hanging tomato plant
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I was recently talking to a guy who said he raises tomato plants in 5 gal. buckets (hole cut in bottom w/plant hanging down). He said feeding and watering was a snap as well as keeping them up away from diseases in the ground. Has anyone ever heard of this?
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(post #14308, reply #1 of 33)
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Hullo, Allen,
Well, no, I've never heard of doing it exactly that way, but I've seen similar things with strawberry plants and suchlike. I suppose it would work, but I wonder why you would try it besides keeping the vines away from ground borne disease...lack of space for an inground garden maybe.
Are you considering trying this? Because if you do, we will want a full report.
(post #14308, reply #2 of 33)
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What an intriguing way to plant a mater bush!
(post #14308, reply #3 of 33)
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Allen, I have one of those page-a-day garden calendars that had, one day, a picture of a nice shed with a little porch and a really nice hanging basket filled with cherry tomato plants (actually, probably just one plant). I've always thought about trying that since I saw that picture. I suppose it might work with a regular, slicing tomato plant but I bet it wouldn't be as attractive. Of course, if you're considering a 5 gallon bucket, it sounds like you're going for functional.
The other thing about the 5 gallon bucket is that it would allow the root space that tomato plants need. Lately, though, I've seen some pretty big and fairly attractive plastic hanging baskets at Lowe's. Self watering too. I bought three of the not so big ones for bringing my boston ferns in for the winter and they're working out pretty well.
When you said that the plant was hanging down, do you mean that it was planted in the hole in the bottom of the bucket rather than in the top of the bucket. I occasionally see garden shows that show a terra cotta pot called a rosemary pot. It too has the rosemary plant set in the bottom hole of the pot rather than the top. The rosemary grows up from there. Kind of neat looking in that "what the heck" kind of way.
I would also like to hear how this turns out, Allen, if you decide to try it. I'm not planting a vegetable garden this year, so maybe that's a reason for me to try it too!
(post #14308, reply #4 of 33)
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I've heard of this but haven't bothered to try it myself since I have plenty of garden space. I haven't heard of letting the vines flop - the bucket/container tomato growing always said to stake them. Unless the container is on a porch or patio, it would have all the same disease problems as letting tomatoes flop all over the ground. Even on a porch, it would pretty untidy to let them flop. As in any container garden, you must be careful to keep the soil moist. Tomatoes like an inch of water a week in the ground.
Mary
(post #14308, reply #5 of 33)
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Gretchen, The guy said the plant hung under the bucket thru the hole, I like the idea of not tying them up and keeping them away from the ground, diseases are a real problem here in the humid midwest. I'll keep you all posted, I've got to try it.
(post #14308, reply #6 of 33)
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Sounds neat! maybe you should try it with a smallish tomato, some of the large indeterminates make really long roots, and you might create a real monster tomato that will take over your porch! The indeterminate tomatoes are really naturally vines and can be kept on hay on the ground, but it is neater, takes up less space, and the tomatoes don't rot as easily if they are staked or tied to a support. I once met a woman who had kept a tomato vine in her greenhouse for several years, and it had overgrown it like any other large vine. In warmer climates tomatoes are perennial.
(post #14308, reply #7 of 33)
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Has any one tried grafting a tomato stalk to a potato root? Grows taters on the bottom an' maters on the top. So I'm told. I don't need to do this. It just sounds neat.
BJ The Gardeners Husband
(post #14308, reply #8 of 33)
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BJ - I saw an ad a few years ago for just such a plant. no kidding.
(post #14308, reply #9 of 33)
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Same family, solanum, right? You'd really have to feed it to suppost production like that in two parts of the plant. And when you hill up your 'taters, do you bury your 'maters?
You know, I may just have to try this bucket thing. I didn't grow tomatoes last year because I have the farm stand right at the bottom of the hill, and wherever I have had them in the yard, the soil gets really rocklike the next year. Plus I have run out of bed space for them.
