A Few Questions

[lexusnexus]

My beautiful partner, Maria, is going to be moving into her new house the first of July. After she moves in she wants me to grow some tomatoes in containers. Should I buy some tomato plants now and transplant them into 10-15 gallon containers? Or do they sell tomatoes in containers at that time of year (DC area)? Although I have grown tomatoes in the past they have always been grown in an in-ground garden. I have zero experience with container gardening. I've been reading and picked up some tips. Since I will be starting them so late I don't really know what to do. My fear of transplanting plants now into that size pot is that the pot is going to weigh so much I won't be able to move them to her new place. Any tips or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Since she has turned over her new backyard to me for my garden I can't turn down her request.

I also look at this challenge as an opportunity to learn more.

Dan

[ScottinAtlanta]

Why don't you start the dwarf seeds now, and they will be ready to put into the big pots in early July?

[lexusnexus]

Thanks, Scott. Hadn't thought about that. Let me look into it.

Dan

[Balr14]

I buy small plants at the local garden center, as I have no way to start seeds. I typically start buying plants after Mother's Day and finish around the second week of June. I have been using Earth Box containers for years, with better success than any other form of gardening or container I've tried. They also stand the sun and weather for many years. If you empty the Earth Box reservoir, the container with plants in it, weighs about 65 lbs. So, you can transport them easily enough.

Here in Wisconsin, we don't have the best growing conditions, with lots of rain this time of year and few warm days (usually 60s). So, your growth may vary. The Earth Box has holes in the bottom of the grind above the reservoir and I insert the legs of a tomato frame into 3 of those holes and support it with aluminum wires.

[Ed of Somis]

a few key tips to container growing: 1.) larger containers are generally better (15 gal nursery pot is fine for tomatoes) 2.) use a free-draining potting mix (you can mix cactus mix 50/50 with regular potting mix) 3.) regular watering and low-dose fertilizing is important. I would buy transplants now...and go for it. (support systems are important for maters)