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| Hi all, I'm new to the forums and I want to thank everyone ahead of time for their time and info. I posted this in the container forum, but wanted to double-up here since the concentration of "mater" info is highest here.I recently purchased three 8-gallon Oregon Breather growing containers. They are similar to the Smart-Pot but are more ruggedly builty, and from what I gather were the original fabric pot. Anywho, I researched tons of diff tomato varieties to grow in an 8-gallon container (14" W x 12" H), but ended up with 1,000 diff answers. I finally decided on the determinate "Sweet Tangerine" hybrid. But before I pull the trigger, I wanted to see if any of you have had success growing indeterminate varieties in an 8-gallon pot. I've heard a couple diff people swear by the 5 gallon bucket method, and if that's true then I would have plenty of room. I would like to grow some indeterminate cherry tomatoes, and my potting mix will be a modified version of Al's 5-1-1 with an added 1-part compost. Not only is it in perfect proportion for an 8-gallon container, but it should aid in water retention, since the OB is already built for plenty of root aeration and drainage. Anyways, I'd love to hear what you guys think, and pics would be awesome. Thanks. |
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| I have grown indeterminates in 5 gallon buckets. They will grow, and be productive. Will they grow to their maximum potential? Probably not. The bigger the pot, the more fruit, and bigger fruit, you'll get, probably up to 15-20 gallons. The biggest problem I had was keeping them watered - my reservoir bucket only held maybe 1 gallon of water and needed to be refilled at least daily in the heat of August when the plant was really in high gear. |
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| Nice, elight. If you can recall, what varieties did you grow? And what would you estimate was your average yield? |
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| I've heard a couple diff people swear by the 5 gallon bucket method, Yeah you will hear that. Unfortunately I can't go along with it have done both 5 gallon and much bigger containers over the years. And there literally is no comparison at all in the work involved, the health of the plant, or the production. Now I use only 10 gallon or larger. With 8 gallon containers that are self-watering you could probably do ok with some of the smaller varieties of indeterminates. I don't know if the particular brand of container you bought can be made self-watering or not like the Smart Pots can be - depends on the fabric. But if so it will increase your odds of success. Unfortunately most all of the indeterminate cherry varieties I can think of off hand are HUGE plants, much bigger than the average indeterminate, and need bigger containers. So I'd pass on a cherry variety. JMO Dave PS: keep in mind that the smaller the container the more often it will have to be watered and so the more often it will have to be fed with supplemental nutrients. |
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- Posted by dickiefickle 5B Dousman,Wi. (My Page) on Wed, May 22, 13 at 23:21
| There are many great determinate varieties that will do fantastic in the 8 gallons, why not try them ?.dont forget to mulch your containers too |
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| Just to throw this out there, I have been very impressed with Husky Cherry Red. It is the most beautiful plant...stocky and strong with tidy deep green leaves. It is a dwarf- or semi- indeterminate, so it keeps growing thorough the season but stays (in my experience) below 5'. Good production and flavor. I think they'd be good candidates for an 8 gallon bag. |
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| Thanks everyone for the great info! I love this place already. I have decided to go with the Sweet Tangerines for this season. Since I'm planting a bit late (zone 7), the shorter growth cycle of a determ. is a big plus. Also, I'm ordering seedlings rather than starting from seed, and the ST's are the best looking determ. seedling I've found available so far. Depending on how much potting mix I decide to make up, I might just spring for a 14-gallon plastic tote, drill some holes, and grab an indeterminate as well. Thanks again for all your help. |
This post was edited by King_Kale on Thu, May 23, 13 at 11:51
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