Growing tomatoes in a pot instead of in the ground

[MustangLX]

I set this up today using a swing frame. I used ferrules and cable that I used to make Peterbilt hood retaining cables with to hang the pots. I figure the side bars can be used for additional pots.

Will just be putting some salad tomato and/or strawberry plants in them.

The careful observer may spy the new hummingbird feeder by the tree.

 

[Rigjockey]

The pots in Mustangs pics are about the same size i used to grow cherry tomatoes (or grape tomatoes or however you want to call them).

 

[Rigjockey]

Growing small green onions is a piece of cake compared to 'maters .

 

[MustangLX]

The pots in Mustangs pics are about the same size i used to grow cherry tomatoes (or grape tomatoes or however you want to call them).

I have some started in some pots that are about a foot deep and a foot across, but more seeds sprouted than I anticipated and I needed somewhere to transfer some of them to. Will probably end up with some leftovers that get wasted, but better than not having as many as I wanted.

 

[MustangLX]

The boxy cages contain hybrid tomatoes. One has a bloom already. Last year they were gowing up through the top and I added another 18 inches making it about seven feet but I never got much fruit, just alot of flowers.
That's why I put the hummingbird feeder there. I didn't have a single peach last year for the first time but plenty of blooms.
I'm convinced it was a pollination problem because we didn't have any bees anywhere at all. No hummingbirds or ladybugs either.
Maybe this year will be better.

 

[MustangLX]

The pots in Mustangs pics are about the same size i used to grow cherry tomatoes

I've always called them cherry tomatoes but I only said salad tomatoes because I read it on the seed package Lol

 

[Duck]

I set this up today using a swing frame. I used ferrules and cable that I used to make Peterbilt hood retaining cables with to hang the pots. I figure the side bars can be used for additional pots.

Will just be putting some salad tomato and/or strawberry plants in them.

The careful observer may spy the new hummingbird feeder by the tree.

I'm thinking about scrapping the hanging pot idea, and just have the pots set up on top of something like cinder blocks. I'm going to use the bottom halves of plastic barrels, they'll be big, the plants will be big, and it's not a good idea to have large plants in something that will swing around in the wind. Unless I can hang the pots from 3 attachment points so it doesn't swing much.

 

[MustangLX]

I'm thinking about scrapping the hanging pot idea, and just have the pots set up on top of something like cinder blocks. I'm going to use the bottom halves of plastic barrels, they'll be big, the plants will be big, and it's not a good idea to have large plants in something that will swing around in the wind. Unless I can hang the pots from 3 attachment points so it doesn't swing much.

My bigger plants will be in the wooden cages. I'm only using the hanging pots as a space saving measure for the smaller stuff I don't want to tie up my limited ground space with.

Why don't you just plant in the ground, or are you just trying to elevate your crops to avoid bending over as much?

 

[Duck]

Why don't you just plant in the ground, or are you just trying to elevate your crops to avoid bending over as much?

I don't want to bend over as much when pulling weeds out. And also I think I can use better quality dirt by using a pot. The dirt here is 500 yards from the creek. I want to use dirt taken from the creek bed. And keeping it off the ground might keep wabbits from eating the plants, since I don't currently have a dog to chase them away for me.

Planting them in the ground means breaking up hard dirt. By taking dirt from the creek and filling up a barrel and hauling it home in a trailer behind my ATV, the bumpy trail and the trailer with 30 psi tires and no suspension will make sure the dirt is shook up nice, no clumps.

And in the fall after the harvest, there are plenty of places in the yard where I can dump and spread out the dirt. There are trenches in the yard about 8 feet apart, 6 inches deep, ... kind of look like the tire ruts from an 18 wheeler. I don't know how that would have happened.

 

[MustangLX]

Sounds like a plan. If I had reread your previous posts I may have figured that out.

I too, hauled in good soil from another area, but the area needed filling in anyway after I walled it up, replacing old, rotting wooden wall.

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Poured foundation to edge of driveway for new block wall adding area to plot. I left old wood underground to continue rotting into the soil.
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[MustangLX]

My tractor trailer

More tractor would be nice, but still beats a wheel barrow.

