags of it again to "freshen" the left overs from last season this year as well. Thought about the much touted 5-1-1 mix for a while but, "hassle" is not my middle name.

Hey, Jali! Don’t ya
wanna have another Go Round on the “one and only way to make a container
potting mix???” LOL! (What was that “interesting” “water level”
theory? I think I intentionally forgot it!)

I’m not familiar with Frog Soil (I don’t grow frogs!), but I
use Sunshine #1 potting mix for everything I plant in pots. It’s what all my swap plants are in. Sunshine is composed of mostly Canadian
sphagnum peat, which not everyone would agree with, but it works for me—and it
was the basic mix that the plants at Paulino’s (and the garden center I worked
at before that) are planted in.

If you’re looking for the best deal for the money, find a
potting mix that’s sold in “bales” (like peat moss). The “big” bale of Sunshine is 3.8 cubic feet,
and that may not sound like much, but the bales are “compressed,” so when you
“loosen it up” it makes for a LOT of potting soil! A big bale of Sunshine #1 at Paulino’s is thirty-some
dollars now, I think it was around $38, but not positive about that ‘cause I
get the SENIOR discount now!!! But I
just got another bale, and unless I get really carried away with swap plants,
that should last me about a year! That might sound like a lot of money, but
compared to getting a couple "bags” (which are NOT compressed) at $6-$8 a bag, it’s a REALLY good deal!

If you’re buying “peat” to make your own mix, be SURE it’s
Canadian peat and NOT Colorado peat!
That might sound dumb, but they’re two entirely different animals, and
Colorado peat will almost guarantee failure!
(Colorado peat = SLUDGE!) And
Hyponex brand is almost entirely Colorado peat!
Don’t even think it…

Bottom line is, try a few things and when you find one that’s
working for you, you have the right mix!

Happy tomato planting,

Skybird

hehehe, I knew you'd remember that one, Skybird! Yowsers!

Popmama, you have a lot of good testimonials to base your decision on, now. Tomatoes are very forgiving. Just remember above all -- that they are tough. Don't baby them. Overwatering, overfertilizing, and overloving are the biggies when it comes to tomato growing failure -- behind disease, of course. If we get hail, remember that if a tomato plant still has one lone leaf defiantly hanging on, it can process photosynthesis and recover, in time.

This year I spruced up the mixture with something called "soil pep' - its looks like finely chipped bark thats been composted. Holds moisture, good drainage, and pretty cheap - 2.0 cubic feet @$8.

chi

You all made me crack up with your "best soil debate" reminiscences. That's funny stuff. I know how heated these Internet arguments can become, trust me!

I've not used Happy Frog, but I'm up for trying it. I bought some Roots Organic potting soil last year and also some Maxfields (which is a local company) and liked them both for my flower containers. They are both on the pricey side but both are organic.

I'm not into Miracle Grow just because I don't like the additives they use. But that's just me.

Also, david52, I've been using Soil Pep for years as my garden mulch. I happen to like the color of it and the finer texture. It makes a nice top dressing/mulch and then it blends right into the soil as an amendment. I put new on all my flower beds, hostas, etc. every Spring. Doing that this weekend as a matter of fact. I feed everything with the Yum Yum mix, then top with Soil Pep. So I have lots of that and can mix in some of that.

Jaliranchr, as far as tomatoes being forgiving, that has not been my experience thus far. I wish I could say it was. I think some people just have an affinity for certain plants. But I'm willing to give it another try this year and see if I can turn my luck around! I'll plant more this year and not just put all my eggs in one basket.

I have several at-home compost "facilities." Some get quite a lot of pre-used potting soil. I'm not a composting-purist, as can be recognized by my over-use of hyphens ... yeah, don't want those that are soil-passionate, dishing dirt at me ...

Anyway, I try to put my best compostables with the used soil. Plants that have some months/years and require larger pots, may well go in that compost. It is likely to be mixed with my best garden soil, about 1:1, or, maybe not.

One thing tomatoes have going for them is their ability to develop roots along their stems. Take advantage of that.

Steve

Ok, have to ask....just what IS Soil Pep?? I've never seen it.

Fox Farm is another good organic potting soil in my experience (with the price tag to match).

Anybody out there using Neem Cake as an amendment?

Soil Pep is a semi-fine mulch product. I've used it for many years. I originally heard it was very good for clay soil as an amendment contributing to breaking up the clay and adding nutrients. I like it as a top dressing/mulch because it is fine and dark. It doesn't lose it's color, retains water, and looks more natural to me than most bigger mulches. What can I say? I'm a fan. You can buy it at better garden centers. To the best of my knowledge, you cannot buy it at the big box stores.

It says it's made in Idaho. But I can't find a list of specific ingredients on the bag.

Thanks popmama, I'll look around for it. Although I find it curious it doesn't say what it is. I'm pretty picky about what goes on or near my food! I enlarged the photo of the bag and it shows a website. Perhaps I can find out more there.

I believe Soil Pep is composted pine bark fines.

I started using a variation of Al's gritty mix a couple of years ago and am happy with it. I've never been able to find Turface, so used Napa (auto parts store) Floor Dry in place of Turface. Napa Floor Dry is diatomaceous earth and is not expensive. My first year mixes were Soil Pep (found at the Tree Farm in Longmont and should be available at nurseries), chicken grit from the feed store (which is chipped granite), Napa Floor Dry, Sunshine baled potting mix and compost. It drained well and held enough moisture in our climate. My only complaint is that it's heavy! I've not added chicken grit this year to lighten it up.

On the plus side, it's easy to freshen up with additional pine bark and potting mix, so you can reuse it.

You do have to fertilize the containers since there's not a lot of potting mix in it, so not much in the way of nutrients.

Last year I grew a Beam's yellow cherry tomato in a 10 gallon pot at the base of an arbor. It grew all the way up to the top of the arbor and halfway down the other side, about 8 or 9 feet. Terrific plant, just not a lot of flavor.

I'm growing Amana Orange, Beefsteak, Black Krim, Roma, San Marzano, Chocolate Drop Cherry, Sweet Baby Girl and Red Siberian this year.

Thanks treebarb, for the soil pep info. Also for the Napa floor dry info. I use the finely ground diatomaceous earth for some insect control in the greenhouse. Am assuming the floor dry product is more coarse? Wondering if I could use that as a top dressing.....field crickets, GGRRRRR

Yes, roughly the size of perlite. Our problem is grasshoppers, so I do sprinkle some around the in ground plants. GGRRRRR is right!

Excellent!!! (You, not grasshoppers)

I'm busy incorporating charcoal from my wood stove (not the ash) and I've been adding, with great success, bark from pine beetle killed pine trees. I use the larger bits to fill the bottom 1/3 the container, the smaller bits mixed in with the rest of the potting mix. For some reason, the roots just love that beetle kill bark, rootlets going into every little bore hole.

The charcoal is lightweight filler, but the roots go all over that as well.