tomato growing question

[porthos]

i never get many tomatoes on my plants. had the dirt tested and added the appropiate fertilizer to the soil. still only small amount of tomatoes per plant. this has been going on for many years. so, this year i plan to grow my tomatos in 5 gal. buckets with holes in the bottom. the question that i have is; can i use potting soil only for planting. i have a friend who says that is all his brother in law uses in 5 gal. buckets and gets a great yield per plant. so' i'm asking for second opinions only pertaining to the soil or soil mix to use please.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I've never had luck growing tomatoes in containers.

Tomatoes like full sun. So if your garden where you had them wasn't full sun, that could be why your production wasn't satisfactory, but you didn't ask that...but what I can add, is if your containers are in full sun, you will likely need to water them two times a day...I believe that is why I failed growing tomatoes in containers, because I'd forget to water them once in a while.

I wouldn't think soil mix is that important, some of the best looking tomatoes I've seen grown, were without soil (hydroponics). With that said, soil without diseases, like Blight and such, would be the way to go.

[hawkenhunter50]

Another thing to consider and maybe you already know this, some varieties aren't high yield plants. Brandywine for instance doesn't grow a ton of tomatoes per plant. Not sure what you're growing but take that into account. No experience with container growing so can't help there. However I start all mine in nothing but potting soil and they do fine. I start them around Early Feb in potting soil, transfer them to individual containers once they get a few sets of leaves, then eventually into the garden late May. So at least 3 full months in pure potting soil. Hope that helps.

[Tatume]

I grow tomatoes in Earthboxes. I get more tomatoes than I can eat, can, or give away. They produce like crazy! My entire garden is Earthboxes, three for tomatoes, and the rest of everything else. I use Sta-Green potting mix. It's the least expensive potting mix at Lowes, and comes ni 64 quart bags. Two bags fills three Earthboxes. Whatever potting mix is used, it must be high in vermiculite.

I've suggested them to other people, and usually they do as well as me. The couple who didn't refused to follow the instructions. They work if you follow the instructions.

https://earthbox.com/gardening-systems/the-original-earthbox-gardening-system/earthbox-container-gardening-system

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

My Daughter and SIL use the Earth box setup, I think they have 7 of them. Works real good for them.

[dbosman]

Prune, prune, prune. It really does matter if you take out the suckers, which can be sprouted for more plants, and pinch for more branching. I still can't bring myself to leave only one main stem, but some do.

[webfoot10]

U-Tube has lots of gardening sites you can go to. I've learned a lot from the sites
that give instructions on growing different vegetables. Worth looking into with all
the stay home orders now. Something to do.

[JWFilips]

I grow some of my tomatoes in big pots and fresh soil....no Viruses
But I also plant in gardens ... Some time the pots work better beause of the fresh soils! And the gardens fade quick because of soil viruses

[Jniedbalski]

Here in Missouri you just stick them in the ground and the plants grow like weeds. The hotter the better. I don’t even weed around tomato plants. They almost always produce more than we can eat or give away. The only year I remember that they didint do good was a real wet cool summer. Garden didint do well that year

[Tripplebeards]

I had my buddy truck in some quality black dirt to dump in my garden a few years back. I get bumper crops of tomatoes now. My plants come from Walmart. I use to get them from shopko and Kmart. Six packs for $1.99

I also have another spot i filled the ground with miracle grow dirt I picked up on clearance one fall. I get 7’ to ‘ tomato plants out of that spot. I do stake them up so imo it helps them grow tall and vigorous. I get hundreds of tomatoes each year.

They never grow well or last long in pots around here. Ground cherries go nuts in pots for me.

My tomatoes like hot all day sun as well.


My dad drowns his tomatoes in Miracle grow once a week and he dose better then I do .

[4rdwhln]

A really neat way to grow tomatos is in grow bags. Wallmart blue 50 cent grocery bags work fine. And are cheap. Place them in a cheap plastic swimming pool in direct sun. fill them with the soil mix of your choice and plant the tomatos. I use cages and just tie things in place. I water the plants from the top till they are well established. water every other day and water enough so its dry on top between waterings.. I use Miracle grow dissolved in the water every other watering as well as a shot glass full of epsom salts. when you start putting on the tomatos.start flooding the pool to water. At this point I get two days between flooding the pool and it being dry.. I hate tomatos,my dear wife loves them.. Another way I grow them is in old tires placed on the south and west sides of our shed. fill them with top soil making sure to get the sides full.The tires hold heat and the tomatos love it. You cant water them enough when its gets hot..Patio tomato plants will give the best yeild in a small spot,And my wifes favorite and a decent producerThe Sungold orange cherry tomato.