View attachment 15774
View attachment 15774

 

[Road Dust]

I don't want to bend over as much when pulling weeds out. And also I think I can use better quality dirt by using a pot. The dirt here is 500 yards from the creek. I want to use dirt taken from the creek bed. And keeping it off the ground might keep wabbits from eating the plants, since I don't currently have a dog to chase them away for me.

Planting them in the ground means breaking up hard dirt. By taking dirt from the creek and filling up a barrel and hauling it home in a trailer behind my ATV, the bumpy trail and the trailer with 30 psi tires and no suspension will make sure the dirt is shook up nice, no clumps.

And in the fall after the harvest, there are plenty of places in the yard where I can dump and spread out the dirt. There are trenches in the yard about 8 feet apart, 6 inches deep, ... kind of look like the tire ruts from an 18 wheeler. I don't know how that would have happened.

Just remember, whether you use pots or plant in the ground, you will need some type of sturdy support for each plant. Those flimsy wire cages sold in stores are a joke and good for nothing more than a small pepper plant, lol. You will need something like the wooden cages in Mustang's pic. I use a similar type cage but mine is more of a ladder shape like these Woody. Anything sturdy will work. A mature tomato plant can get quite heavy when loaded with fruit, especially the heirloom varieties.

I like your idea of using concrete blocks to sit the pots on.

 

[Duck]

More tractor would be nice, but still beats a wheel barrow.

View attachment 15775

What year is that truck? I had a '77 F-100.

Just remember, whether you use pots or plant in the ground, you will need some type of sturdy support for each plant. Those flimsy wire cages sold in stores are a joke and good for nothing more than a small pepper plant, lol. You will need something like the wooden cages in Mustang's pic. I use a similar type cage but mine is more of a ladder shape like these Woody. Anything sturdy will work. A mature tomato plant can get quite heavy when loaded with fruit, especially the heirloom varieties.

I like your idea of using concrete blocks to sit the pots on.

Those wire cages are a joke. I can't even get the damn things pushed into the ground without bending them or having the spot welds come apart.

I don't know if I'd want to put pressure treated wood into the ground next to the plants because it contains arsenic.

I might weld something up using 1/2" electrical conduit or something.
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[MustangLX]

What year is that truck? I had a '77 F-100.

1970 F-100
240CID 6 cylinder. Three speed, column shift

 

[MustangLX]

Before
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After

View attachment 15776

 

[Rigjockey]

What year is that truck? I had a '77 F-100.



Those wire cages are a joke. I can't even get the damn things pushed into the ground without bending them or having the spot welds come apart.

I don't know if I'd want to put pressure treated wood into the ground next to the plants because it contains arsenic.

I might weld something up using 1/2" electrical conduit or something.

Up here we use old or broken hockey sticks .lol.There plenty of them. Note to Canuck kids : Don't leave your good hockey sticks out in the street or the will end up in the European guy's back yard cut in two and holding up the tomato plants

 

[Duck]

My neighbor stole the trailer I was gonna use to go get the dirt. He's stolen the damn thing like 10 times now.

 

[MustangLX]

My neighbor stole the trailer I was gonna use to go get the dirt. He's stolen the damn thing like 10 times now.

You could steal mine if you lived closer. It would be worth it to me to have somebody air up the tires.

 

[Duck]

His brother posted a picture of him on Facebook yesterday and said they were in Texas. I'm thinking about just going over there and getting the damn thing. It's probably parked outside. If both of them are in Texas, I don't have to risk getting misidentified and shot at cuz the only other person who would be there is their 80 yr old mom. (She might come outside and start throwing cats at me though)

 

[midwestbound]

I like the idea of using the swing set frame for hanging planters. My tomato in the topsy turvy has pretty much died. I have several planted in the ground and they are doing pretty good. I have dusted everything with sevin dust. But my potatoes are my pride and joy. The plants look fabulous! I planted my corn in the 3 sister fashion with pole beans and squash. That all looks really good as well.