My SWCs and stand.

greenhart · December 5, 2015

I'm getting lazy as I grow older and I thought

that I need a way to pull weeds without bending over.

This is my results. These are 4 gallon buckets, what tomato would be good to start with? Thanks in advance.

Worth1 · December 5, 2015

Dwarf tomatoes would be best in a 4 gallon container.

Worth

Gerardo · December 5, 2015

As Worth stated, dwarfs would be quite happy with your setup.

Tatiana's never fails:
http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/C..._Dwarf_Project

Great spot too:
http://heritageseedmarket.com/index....warf-tomatoes/

Remy's Sample Seed Shop also:
http://www.sampleseeds.com

Another good option:
http://www.victoryseeds.com/dwarf-tomato-project.html

heirloomtomaguy · December 5, 2015

I grow most tomatoes in 5 gallon nursery pots which actually hold 3.8 liquid gallons. You are growing in 4 liquid gallon pots so you should do fine with most tomato varieties. Some of the larger beefsteaks may need a bit more room to run.

Aerial · December 5, 2015

Nice set up! Sunny spot too.

IronPete · December 6, 2015

I have grown nice heirloom in 5 gallon SWCs and they are great. The problem that you will face is that with elevated buckets you will never reach the tops of the plants (add 7' + 2' for bucket + 1 for how high they are off the ground = 10'). The other thing with indeterminates is that they get very top heavy in the buckets. I had to drive a stake into the ground and fasten the bucket to it in order to stop it from falling over every tome the wind blew. The way it is you may be better served growing dwarves and determinates. Just my 2 cents worth!

Pete

luigiwu · December 6, 2015

Love SWC! I started with exactly what you have, the bucket in bucket but quickly upgraded. With your build you are half way there already. If you haven't heard of Larry Hall's rain gutter system (RGGS), check it out on youtube. He has a channel.
You don't need that foam block but just potting mix in a net cut to wick up water from a rain gutter. Water is supplied in the rain gutter. Its the only way I garden!

I would only grow dwarfs if I were you since yours is already raised. Mine are barely raised and its become very cumbersome to reign in the massive growth. Next year will only be dwarfs for me to curb that issue.
http://tomatoville.com/showthread.ph...highlight=RGGS

BajaMitch · December 6, 2015

Hey LuigiWu, nice looking set up. Very nice. I notice that you have some blue containers that have holes on the sides and you have lined the insides of those containers with what looks like landscape material. If so, have you done that before, and, if so, have you noticed any growth difference between those container grown plants with the holes versus those without holes?

The reason I ask is because I am planning to do the same with some of my SWCs next year. I expect that the difference will be first in the look of the root systems of the plant. I would expect that the root system of "ventilated" buckets will be less elongate and with more and finer short length roots reflecting a little bit (or maybe a lot) of the root system of hydroponically grown plants, but, I don't know for sure. What say you?

greenhart · December 6, 2015

Thanks guys, I didn't know there were that many dwarfs to be had. I'll check with Remy and some of the others. As far as being too tall I can place the buckets on the ground later on when they get bigger and/or I may be growing peppers or some other things and put tomatoes in the ground.
BTW how tall does a dwarf tomato get?
Again thank you all.

Greatgardens · January 8, 2016

Looks very nice and sturdy. I built something similar for my EarthBoxes after using them on the ground for 1 year. The old back wouldn't take it! You may want to put some weed-block under the stand with something like bark to protect the weed-block fabric.

Where did you get your buckets?

BTW, there may be particular characteristics you are looking for in your tomatoes (color, etc.) But you might take a look at Better Bush. It is a widely available F1 dwarf indeterminate, and has excellent overall performance (at least for me). Perth Pride is an excellent variety from the Dwarf Project and suffers only from a relatively short shelf life, once picked. Some of the dwarfs will get close to 5' tall in my Earth Boxes -- maybe a bit smaller in the 4-gallon buckets, but will still need support.

-GG

BigVanVader · January 8, 2016

I want to try the RGGS this year with my peppers and some Dwarfs as well. I was going to use a rain barrel, will it have enough pressure to fill the gutter without a pump? I also have a 4 zone irrigation system so if needed I can add it to that.

nancyruhl · January 8, 2016

You will have enough water pressure, raising it up a little and securing it to a structure for those periods with little to no rain is a good idea.

rudylr · January 9, 2016

I like your setup greenhart. I put all my containers on benches I made too.I made a 2x2 frame up off the benches to string up the tomatoes. Will the wet foam wick the water up into the mix like the soil filled net cups?

greenhart · January 9, 2016

Thank you Greatgarden, I got the buckets from a roofing company of all places. I may try a few dwarfs in these, along with other vegetables too. I do have a few round 5 gallon buckets also.

Thank you rudylr, I have been mulling on the idea of a frame over the stand to hold a shade cloth or a netting for insect protection but a way to string up tomatoes sounds good. As far as the wet foam goes, I made a test bucket and it kept the soil moist as I had hoped but the roots of the plants grew into the foam and I am concerned about that.

