"FragileWarrior" wrote in message
...
geronimo wrote in
:

I am in a rent house so I don't plant anything in the ground, its
all in pots. I am in zone 10. Last spring (EARLY) I planted a
tomato(a variety that others are growing here with excellent results)
in a pot. Had full sun. Had plenty of drainage holes, volcanic rock at
the bottom. The tomato plant grew only so-so. I don't think it was
anywhere near the size/foliage spread of one planted in in a garden.
This pot actually is a large galvanized wash tub, so the plant sure
had more than enough room.

Zone 10, full sun and a metal container? It's just a guess but I bet
those
roots fried. If the plant had to keep repairing roots, it wouldn't have
much energy to produce fruit.


I agree with everything except the word "metal". *ALL* containers will be
troublesome once the soil reaches a certain temperature. They need to be
shaded somehow, and, as you said, they need lots of water.

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
...
"FragileWarrior" wrote in message
...
geronimo wrote in
:

I am in a rent house so I don't plant anything in the ground, its
all in pots. I am in zone 10. Last spring (EARLY) I planted a
tomato(a variety that others are growing here with excellent results)
in a pot. Had full sun. Had plenty of drainage holes, volcanic rock at
the bottom. The tomato plant grew only so-so. I don't think it was
anywhere near the size/foliage spread of one planted in in a garden.
This pot actually is a large galvanized wash tub, so the plant sure
had more than enough room.

Zone 10, full sun and a metal container? It's just a guess but I bet
those
roots fried. If the plant had to keep repairing roots, it wouldn't have
much energy to produce fruit.


I agree with everything except the word "metal". *ALL* containers will be
troublesome once the soil reaches a certain temperature. They need to be
shaded somehow, and, as you said, they need lots of water.

Paint them white.

Hey, talking about soil for tomatoes...

Someone gave me one of those little Grape Tomato kits that come with
seeds, hanging pot and soil and the soil was a little brick of Coconut
Fiber which expands in water. They swear this fiber "holds water for
less frequent watering" and is "a new, environmentally friendly growing
medium for all your indoor, gardening and potting uses".

It's from this company:
http://www.triumphplant.com/html/soi...sensation.html