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| Hi there, I have a decision to make. As a first time grower, i decided to put two tomato plants in each of a couple containers. One is big boy, one is beefsteak(i think). they are getting big now, and i'm pretty sure i shouldn't have been so cheap. So the question is what do you experts think! i also may have to bring them to work where they will be 'ripe' (hehheh) for theft, as my 7th floor balcony is getting just around 4hours of morning sun. https://www.dropbox.com/s/mtdon53shae1mra/2014-06-26 08.13.32.jpg https://www.dropbox.com/s/2e47svr21g1kdag/2014-06-26 08.13.44.jpg https://www.dropbox.com/s/4mz67wyw5efms03/2014-06-26 08.13.54.jpg |
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| didn't see the file upload option, so included one here. |
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| If the scale in the photo (leaf to pot diameter) is correct then the pot is far too small for even one of those varieties so yes you will have to sacrifice 1 of them or neither will survive. Or you can transplant both of them into something the size of a 1/2 whiskey barrel or an 18-20 gallon Rubbermaid tote (with holes in bottom). Dave |
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| thanks for the advice. i should have mentioned the pots are about a foot or longer radius at top. i dare not go too big, as it is a balcony a few floors up, and don't want to take any chances on weight loads :) i will sadly sacrifice one of them off tonight. thanks again! |
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- Posted by conchitaFL 10 Hutchinson Island (My Page) on Thu, Jun 26, 14 at 10:26
| i dare not go too big, as it is a balcony a few floors up, and don't want to take any chances on weight loads :) FWIW, if your balcony can't support something like a big storage/tote bin with plants in it, I'd be afraid to walk out there yourself. |
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| i get'cha...ya, balconies are supposed to hold at least 1000 pounds or some such, but i'd be constantly fretting over it. thanks! |
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| That pot is very small, as mentioned, even for one. I've had some extras I didn't have room for that were in 1 gallon nursery pots and setting fruit (I've up-potted them since, though they still are in small 3 gallon pots). My guess is if you leave it in the little pot you'll still get fruit, though probably not as much of a yield as if you used larger pots. Long term the plant may stress and not be healthy. I'd really recommend getting a five gallon bucket from home depot or lowes and drill some holes in the bottom. Even if that's a twelve inch pot you have, it's heavily tapered so it doesn't hold a huge amount of soil. |
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| i should have mentioned the pots are about a foot or longer radius at top. Radius or diameter? If you mean a foot in diameter then sorry but that is a too small pot for either of those plants. It might do ok with a patio or dwarf size plant, maybe even with a small determinate variety. But both of the varieties you named are huge indeterminate variety plants that normally reach 8'+ tall and over 4-5 feet wide. They would need a pot at least 2x bigger. Most first time growers have no idea how big a tomato plant and its root ball gets and while the two you picked aren't the biggest plants by far, they are still huge plants if you want them to develop fruit. Dave |
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| doh. definitely about a foot in -diameter-. Was typing quick while at work and not really expecting more (generous) replies. i'll consider your advice on transporting them to bigger pots. Was more concerned about lack of sunlight. thanks again, you're all very helpful! |
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