Why not grow some dwarfs? There are many different dwarf tomatoes available now in many different colours that can be grown in 5 gallon containers.

I have bought seeds from "Heritage Tomato Seed" and Remi's "Sample Seed Shop". "Tania's Tomato Base" also carries many of the dwarf line, and she is in Canada.

Linda

Several previous discussions of this question you might want to read that the search will pull up for you. Here is a link to one of the recent ones.

Container Varieties?

The plant you list are all quite large indeterminate types so would require quite large containers to be successful. What size containers are you and your friends using? What potting mixes are they using? Those 2 factors can make all the difference in how well the plants do.

In addition to the dwarf varieties Linda mentioned, you'd find the many determinate varieties far more successful in the average container.

Bush Beefsteak, Bella Rosa, Bush Champion, Bush early Girl, Bush Big Boy, Baxter's Bush, Silver Fir Tree, Sophie's Choice, Black Plum, Sprite (grape), Red Robin, Japanese Black Trifele, Better Bush, Margo, etc. just to name a few.

Dave

I'm not sure what size containers my friends are using. I'd assume 5 to 10 gallon but I really leave that up to them. I only plant in the ground as I'm horrid at watering so I have no experience with container tomatoes myself. I've been just giving away my extras but I'd like to get them something that will actually do well. I wasn't sure about doing determinate plants since my friends don't do canning or anything and I'd assume they'd prefer a more spread out harvest.

The dwarf varieties sound good, I'll have to see if I can figure out where to get them. Edit - Went to Heritage Tomato Seeds, found the dwarves, and they look perfect. I'm trying to pick which ones.

Does Seed Savers have any good ones? I see they have Silver Fir Tree. Japanese Black Trifele did horribly for me the year I tried it and produced only one edible tomato.

This post was edited by athenainwi on Sat, Jan 31, 15 at 21:09

I live in north central MN, and have had good luck with the various determinate bush types. I plant in the home made "self watering", 18 gallon totes, I don't think the determinates ripen that early in this cooler part of the country, which eliminates their all ripening at once.

Bush Goliath will do well if given at least a 5 gal pot. 10 would be better. One of the 16 inch self watering plastic ones at WM around here were priced at around $18 when I looked last night. I grew one in the 14 inch, and self watering thing was great. I filled the bottom when I saw that it was dry. I watered with 1/4 strength Miracle Gro All AP. I did mix in a half cup of MG shake and feed for tomatoes when I planted. It was my most healthy container plant last year.

but I'd like to get them something that will actually do well. I wasn't sure about doing determinate plants since my friends don't do canning or anything or anything and I'd assume they'd prefer a more spread out harvest.

A couple of assumptions there that may need some thought.

First how well any plant does for them does not depend on the plant you give them, whatever it is, but on the growing conditions they provide for them once they have it - size of container, regular feedings, consistent soil moisture levels, etc. Container growing is a totally different ballgame and they have to understand how it needs to be done for any success. So no guilt trip for you on that issue, ok?

Second, determinate varieties aren't grown just for canning and do not produce all their crop all at once as so many believe. Rather many grow determinate varieties just for their plant size and taste, their adaptability to container growing, and the steady production they deliver over several weeks (or even months in the cooler climates). So while they do have a shorter life span, in warmer climates some varieties will produce a limited number throughout the season as long as the plant remains healthy and well fed.

I have nothing at all against any of the dwarf types, just the opposite, but many of the determinate varieties are some of the best flavored, most popular, and more productive varieties out there. So please don't rule them out of consideration based on erroneous assumptions or a lack of experience with them.

No tomato patch is complete without at least a few of them. :)

Dave

Thanks for the advice. I try not to tell my friends what to do with their tomatoes since I don't grow in containers myself. I'll include a determinate, probably Silvery Fir Tree since one of the local stores carries the Seed Saver Seeds and I like to support that. I've ordered a couple of dwarves from Heritage Tomato seeds too.

If your season is short and not so warm (like ours here), also worth considering DTM. Though DTM is a ball park number but it has relative meaning.

