One Gallon Container for Tomato

[mresseguie]

Hi, all.

I know a fellow who says he grew a cherry tomato in a cut off 1 gallon milk jug. (The first time round he suggested a 1 quart size pot was enough!)

This is what he said,

" I use a cut up gallon milk jug.... Worked fine.
I never felt a tomato plant needed three galons (although it would
fare better nutrition wise). When I pull up tomato [plants in the fall
the root ball can fit in my hand. They're pretty small considering the
plant size above ground. A gallon jug will just need more attention.
(Food and water). I had a cherry tomato plant and it did well...."

The only time I grew a tomato in a 1 gallon pot was an ultra dwarf. I guess my question is:

Is less than a gallon of soil enough to grow a cherry tomato? (I have no idea what kind of yield he got.)

I'm incredulous.

Regards,

Michael in OR.

[Suze]

Hmmm, I'm a bit incredulous as well.

I could see it if he were cutting the bottom out, and letting the roots go into any soil below. Otherwise, beats me -- unless he is doing something with hydroponics or is growing a micro cherry type.

I'd also have to wonder about supporting it, unless maybe he's letting it sprawl.

[mresseguie]

It was either an upside down or hanging situation, so no extra soil.

I've asked him what soil mix he used, and what he fed it. I'll edit this when I learn his answer.

[pooklette]

Ditto what Suze said. I've never had much luck growing tomatoes in pots any smaller than 12" (in diameter.) Sure, I've had plants survive in 10" pots, but they were rather sickly looking and had noticeably reduced yields. I have had great luck with extreme dwarves in small pots but not the big guys...

If that fellow got a non-dwarf tomato plant to thrive in a one gallon container, I'm dying to know how he did it.

[mresseguie]

I got a little more info out of him. He still hasn't answered my fertilizer question.

"I dont recaqll dwarf or indeterminate. It did gro about 36 " long vine legs...

Soil?.... plain ditrt on the bottom, some rocks on the borrom of course.... and
some general potting soil on the top.

It was a so so producer, but that also could be becaue I didnt water it as much
as it should. I do recall water flowing thru too easily. Maybe because I only
used a gallon jug... It also wasnt in the best of positions for sunlight

Yet despite all that it did well. "

[robin303]

The smallest I would dare to grow in was the 14” clay pots and the tomatoes was always thirsty. I tried the plastic and got root rot. Had semi luck with bell peppers in the 14” clay pots but they are happier in the ground.

[Suze]

Originally Posted by mresseguie

I got a little more info out of him. He still hasn't answered my fertilizer question.

"I dont recaqll dwarf or indeterminate. It did gro about 36 " long vine legs...

Soil?.... plain ditrt on the bottom, some rocks on the borrom of course.... and some general potting soil on the top.

It was a so so producer, but that also could be becaue I didnt water it as much as it should. I do recall water flowing thru too easily. Maybe because I only used a gallon jug... It also wasnt in the best of positions for sunlight

Yet despite all that it did well. "

Don't want to take this thread too far OT, but can't resist making a general comment about putting rocks or pot shards in the bottom of a container. It's a gardening myth and really doesn't help drainage at all. Doing so affects the 'perched water table'. Some folks do it to add weight to containers so they don't tip, which makes sense. But it does not help with drainage and can even hinder it. But maybe in the case of a one gallon container, hindering drainage would be a good thing.

Back on-topic: The 36" indicates to me he was either growing some sort of compact variety, or that the plant was not getting what it needed in terms of nutrients. Nothing wrong with experimenting a little and seeing what works and what doesn't. Sometimes that is the best way to learn. If I were trying something like this, I suppose I would fertilize with a very dilute solution every (or every other) time I watered the plant.

But a one gallon container isn't something I would recommend as a standard/best practice if someone wants to get good results.

[mresseguie]

Thanks to all who replied.

My problem with the fellow is that he was recommending this method to a full-fledged newbie to tomato growing--unconscionable IMO.

I had recommended a 5 gallon bucket.

Michael

[dice]

Someone might try a drain and flood (ebb and flow)
hydroponics system in a one gallon container, where
they are lifting the nutrient bucket by hand to flood
the container with the plant in it, and they find a five
gallon bucket full of nutrient solution too heavy to lift
onto their platform.

The plant may get by with a tiny root system
in a system like that, because it gets watered
and fertilized at least twice a day. If one forgets
to flood it in hot weather, though, or must be away
from home for a few days, ....

[TomatoDon]

As they say in Texas.....it ain't gonna work.

Don