newbie mistakes

augiedog55 · January 12, 2012

As some of you know this is going to be my first yr growing tomatoes in containers ( smart pots). What newbie pitfalls do I need to avoid to be successful.
Thanks Bruce

lakelady · January 16, 2012

Maybe others will chime in but for me, one of the mistakes I've made (or two rather...) is overfertilizing the plants, and underwatering. Especially with all those liquid ferts now that are sold in the hydroshops, it's so easy to get carried away and put a little of this or that in the watering can! Pots do dry out faster in the hot sun too, so while I'm not sure about smart pots, I'd say keep an eye on underwatering and dry roots.

Dewayne mater · January 17, 2012

It depends on what type of container you are using and how you are watering. For me, the most important thing was to get the soiless mix right as I was using Raybo earthtainer. I got that right, but, in the one earthbox I bought, the "soil" that they send was like swamp. It never drained and was soggy and smelling lot rot. So, I had to remove most of that and use the 3;2;1 mix Ray suggests.

livinonfaith · January 18, 2012

I'm with Lakelady. Don't use amendments without knowing exactly what's in your soil or soil mixture. You can definitely have too much of a good thing.

I pretty much halted the production on just under half of my tomatoes just by spraying an Epsom salt mixture on them. Apparently, my soil already had plenty of Magnesium.

augiedog55 · January 20, 2012

thank you all for your advice. its much appreciated
Bruce

tgplp · January 20, 2012

One more thing! Don't use black plastic pots! These heat up in the summer sun and cook the plants! I learned that lesson the hard way...

Harpiye · January 20, 2012

Nonsense! I have plastic potts, and it is true that the soil dries much more faster, but the only thing you have to do is to soak it every day.

When someone says he prefers those terracotta potts I would argue that terracotta steams out the water and the nutrients.

I have both and I can live with each solution

Dorothée

jgaleota · January 20, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by tgplp

One more thing! Don't use black plastic pots! These heat up in the summer sun and cook the plants! I learned that lesson the hard way...

So, since I have already bought black plastic pots, would you suggest that I spray paint them white? I wondered about them heating up too much for tomatoes (as opposed to eggplants, which love it).

tgplp · January 20, 2012

Well, you could if you wanted to. I guess as long as you water them (daily or even twice or three times daily, depending on weather) then they may be okay... the reason they didn't work for me was because I am lazy and usually water every day, and the black pots captured the sun and made the soil dry out two times faster.

If you are willing to water twice a day, you should be alright. If I were you, I'd spray paint them though!

jgaleota · January 20, 2012

Thanks so much for the advice. I could have kicked myself after I read more about growing tomatoes and how they shut down in the heat of the summer. I looked at those black pots and thought "That is not going to help any"!

augiedog55 · January 20, 2012

I was going to get black smart pots until someone on here told me I needed to shade the black bags because they would heat up in the hot sunmmer sun.. I just ordered tan ones instead to get around that problem.
Thank you guys and gals for the tips
Bruce.

**nctomatoman** · January 20, 2012

I grow in black grow bags and black pots in the hot, intense sun of Raleigh on pale concrete, sitting on the ground - and have no issue with the pots overheating at all! In fact, the way that the stuff in black pots got a jump/head start on the stuff in white grow bags was very interesting to see!

bughunter99 · January 20, 2012

My problem with smaller dark containers was that they plants seemed more prone to BER during hot seasons. Totally anecdotal observations but its the reason my self watering containers are all gray sided with black fabric on top that I can take off when things heat up.

Stacy

**nctomatoman** · January 20, 2012

Stacy, mine did great - but I was watering twice a day in the heat of the summer....still, the way I had my 400 pots lined up, it only took 30 min or so to water them.

bughunter99 · January 20, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by nctomatoman

Stacy, mine did great - but I was watering twice a day in the heat of the summer....still, the way I had my 400 pots lined up, it only took 30 min or so to water them.

Ah, that is what the difference probably was. You are more dedicated!

January 12, 2012	#1
augiedog55 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: oak grove mo Posts: 406	newbie mistakes As some of you know this is going to be my first yr growing tomatoes in containers ( smart pots). What newbie pitfalls do I need to avoid to be successful. Thanks Bruce

January 16, 2012	#2
lakelady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: northern NJ zone 6b Posts: 1,862	Maybe others will chime in but for me, one of the mistakes I've made (or two rather...) is overfertilizing the plants, and underwatering. Especially with all those liquid ferts now that are sold in the hydroshops, it's so easy to get carried away and put a little of this or that in the watering can! Pots do dry out faster in the hot sun too, so while I'm not sure about smart pots, I'd say keep an eye on underwatering and dry roots. __________________ Antoniette

January 20, 2012	#9
tgplp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Pacific North West, zone 8a Posts: 510	Well, you could if you wanted to. I guess as long as you water them (daily or even twice or three times daily, depending on weather) then they may be okay... the reason they didn't work for me was because I am lazy and usually water every day, and the black pots captured the sun and made the soil dry out two times faster. If you are willing to water twice a day, you should be alright. If I were you, I'd spray paint them though! Last edited by tgplp; January 20, 2012 at 04:44 PM. Reason: too many "to"s!

January 20, 2012	#12
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	I grow in black grow bags and black pots in the hot, intense sun of Raleigh on pale concrete, sitting on the ground - and have no issue with the pots overheating at all! In fact, the way that the stuff in black pots got a jump/head start on the stuff in white grow bags was very interesting to see! __________________ Craig

January 20, 2012	#14
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	Stacy, mine did great - but I was watering twice a day in the heat of the summer....still, the way I had my 400 pots lined up, it only took 30 min or so to water them. __________________ Craig

January 17, 2012	#3
Dewayne mater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 1,212	It depends on what type of container you are using and how you are watering. For me, the most important thing was to get the soiless mix right as I was using Raybo earthtainer. I got that right, but, in the one earthbox I bought, the "soil" that they send was like swamp. It never drained and was soggy and smelling lot rot. So, I had to remove most of that and use the 3;2;1 mix Ray suggests.

January 18, 2012	#4
livinonfaith Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina Posts: 1,332	I'm with Lakelady. Don't use amendments without knowing exactly what's in your soil or soil mixture. You can definitely have too much of a good thing. I pretty much halted the production on just under half of my tomatoes just by spraying an Epsom salt mixture on them. Apparently, my soil already had plenty of Magnesium.

January 20, 2012	#7
Harpiye Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Germany Posts: 5	Nonsense! I have plastic potts, and it is true that the soil dries much more faster, but the only thing you have to do is to soak it every day. When someone says he prefers those terracotta potts I would argue that terracotta steams out the water and the nutrients. I have both and I can live with each solution Dorothée

January 20, 2012	#10
jgaleota Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 133	Thanks so much for the advice. I could have kicked myself after I read more about growing tomatoes and how they shut down in the heat of the summer. I looked at those black pots and thought "That is not going to help any"!

January 20, 2012	#13
bughunter99 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: zone 5 Posts: 821	My problem with smaller dark containers was that they plants seemed more prone to BER during hot seasons. Totally anecdotal observations but its the reason my self watering containers are all gray sided with black fabric on top that I can take off when things heat up. Stacy