So if you plant a large fruiting beefstaek with, say, DTM of 95 it might actually take longer than that.

Seysonn

I grow all my tomatoes in containers, as I'm restricted to my fire escape in NYC. I face east, so I don't even get optimal sun. It is actually quite easy but I will never get the same results as soil as I cannot fit anything larger than a 5 gallon out there. So I agree with everyone that the best containers to use are 10-25 gallon. My main issue was quantity of fruit. I had Sungold and Sunsugar do great, stay healthy, and produce, but I was bring in small bowls of fruit rather than the buckets my friend was from his backyard. The only large variety that did really well was Black Krim, and it did really well. I got about thirty heirlooms off of one plant while it was outside, and have gotten about 10-15 indoors under a grow light. It was very tolerant to weather diseases and cold for me. The tomatoes were smaller and the most the plant could handle at once was 16, all of which were even smaller than when it had 3 or 4.

The bigger the roots can get the better your harvest will be

I tried two determinates Bush early girl and Containers Choice with pitiful results. I also tried dwarfs with bad results. All died after setting fruit.

So for me with pretty poor conditions, Sungold, Sunsugar and Black Krim were winners.

Husky cherry red did pretty good too.

That being said, NYC is actually in zone 7a (unlike upstate) so we get a pretty long season. We were having 60 degree plus days until December.

The key is to make sure you have good potting mix(never use soil!!!), plenty of nutes, and the time to care for them.

Oh and start indoors and make sure to harden them off once the days get up to 60, taking them in late afternoon. The ones I had from seed were 1 foot before I put them out to get a good head start. I was able to squeeze two seasons this way after pulling the crappy ones( Yellow pear..yuck).

Best of luck!

This thread was started a year ago.

I wonder how athenainwi did and what kind of results she got.

Sey

Does growing 4 tomatoes in a 3' x 3' x 1' deep bed count as a container? :) I grew Wisconsin 55 like that for many years when I was freezing tomatoes. It had great yields, no disease, and taste was slightly sweet and full flavored for freezing and fresh eating on salads and BLT's. I swore I would never quit growing it, but then Goose Creek came along. I think WI 55 would do well for anyone container growing.

Rebecca, an open bottom 3' x 3' x 1' deep bed count as a BED.

Sey

Yeah, I kinda thought so, too. But I thought that because I put 4 tomates in that bed, and they did so well, it might be a good container plant. WI 55 don't get as tall as some of the older OP types. Jung's has them listed as semi-determinate.

I am growing my 5 trial cherry tomatoes in 1 gallon containers just to get a taste test in my window well. I've done it before (on my patio, not in the window well) and I don't get a full grown tomato plant, but they do produce enough to get a good amount to taste. They are all indeterminates.

Talking about container growing:

I have been doing it in small scale in the past 2 season. I did mostly chili peppers and some tomatoes. An this year I will do about 8 or so in containers, all determinates and dwarfs.

I will use container sizes, 4, 5, 7, 12 gallons. I have learned that in some cases smaller pots keep the plants smaller. It is a sort of what I call "Bonsai effect "

But It also depends on the variety and how you feed them. I feed my container plants more often with 1/4 to 1/3 normal strength, almost every other time that I water them.

Sey

Thanks for that information, Sey! I totally agree with your Bonsai effect.

For the past 30 years, I used Garden's Alive fertilizer. I realized that I was getting so much foliage and not a lot of fruit ripening by the end of the season, so I decided to switch to Gardener's Supply because of all their positive reviews AND my laziness. I can still fertilize twice and be done with it. :) I did notice that it does not contain calcium, so I will have to substitute that in some way. Probably in liquid form... Calcium/magnesium/iron. Would you mind telling me what you use for fertilizer?

Tomatoes need Nitrogen early on , more than perhaps P and K. But later on the N supply has to be moderated, otherwise one might end up with a nice looking green plant with few fruits. But don't forget that nitrogen is always needed. The reason being that it tends to leach out by frequent watering or lots of rain, while P and K stick around much longer. My last soil analysis confirmed what I just said and it is probably true about most established gardens.

Sey