Dear Experts,

I just planted my tomatos! Here is SF bay area. I bought a growing kit
which contains a 6" bucket, potting soil and a small bag of seed.
Following the instruction, I put 10 seeds about 1/4" below the top
soil and water thoroughly. I'm anxiously waiting for the green! After
it grows taller, I'll buy a type of "backing scaffold" for its vein.

But one day when I was chatting with my coworker at lunch. He said
tomato needs a big pot! Is it true? The instruction didn't say I need
to change to a bigger pot and it promised 200+ tomatos!

So my question is whether I'm OK with the current 6" pot or should I
replant later? and when? after 1 year?

Thanks!

Tiffany

"Frank" wrote in message
om...
Dear Experts,

I just planted my tomatos! Here is SF bay area. I bought a growing kit
which contains a 6" bucket, potting soil and a small bag of seed.
Following the instruction, I put 10 seeds about 1/4" below the top
soil and water thoroughly. I'm anxiously waiting for the green! After
it grows taller, I'll buy a type of "backing scaffold" for its vein.

But one day when I was chatting with my coworker at lunch. He said
tomato needs a big pot! Is it true? The instruction didn't say I need
to change to a bigger pot and it promised 200+ tomatos!

So my question is whether I'm OK with the current 6" pot or should I
replant later? and when? after 1 year?

No, the 6 inch "bucket" is WAY too small. I grow my container tomatoes in 10
gallon containers.

You can keep what you have in the 6 incher until it gets to a certain
height, about 4 to 6 inches. 10 seeds is WAY too many, as you'll be thinning
to only one plant. I usually only plant 3-4 seeds in each container.

It will take a lot less than one year, BTW. Tomato plants have a life span
of at most 4 to 6 months, maybe slightly more in your climate. Just to give
you an idea, I start seedlings indoors in early April, transplant them
outside in early June, and they last til early October.



Craig
Meredith, NH USA

In article
,
says...
Dear Experts,


I don't claim to be an expert, but I have been doing
tomatoes this past spring and summer. I started by
buying small plants in small pots. I plan on trying
seeds next season.


I just planted my tomatos! Here is SF bay area. I bought a growing kit
which contains a 6" bucket,


Do you mean 6 inch diameter?


potting soil and a small bag of seed.
Following the instruction, I put 10 seeds about 1/4" below the top
soil and water thoroughly. I'm anxiously waiting for the green! After
it grows taller, I'll buy a type of "backing scaffold" for its vein.


A common thing is to take three stakes (I use plastic-
covered bamboo), tied at the top as a tripod, along
with horizontal string tied as the plant grows to keep
it close in, and generally going up. If you don't give
them some guidance, they tend to start wandering
sideways and taking up lots of space.

I'm not sure what you mean by, "backing scaffold."
Perhaps also called a "trellis"? Like a rectangular
thing with wood strips in an "x"-pattern?


But one day when I was chatting with my coworker at lunch. He said
tomato needs a big pot! Is it true?


My tomato plants are in 20-litre buckets, which is
about five gallons. This seems to be a size. Although
I have heard of some people using smaller buckets.


The instruction didn't say I need
to change to a bigger pot


If you are starting with a 6-inch pot, then, you DO
need bigger pots. Although I'm not sure how big each
plant should be before you move them.


and it promised 200+ tomatos!


That might be very optimistic. If this is you first
year, I suggest focusing on just learning. That is
what I have been doing.

And, regardless of the results with this particular
effort, rememberer that persistence is good. I have
had a few containers with very weak plants, which even
totally died. But I kept working at it. And that why
I have had a bunch of successful items - persistence
and optimism.

By the way, a couple of basics...

If you use cheap buckets (like I do), make sure that
you drill or punch several holes in the bottom, so that
the water can drain out. Tomatoes do *not* like to
stand in too much water.

Sunlight is vital. Put them in your sunniest spot.

Good Luck!


--
Guide To DIY Living
http://www.self-reliance.co.nz
(Work in progress)

Dear Experts,

I just planted my tomatos! Here is SF bay area. I bought a growing kit
which contains a 6" bucket, potting soil and a small bag of seed.
Following the instruction, I put 10 seeds about 1/4" below the top
soil and water thoroughly. I'm anxiously waiting for the green! After
it grows taller, I'll buy a type of "backing scaffold" for its vein.

But one day when I was chatting with my coworker at lunch. He said
tomato needs a big pot! Is it true? The instruction didn't say I need
to change to a bigger pot and it promised 200+ tomatos!

So my question is whether I'm OK with the current 6" pot or should I
replant later? and when? after 1 year?

Thanks!

Tiffany


About the only tomato that will grow to maturity is a 6'' pot is the cultivar
"Tiny Tim". Normal sized tomato plants will need a minimum of a five gallon pot
per plant. Some of the larger plants like Brandywine need an even larger pot.

Do you know what the name of the tomato is?
200 tomatoes sounds like a cherry or grape style plant.

"Frank" wrote in message
om...
Dear Experts,

I just planted my tomatos! Here is SF bay area. I bought a growing kit
which contains a 6" bucket, potting soil and a small bag of seed.
Following the instruction, I put 10 seeds about 1/4" below the top
soil and water thoroughly. I'm anxiously waiting for the green! After
it grows taller, I'll buy a type of "backing scaffold" for its vein.

But one day when I was chatting with my coworker at lunch. He said
tomato needs a big pot! Is it true? The instruction didn't say I need
to change to a bigger pot and it promised 200+ tomatos!

So my question is whether I'm OK with the current 6" pot or should I
replant later? and when? after 1 year?

Thanks!