[rtyler8140]

Prune, prune, prune. It really does matter if you take out the suckers, which can be sprouted for more plants, and pinch for more branching. I still can't bring myself to leave only one main stem, but some do.

This. I had the same issue until I started pruning. I get a much better yield, not only in quantity, but quality as well.

[tommag]

I don't know if it adds to the yield, but I found if I pinch off the two single leaves on the bottom of the stem and plant them deeper than where those two leaves were, it makes as much stronger root system.

[Misery-Whip]

One old guy I knew would plant on the south wall of his house, dig down 18" and throw a 6-8" whole trout in the hole. Add 6" of dirt. Plant a $6 big tomato variety start on top. 1 plant would feed him, us and his other 4 neighbors. Used regular dirt. He claimed the fish breaking down kept the roots warm early on, then fertelized later in the season. Pretty rediculous to use a step ladder to pick tomatoes on a 8' plant. He had a trellis there and use 2" strips of old T shirt to hold it up.

He had other tricks goin he didnt tell me. I tried the same thing 30' away on my house and got half the yeild. Which was still pleanty.
He was over there just smiling knowing I tried his trick, but he had more he wasnt tellin.
Miss that old timer, but not the neighborhood.

[unclemikeinct]

Stick to your garden plot. pinch off the suckers. stake them plants well. I only fertilize twice. & pretty lightly. I throw my old used coffee grinds around the plants. mulch well w compost & light layer of grass clippings .. Stay a good 6 to 8 inches away from the stem of the plant. uncle mike

[NyFirefighter357]

If you want to get them growing good and fast put some rocks or bricks in the containers before the soil & start them on a blacktop driveway with good sun. I placed them in a circle with room to walk between and used heavy black plastic or Mylar about 4ft high around the outskirt. The driveway heats up and the plastic keeps the wind off of them & reflects the heat back. The rock mass in the containers will transfer the heat to the soil as well as keep the containers from blowing over. Every spring you'll see the plant & flowers closet to a foundation or large rocks that absorb & hold the heat grow & bloom the fastest. The key to growing good tasty tomatoes is the soil. Mix topsoil, peatmoss, play sand and yard compost or composted manure in equal portions. Add 3/4 cup of lime and 1/2 cup of high potassium and phosphorus low or no nitrogen content fertilizer mixed in the top 1ft of the container. Get a couple of varieties of plants, cherry or grape tomatoes grow & ripen faster than Beefsteaks. After the nights are staying warmer you can find another location or leave them along the edge of the driveway 6-8 plants for 2 people will yield enough. 2ft-3ft off the south side of a shed or house is a great place to grow them. Not only does the structure reflect the heat on the plants but it absorbs heat and releases it slowly over night especially if it has a stone or concrete foundation, the soil is also warmer in that area.

[Tatume]

260964

260965

[Tripplebeards]

The biggest tip I can give you is to pinch off all the first flowers and let the plant get big first...about 3’ high before It starts flowering to produce. If you let the flowers grow on a 6” to 12” plant it stays small and stunted and only grows 2 or 3 tomatoes all year long. Also I stake them with zip ties so they grow tall...to the sun.

[ascast]

I built raised beds for my mom some years ago. They were 100% potting soil about 18 inches deep. Every thing grew better, easier to weed. BUT, a high wind took out a few big 'mater plants. Potting soil is for growing, not high wind-take precautions.

[dragon813gt]

Prune, prune, prune. It really does matter if you take out the suckers, which can be sprouted for more plants, and pinch for more branching. I still can't bring myself to leave only one main stem, but some do.

This is the key. Get rid of the suckers the entire time. Get rid of any flowers for the first 6” - 12” and let the plant keep growing. I wish I could grow them but I’m not home enough to tend them. Last time I did I had 12 Romas that produced years worth of sauce. Five years later and I still have a lot of sauce left. The growing part is easy compared to the processing.

[Tatume]

Pruning determinate varieties will result in reduced harvest. Pruning indeterminate varieties may have the effect of producing fewer but larger tomatoes. I don't prune, as the practice is counter to my goals.

[Thundarstick]

I'll add, understanding the variety of tomatoes is another key. Most tomatoes will bloom, but not set fruit unless the night time temperatures are above 70F. If you experience an excessively cool summer, few fruit is exactly what you will get! We take this for granted in the South with our hot summers, but the advice of planting against a South wall, or buckets on asphalt is sound advice in more Northern areas because they hold heat and radiate it back during the night.

I grow in the garden in dirt today, but I've very successfully grown many tomatoes in 5 gal buckets when I lived in town. I used Miracle Grow potting soil and watered twice a day plus feed with Miracle Grow about once a week.