What could I use in the bottom of containers besides rock?

tulsanurse1 · April 1, 2010

I live in an apt. complex where there are no rock. Should I just find a place that sells rocks or????

Gobig_or_Gohome_toms · April 1, 2010

Unless you are looking for extra weight to keep the containers from being blown over then rocks are not needed in the bottom of the containers as long as you are using potting mix as they drain well and do not compact.

For your question about only 1 tomato in a 22 gallon container I only put one plant in my 20" round containers. Indeterminates can get very large 2-3 feet wide and 6-10+ feet tall so the larger the container the better.

The 5 gallon container people use are usually for determinates and dwarf plants that do not get as large.

You might be able to get 2 in one container but production of the plants would be less and not sure how they would do. I am only on my 5th year growing tomatoes.

Here is a link to the garden log I kept last year with pictures of my containers and plants:

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...ghlight=gobigs

Craig

tulsanurse1 · April 1, 2010

Wow, I just keep learning by the minute. I think I would be fine then without the rock. It's crazy windy here today but I its not normally like this.

lj in ny · April 1, 2010

If you are worried about drainage you could always use those styrofoam packing peanuts in place of rocks. That's what I used when I lived in an apartment.

PaulF · April 1, 2010

Consider small plastic water or soda bottles. Good bottom fill and lightweight.

tulsanurse1 · April 1, 2010

You guys are ingenious. Thats why I found my way here.

mgk65 · April 2, 2010

Rocks on the bottom of a container are not necessary for draining and not desired.

It has been found that the only thing that rocks do is raise the water table in a container, also not a good thing.

rnewste · April 2, 2010

tulsa,

Sounds like you are kind of new to Container growing. Rock or Styrofoam are not helpful in Containers. As the previous poster said, rocks will raise the water table. Styrofoam can release harmful chemicals, and with some styrofoams that are biodegradable, will actually collapse when wetted.

What you should consider is a system that gives you good drainage and prevents stagnant water from accumulating in the bottom of the Container. At a minimum, drill several drain holes at the bottom of the Container for proper drainage.

For some interesting reading, look at these instructions for a Self-Watering-container (SWC) that functions on this principle:

There are a number of SWC designs posted on the Internet, from 5 gallon pails, to this 31 gallon EarthTainer. While the construction of this design may be more to tackle than you want today, it will give you food for thought.

http://earthtainer.tomatofest.com/pd...tion-Guide.pdf

Raybo

tulsanurse1 · April 2, 2010

Raybo, I am a single female with minimal girl tools, no drills, etc. Is there a place where I can purchase these?

FILMNET · April 2, 2010

1 brick or pieces of a broken would work, make sure in center.

**nctomatoman** · April 2, 2010

If you use well draining types of mix (like soilless mix) and have decent sized drainage holes, no rocks at all are necessary.

eddie46 · April 2, 2010

Tulsa,

You can buy an EarthBox or GrowBox. I have several friends using them and they work well. The GrowBox is less expensive but does not have wheels. They are $30 to $40 depending on the promotion.

Ed

rnewste · April 2, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by tulsanurse1

Raybo, I am a single female with minimal girl tools, no drills, etc. Is there a place where I can purchase these?

There are no commercial sources for the EarthTainer - strictly a D-I-Y kind of project. There are smaller SWC products available from the Earthbox Company, as well as Gardeners Supply that you could check out (or find a volunteer "tool-guy" in Tulsa that could build a few for you). They are really not that hard to build - about 90 minutes each.

Raybo

maricybele · April 2, 2010

When I was a young girl, I had a super green thumb, back then I was using charcoal at the bottom of my pots as it was what the nursery. I forgot about this ingredient for several years, and I couldn't keep a house plant alive. I am reading about terra preta and that may have been why my plants were so healthy as a child. Now I buy charcoal (real wood kind not briquettes) and put it at the bottom of my pots.

April 1, 2010	#1
tulsanurse1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 71	What could I use in the bottom of containers besides rock? I live in an apt. complex where there are no rock. Should I just find a place that sells rocks or????

April 1, 2010	#5
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,298	Consider small plastic water or soda bottles. Good bottom fill and lightweight. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

April 2, 2010	#11
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	If you use well draining types of mix (like soilless mix) and have decent sized drainage holes, no rocks at all are necessary. __________________ Craig

April 1, 2010	#2
Gobig_or_Gohome_toms Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Zone 4 Lake Minnetonka, MN Posts: 967	Unless you are looking for extra weight to keep the containers from being blown over then rocks are not needed in the bottom of the containers as long as you are using potting mix as they drain well and do not compact. For your question about only 1 tomato in a 22 gallon container I only put one plant in my 20" round containers. Indeterminates can get very large 2-3 feet wide and 6-10+ feet tall so the larger the container the better. The 5 gallon container people use are usually for determinates and dwarf plants that do not get as large. You might be able to get 2 in one container but production of the plants would be less and not sure how they would do. I am only on my 5th year growing tomatoes. Here is a link to the garden log I kept last year with pictures of my containers and plants: http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...ghlight=gobigs Craig

April 1, 2010	#4
lj in ny Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: NY Posts: 58	If you are worried about drainage you could always use those styrofoam packing peanuts in place of rocks. That's what I used when I lived in an apartment.

April 2, 2010	#7
mgk65 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: WV, Z6 Posts: 16	Rocks on the bottom of a container are not necessary for draining and not desired. It has been found that the only thing that rocks do is raise the water table in a container, also not a good thing.

April 2, 2010	#8
rnewste Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Campbell, CA Posts: 4,064	tulsa, Sounds like you are kind of new to Container growing. Rock or Styrofoam are not helpful in Containers. As the previous poster said, rocks will raise the water table. Styrofoam can release harmful chemicals, and with some styrofoams that are biodegradable, will actually collapse when wetted. What you should consider is a system that gives you good drainage and prevents stagnant water from accumulating in the bottom of the Container. At a minimum, drill several drain holes at the bottom of the Container for proper drainage. For some interesting reading, look at these instructions for a Self-Watering-container (SWC) that functions on this principle: There are a number of SWC designs posted on the Internet, from 5 gallon pails, to this 31 gallon EarthTainer. While the construction of this design may be more to tackle than you want today, it will give you food for thought. http://earthtainer.tomatofest.com/pd...tion-Guide.pdf Raybo

April 2, 2010	#10
FILMNET Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: North Charleston,South Carolina, USA Posts: 1,803	1 brick or pieces of a broken would work, make sure in center.

April 2, 2010	#12
eddie46 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: SW PA Posts: 160	Tulsa, You can buy an EarthBox or GrowBox. I have several friends using them and they work well. The GrowBox is less expensive but does not have wheels. They are $30 to $40 depending on the promotion. Ed

April 2, 2010	#14
maricybele Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Oregon zone 8 Posts: 99	When I was a young girl, I had a super green thumb, back then I was using charcoal at the bottom of my pots as it was what the nursery. I forgot about this ingredient for several years, and I couldn't keep a house plant alive. I am reading about terra preta and that may have been why my plants were so healthy as a child. Now I buy charcoal (real wood kind not briquettes) and put it at the bottom of my pots.