Tiffany

I checked the seed pack and found it's called "Tomato Beefsteak".
Strange name. Is it reasonable to expect 200+ tomatos this year? Can I
stay with the current 6" pot or have to change after sprout?

Thanks a lot,
Tiff


"FDR" wrote in message . ..
Do you know what the name of the tomato is?
200 tomatoes sounds like a cherry or grape style plant.

I checked the seed pack and found it's called "Tomato Beefsteak".
Strange name. Is it reasonable to expect 200+ tomatos this year? Can I
stay with the current 6" pot or have to change after sprout?

Thanks a lot,
Tiff


"FDR" wrote in message . ..
Do you know what the name of the tomato is?
200 tomatoes sounds like a cherry or grape style plant.

I checked the seed pack and found it's called "Tomato Beefsteak".
Strange name. Is it reasonable to expect 200+ tomatos this year? Can I
stay with the current 6" pot or have to change after sprout?

Thanks a lot,
Tiff


"FDR" wrote in message . ..
Do you know what the name of the tomato is?
200 tomatoes sounds like a cherry or grape style plant.

I checked the seed pack and found it's called "Tomato Beefsteak".
Strange name. Is it reasonable to expect 200+ tomatos this year? Can I
stay with the current 6" pot or have to change after sprout?

Thanks a lot,
Tiff


"FDR" wrote in message . ..
Do you know what the name of the tomato is?
200 tomatoes sounds like a cherry or grape style plant.

I checked the seed pack and found it's called "Tomato Beefsteak".
Strange name. Is it reasonable to expect 200+ tomatos this year? Can I
stay with the current 6" pot or have to change after sprout?

Thanks a lot,
Tiff


"FDR" wrote in message . ..
Do you know what the name of the tomato is?
200 tomatoes sounds like a cherry or grape style plant.

I checked the seed pack and found it's called "Tomato Beefsteak".
Strange name. Is it reasonable to expect 200+ tomatos this year? Can I
stay with the current 6" pot or have to change after sprout?

Thanks a lot,
Tiff


"FDR" wrote in message . ..
Do you know what the name of the tomato is?
200 tomatoes sounds like a cherry or grape style plant.

"Frank" wrote in message
om...
I checked the seed pack and found it's called "Tomato Beefsteak".
Strange name. Is it reasonable to expect 200+ tomatos this year? Can I
stay with the current 6" pot or have to change after sprout?

Beefesteak are awfully large. I doubt you will get more than a dozen or
two. Put it into a 5 gallon Home Depot bucket at the minimum.


Thanks a lot,
Tiff


"FDR" wrote in message
. ..
Do you know what the name of the tomato is?
200 tomatoes sounds like a cherry or grape style plant.

I checked the seed pack and found it's called "Tomato Beefsteak".
Strange name. Is it reasonable to expect 200+ tomatos this year? Can I
stay with the current 6" pot or have to change after sprout?

Beefesteak are awfully large. I doubt you will get more than a dozen or
two. Put it into a 5 gallon Home Depot bucket at the minimum.

Agreed: whether it is a generic beefsteak type or the old Scarlet Ponderosa
that was sold as Beefsteak for many years, The plants are large. The tomatoes
are also large, and tend to produce sparsely in a container setting. However
two or three dozen tomatoes per plant is a very good yield under good
conditions.

Frank wrote:

Dear Experts,

I just planted my tomatos! Here is SF bay area. I bought a growing kit
which contains a 6" bucket, potting soil and a small bag of seed.
Following the instruction, I put 10 seeds about 1/4" below the top
soil and water thoroughly. I'm anxiously waiting for the green! After
it grows taller, I'll buy a type of "backing scaffold" for its vein.

But one day when I was chatting with my coworker at lunch. He said
tomato needs a big pot! Is it true? The instruction didn't say I need
to change to a bigger pot and it promised 200+ tomatos!

So my question is whether I'm OK with the current 6" pot or should I
replant later? and when? after 1 year?

Thanks!

Tiffany

I've been growing tomatoes in pots for years.
My pots are 70" around & 2' tall. Tomatoes have big root systems.
Make sure your tomatoes can drain thoroughly.
They hate wet feet.

Mintee

Mintee wrote in message ...
Frank wrote:

Dear Experts,

I just planted my tomatos! Here is SF bay area. I bought a growing kit
which contains a 6" bucket, potting soil and a small bag of seed.
Following the instruction, I put 10 seeds about 1/4" below the top
soil and water thoroughly. I'm anxiously waiting for the green! After
it grows taller, I'll buy a type of "backing scaffold" for its vein.

But one day when I was chatting with my coworker at lunch. He said
tomato needs a big pot! Is it true? The instruction didn't say I need
to change to a bigger pot and it promised 200+ tomatos!

So my question is whether I'm OK with the current 6" pot or should I
replant later? and when? after 1 year?

Thanks!

Tiffany

I've been growing tomatoes in pots for years.
My pots are 70" around & 2' tall. Tomatoes have big root systems.
Make sure your tomatoes can drain thoroughly.
They hate wet feet.

Mintee

I concur. Growing Beefsteak tomatoes in a pot of any kind is going to
be marginal at best. I have had decent success using 15-20 gallon
nursery planters
(the kind they ship small trees in) filled with a good potting mix but
I was growing smaller varieties. You MUST have really good drainage
or you will wind up with blossom end rot. The tricky part about
smaller containers, at least here where the summers get very hot, is
watering. I can water a plant in a 5 gallon bucket profusely in the
morning, go to work on a 95 degree day and the plant will be dying of
thirst by that afternoon. If you really don't want to dig and do want
to grow larger varieties, you might consider bag culture. Just do a
search for it on Google. I have never tried it but I know a few
people who have had good results.

Lee Hall
Zone 6B - Tennessee