Wow! That's incredible! Do both plants receive the same sun?

Yup, they're about 4 feet from each other.

Just to push the point a little further, that same 4 square feet also has 30 beets and 28 radishes competing in it, all ready to come out of the ground in a few more weeks.

I don't get the comparison because you used 2 totaly different growing mediums.

you used 2 totaly different growing mediums

Yup - and 2 totally different growing protocols. The comparison is between the presumably genetically similar tomato plants - one grown in a fairly commonly accepted method (well-draining container with fertilizer), and the other in SFG.

I mentioned it wasn't a scientific test, just an indication that 4 inches of mel's mix seems to do just as well (in fact, better here) as 14" of "pro mix", which is probably better than what the average veggie gardener is using.

That's amazing! I knew Mel's Mix was great, but this is good proof that it works well if not simply better than a premade mix.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden adventure!

I grew some tomatoes in 5 gal. buckets a few yrs ago. My observations & conclusions were similar. Just my conclusion was that plants grown in the ground out performed those in pots.

Now be honest - does your bed have a bottom to it?

Gumby_CT

It has barrier cloth and a layer of thick cardboard (new beds, this year on top of buttercups), so for all intents and purposes, yes, although it should rot away in a few years,. They do get to drain into the ground, but my "buckets" have good drainage, too. If I had to guess the biggest difference (besides growing medium), it might be thermal stability - being attached to the earth, there is a lot of thermal regulation that a pot doesn't get.

Odd about tomatoes grown in containers. My SWC tomatoes are kicking the snot out of my brother's in the ground. Can't be I'm the better gardener. He's grown tomatoes for over a decade and this is my first year.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden adventure!

Sorry, I know I'm late here, but this isn't a fair test comparison in any way, shape or form, except that you used the same tomato variety.

Mel's mix by volume is about 33% compost, which acts as a fertilizer. Promix doesn't have that luxury, especially not with just a fish fertilizer drench, which by the way isn't a very good fertilizer to use for tomatoes. Not only are all NPK #s quite low compared to water soluble fertilizers, fish has very little in the way of P & K.

How much fish fertilizer did you use? in how much water?
What was the NPK #s of the fert?
How often did you fertilize it?
How often was the container watered? Daily? Twice a day?
Were the roots allowed to get thru the bottom holes, into the ground where the nutrients got washed to? Chances are the storms & downpours washed out any of the little nutrients the fish provided, and if not, regular watering did too.

What happened to the comparison test results? This thread ended in mid-June of that year. Any follow ups?

I would guess that first, the hi-N ratio to lo P deterred the plant from setting many fruits, not to mention roots, and subsequent heavy downpours you had drained any nutrients, stunting the plant. The hi temps also may have dried the promix of necessary moisture which would have resulted in poor growth and production, and probably blossom end rot too, though maybe not as prevalent on a smaller fruited tomato variety.