Thank you all for your thoughts and comments, This is a new project for me and I am feeling my way through it.

Robert aka greenhart

December 5, 2015	#3
Gerardo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: San Diego-Tijuana Posts: 2,598	"Choose Daniel-San"--Mr. Migayi. As Worth stated, dwarfs would be quite happy with your setup. Tatiana's never fails: http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/C..._Dwarf_Project Great spot too: http://heritageseedmarket.com/index....warf-tomatoes/ Remy's Sample Seed Shop also: http://www.sampleseeds.com Another good option: http://www.victoryseeds.com/dwarf-tomato-project.html

December 5, 2015	#4
heirloomtomaguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: glendora ca Posts: 2,560	I grow most tomatoes in 5 gallon nursery pots which actually hold 3.8 liquid gallons. You are growing in 4 liquid gallon pots so you should do fine with most tomato varieties. Some of the larger beefsteaks may need a bit more room to run. __________________ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

December 6, 2015	#6
IronPete Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Charlottetown, PEI, Canada Posts: 302	I have grown nice heirloom in 5 gallon SWCs and they are great. The problem that you will face is that with elevated buckets you will never reach the tops of the plants (add 7' + 2' for bucket + 1 for how high they are off the ground = 10'). The other thing with indeterminates is that they get very top heavy in the buckets. I had to drive a stake into the ground and fasten the bucket to it in order to stop it from falling over every tome the wind blew. The way it is you may be better served growing dwarves and determinates. Just my 2 cents worth! Pete __________________ Thanks; Iron Pete "We can agree to disagree."

December 6, 2015	#7
luigiwu Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: ny Posts: 1,219	Love SWC! I started with exactly what you have, the bucket in bucket but quickly upgraded. With your build you are half way there already. If you haven't heard of Larry Hall's rain gutter system (RGGS), check it out on youtube. He has a channel. You don't need that foam block but just potting mix in a net cut to wick up water from a rain gutter. Water is supplied in the rain gutter. Its the only way I garden! I would only grow dwarfs if I were you since yours is already raised. Mine are barely raised and its become very cumbersome to reign in the massive growth. Next year will only be dwarfs for me to curb that issue. http://tomatoville.com/showthread.ph...highlight=RGGS __________________ Subirrigated Container gardening (RGGS) in NY, Zone 7!

January 8, 2016	#10
Greatgardens Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,124	Looks very nice and sturdy. I built something similar for my EarthBoxes after using them on the ground for 1 year. The old back wouldn't take it! You may want to put some weed-block under the stand with something like bark to protect the weed-block fabric. Where did you get your buckets? BTW, there may be particular characteristics you are looking for in your tomatoes (color, etc.) But you might take a look at Better Bush. It is a widely available F1 dwarf indeterminate, and has excellent overall performance (at least for me). Perth Pride is an excellent variety from the Dwarf Project and suffers only from a relatively short shelf life, once picked. Some of the dwarfs will get close to 5' tall in my Earth Boxes -- maybe a bit smaller in the 4-gallon buckets, but will still need support. -GG Last edited by Greatgardens; January 8, 2016 at 11:07 AM.

December 5, 2015	#2
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Dwarf tomatoes would be best in a 4 gallon container. Worth

December 5, 2015	#5
Aerial Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: CA Posts: 410	Nice set up! Sunny spot too.

December 6, 2015	#8
BajaMitch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: California Posts: 84	Hey LuigiWu, nice looking set up. Very nice. I notice that you have some blue containers that have holes on the sides and you have lined the insides of those containers with what looks like landscape material. If so, have you done that before, and, if so, have you noticed any growth difference between those container grown plants with the holes versus those without holes? The reason I ask is because I am planning to do the same with some of my SWCs next year. I expect that the difference will be first in the look of the root systems of the plant. I would expect that the root system of "ventilated" buckets will be less elongate and with more and finer short length roots reflecting a little bit (or maybe a lot) of the root system of hydroponically grown plants, but, I don't know for sure. What say you?

December 6, 2015	#9
greenhart Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Kentucky Posts: 21	Thanks guys, I didn't know there were that many dwarfs to be had. I'll check with Remy and some of the others. As far as being too tall I can place the buckets on the ground later on when they get bigger and/or I may be growing peppers or some other things and put tomatoes in the ground. BTW how tall does a dwarf tomato get? Again thank you all.

January 8, 2016	#11
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	I want to try the RGGS this year with my peppers and some Dwarfs as well. I was going to use a rain barrel, will it have enough pressure to fill the gutter without a pump? I also have a 4 zone irrigation system so if needed I can add it to that.

January 8, 2016	#12
nancyruhl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Metro Detroit, Michigan Posts: 1,051	You will have enough water pressure, raising it up a little and securing it to a structure for those periods with little to no rain is a good idea.

January 9, 2016	#13
rudylr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: nebraska Posts: 30	I like your setup greenhart. I put all my containers on benches I made too.I made a 2x2 frame up off the benches to string up the tomatoes. Will the wet foam wick the water up into the mix like the soil filled net cups?