On Jul 14, 5:59 pm, Mark Anderson wrote:
In article says...

Yes. My largest pots for tomatoes are about 20 inches across.
Eggplants and peppers will grow in smaller pots. I grow regular size
plants. I use cheap bagged topsoil.

Topsoil is the worst medium for growing plants in containers. Because
containers are an isolated environment, many gardening techniques are
completely different than techniques for in ground plants. The most
important aspect of containers is the growing medium which needs to
drain well, provide air to roots, and retain water somewhat. You need
to use a potting mix, not potting soil that is sold in bags or
especially not topsoil. You can buy potting mix in bags at the big box
stores -- there are several brands including Miracle Grow. I mix my own
using pine bark fines, peat moss, perlite, and slow release fertilizer.

That said, things will grow in containers filled with topsoil but they
will grow much better with a better growing medium. I used to use
topsoil and potting soil in my containers until one year we had a bad
drought and my plants suffered greatly because my growing medium was
unforgiving. Then I read this:

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/...1290112896.htm...

My container plants, especially tomatoes, have done much better in the
last few years after mixing my own potting medium.

Your mix sounds fine but I'm doing OK. I do need to amend soil with
lime and fertilizer and keep adding them. As others point out, a lot
of watering is needed - in very hot weather sometimes twice a day.
Four tomato's, three peppers and two eggplants give wife and I all
summer vegetables we can handle. I used to have a big garden in the
back before shade and deer did it in.
Spent a lot of time gardening and needing to freeze/preserve/can the
excess. In my golden years, it is much more satisfying to grow stuff
on my deck but I'm not going to do it in a high intensity way that
takes more work than visiting local farm markets
Frank