On DTM, growing Indeterminates in Pots, and success

[dgriff]

Noticed the same thing this year with Black Krim that I have in 50 gallon bins (2 per). Practically no wet weather this season high temps and larger fruits ripe in 70 days. I have one Black Krim in ground and it looks to be about 2 to 3 weeks behind the others.

[Jonathan_E]

Craig and all,

This is the first year I've tried containers for tomatoes in ten years. I only did it because I read about the earthbox, with its water reservoir. Because I got my heirloom seeds in late this year, I put some hybrid seedlings in the Earthbox around in late May. It's now July 11 and I just picked my first, an 8 ouncer from a Bush Celebrity. The Big Beef now has 29 fruit on it of various sizes, some full-grown. Pic attached.

I think the even watering wicked up from the reservoir is superior to top-down watering. I'm attaching an interesting article on the dynamics of watering in containers. I've only had to refill the water reservoir once a day at most, even when we had temperatures in the 90's last week.

The problem with the Earthbox is that it costs $45 with shipping. But I just finished making my first home-grown variety, with components that cost me $15 or so. Pic also attached. I used red plastic mulch, as I did in the soil last year, although last year was such a disaster that I'm not sure if the purported advantage of the red wave-length light reflected onto the plants did any good. I also made the reservoir bigger than it is in the store-bought variety by using 8-inch supports to hold up the screen that separates the growing medium from the water.

Anyway, I must say that I may soon convert entirely to containers. It sure does solve a number of issues, like diseases over-wintering in the soil.

Best,

Jonathan

[kelleyville]

I have both pots and garden or rather raised bed. My potted plants are shorter but that could just be the variety and lately they have started shooting up again! Both in the garden and in pots set fruit about the same time and have about the same amount of fruit. One of each has just started coloring! The pots are "Flower Pot Tomatoes" the raised bed are Big Beef Hybrid. The romas in pots or garden have yet to turn but they are making new ones daily!

My big beef hybrids keep falling over into each other and are a tangled mess at 8-10 feet tall!

Guess I am going to pay m ore attention next year and try and pot some of each variety and garden some of each variety so I can have a comparison!