Exactly.

Then I wonder how in the world anyone can keep up with their hanging tomatoes in those pots?

They require full sun , tomato's that is. And when the plant has filled out the container, forget it. One of mine would wilt within 4 hours in the hot sun. So I let it die.

I suppose if I had an irrigation system set up to go off every couple of hours, that might work but I don't.

And if you don't catch the fact that they got so wilted, they do horrible.

I do well with peppers though. They do well. Them and strawberries.

I have a large raised bed where I grew tomatoes for several years. It's like an over-sized container. I quit growing them about three years ago and opted to fill the bed with ZInnias instead. I found that raising tomatoes was just too much stress for me. I spent so much time fretting about them it just wasn't worth it. There is nothing better than a real homegrown tomato and I refuse to buy them from the store, but like you, I buy them from produce or farmer's markets instead.

In the heat, my tomatoes do much better with a water-retentive soil. I planted two seedlings the same size and health in my raised beds. In one hole, I added a bunch of the native clay soil. In the other, just the bark(ish) mix (plus compost in both). The plant in the clay soil is growing twice as fast as the plant in the bark mix.

The best-growing plant in my beds is in a spot that was "contaminated" with a lot of clay soil brought in by a gopher.

Hey, Mike! Been a long time since we've talked! I've missed our conversations on plants and life in general! Anyway, this is one of the first years I've grown any sort of vegetable in a container, and while I do water often, I am having decent luck with a few vining plants, mainly a watermelon, and also spaghetti squash! I only water in early evening, right before chores... as you might recall, we have a herd of goats and poultry. I use liquid fertilizer, plus a bit of Osmocote just in case any heavy rain were to wash out anything useful in the medium. The medium is comprised mainly of gritty mix with a few handfuls of loamy compost from our gigantic pile! They're not even growing in large pots. I just used a few of the largest hanging baskets I had, and keep them on the ground on the east side of the greenhouse on the gravel in front of it. Time will tell, but I think some of the fruits will make it. They might not be the largest I've ever grown, but I don't really care. I'm getting too old to till and weed and care for a huge plot of ground for a regular garden. If you're interested in seeing my goats and plants, check us out on youtube at Rode Hawg Kennel. :-) I hope you're doing well, my friend. I miss talking to you!

FWIW, I've never had good results growing tomatoes in containers. Never tried the tiny ones meant for container growing tho. I grow indeterminates in the ground and they do very well.

For me, greens, herbs and perennial onions do very well in containers, probably because they don't have such large/deep root systems - so I stick with those.

Jodi))))

It has been quite a while and seeing you here made me smile ! How are you? Thanks for your post. I always learn much from you. I will keep in touch soon. Everyone is ok, but many chances I will share with you.

I shall have to look at those videos...Thank you.

Would you believe I planted a cherry tomato plant on the side of my home and forgot all about it? When I was there the other day I had noticed it because it grew 6 times larger than my potted ones. lol Crazy how much a plant will be stunted in a pot.

Hoping all is well my friend)