Chia Tomato

While I have never owned a Chia Pet or Topsy Turvey upside down tomato container, the basic concept of both fascinate me. It seems both capitalize on the uniqueness of the container.

I've read many comments on this forum and other forums from people who are attempting to grow tomatoes and other vegetables in adverse conditions. Many are handicapped. Many simply have no place to grow a traditional garden in the ground. They often only have a sunny window or small patio for a growing area.

I've been observing the progress of the dwarf tomato project to produce small plants which grow good fruit in both taste and size. I've also been following the design of containers with reservoirs for water, soil, and nutrients.

In my mind, I see the marriage of both the small tomato plant and other vegetables with the "add water and grow" containers. I expect to walk into an ACE hardware or Home Depot within a few years and see small boxes labeled tomato, pepper, cucumber, or many other vegetable names. Each box will contain parts to assemble an attractive multi chambered grow container, a grow bag of sterile soil, a seed packet, a color changing moisture indicator, a jiffy pellet, and a few foil packets of nutrients. When the container is assembled and the soil is added, a lid with a small hole in the center is snapped on and the jiffy pellet is inserted into the hole. A premeasured amount of water and the contents of one nutrient pack are added through the fill tube and the next morning seed is planted in the jiffy pellet. A clear lid is placed over the jiffy pellet and removed one week later. The container is placed near a sunny window. Add water when the moisture indicator says it is time and harvest vegetables all year long.

How realistic is that?

Ted

[les matzek]

hi ted,
maybe you can try one of my minitainers i call it clone #3 after earthbox and clone #2 the earthtainer,mine
is very easy to make cost about 30.00 dollars to make
but you only have to make it once and do not have to
mid summer tango or replace it every 2 3 4 years it
is gravity fed all you need is a reservoir and one 6x6x6
one 4x4x4 growndan blocks for wicking.
i do not know how to post photos but my daughter will
post for me when she comes here xmas day,regards.

les

Les,

I am very interested in what you are doing and would love to see the photos of what you are doing. My container gardening days are way behind me. I may still grow something in a container on occasion, but I am an "in the ground" gardener now. I grow mostly in raised beds, but enjoy trying other methods simply to see how well they work. I believe it would be valuable to a lot of "want to be" gardeners to have a simple "garden in the box" kit available which would allow people with little means and little method available to actually grow something. Everything on the market today seems to be little more than profitable gimmicks.

With the plant seeds available, the container available, the premixed soil and nutrients available, and artificial light available if needed; it could all be contained and marketed in a kit which would not be a gimmick.

I don't know why, but watching something grow and eating the results has always provided a sense of satisfaction for me. I believe a lot of folks would gain the same satisfaction if they had a way to do it.

Ted

[TZ-OH6]

I saw something similar in a gift catalog for the ultra hot Bhut Jolokia pepper. A gift pack consisting of (more or less) one seed, one pot (with soil), $15 (maybe more). "Grow the Worlds Hottest Pepper"