I am going to try this bucket thing. I was going to experiment with those water-sucking crystals and this would be a good place to try them. I think I will try a cherry tomato and a Brandywine. I will mix a percentage of real garden soil into the potting mix, so I get some of that local flavor that only real dirt provides. I will monitor whether the plants try to turn upright as soon as possible, the way you see rosemary doing in those upside down rosemary pots.
I too will report back.
(post #14308, reply #10 of 33)
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This Hanging tomato thing sounds extremely interesting! We have tomato Blight in my corner of the world--haven't been able to grow a mater in 6 years. Last year I was determined and bought some "magic potion" from Gardeners Supply catalogue. And my husband built me a cute little greenhouse to grow them in--to keep away the disease--see attachment--but then, a big ole windstorm came and blew a tree over which smashed my cute little greenhouse. So still no tomatos!!
Think I'll wait for ya'all's report before trying the bucket thang!!
(post #14308, reply #11 of 33)
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How sad! What a great greenhouse!
(post #14308, reply #12 of 33)
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Nice greenhouse, Creta. It's too bad it got done in. Welcome, by the way. Like BJ said, pull up a chair. :-)
(post #14308, reply #13 of 33)
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Very cool greenhouse! I wonder if my husband could make mine like that with leftover logs from his cabin.
(post #14308, reply #14 of 33)
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Wow, what a great greenhouse that was. Very sad that the tree took it out. :-(
(post #14308, reply #15 of 33)
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It was built from the Eucalyptus trees we've been removing. It will be rebuilt this year and be a bit bigger to accomodate one of those Marin Cnty Hot Tubs that seem to be causing nice young American boys to defect.....
I really am enjoying this site!! Hoping to gleen lots of info from everyone's experiences....
(post #14308, reply #16 of 33)
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Hey, Creta, step on into the Gazebo and onto the Welcome Mat and tell us about yourself. :-)
(post #14308, reply #17 of 33)
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Theodora - also try an "Earth Box" they work VERY well. Easily sits on your deck or any sunny location in your yard. The tomatoes that I grow in those are always 1 - 2 weeks ahead of the regular garden ones. Absolutely a perfect environment for the little guys.
There are many more folks who produce similar items these days, but these guys were the first, and are still the best, IMNSHO.
(post #14308, reply #18 of 33)
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Gosh, Wolvie, those must be the guys I was supposed to go to Mars with, to grow spinach in the domes.... wow, they are looking great! :-) (just a 6th grade science project I will never forget)
(post #14308, reply #19 of 33)
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growing mushrooms too, Astrid? ;-)
I must hear (read) more about this project - sounds interesting!
(post #14308, reply #20 of 33)
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For a while I was really hung up on sauteed mushrooms with wilted spinach, but that has passed. The mushroom plugs always grab me but I escape. And the Mars trip is just too risky at my age....;-)
I like your recipe def., by the way.
(post #14308, reply #21 of 33)
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Ihave tried this and it works great with cherry tomatos! but beefsteaks in a 5 gallon bucket , that sounds awsome! I love the added benifit of extending my vegi. season by bringing in my hanging baskets come fall.
(post #14308, reply #22 of 33)
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I plan on trying Beefsteaks also. They so weighty they break branches alot. (I'm lazy about staking!) So the thought of having them hang upside down with gravity as the stake, cool!
(post #14308, reply #23 of 33)
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That's a cultivar I would go for. A beefsteak plant. No tomatoes. Just steaks.
(post #14308, reply #24 of 33)
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Have you ever had a beefsteak mater?
(post #14308, reply #25 of 33)
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If I put one of my tiny current tomatoes in a pot like that it would take over the porch, that vine goes on and on and on. Maybe I will.
(post #14308, reply #26 of 33)
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That would be a very interesting looking accent!
(post #14308, reply #27 of 33)
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And the birds would probably like it too, now that I think about it. The porch is where I have two bird feeders.
(post #14308, reply #28 of 33)
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I think so, Kath. The first day I was at BJ's he made BLT's, used some whopper beefsteaks, I think. He even peeled them! That was impressive. I think we talked about this once, in that discussion we had about "The White Trash Cookbook".
They
i were
good. :-)
(post #14308, reply #29 of 33)
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Yup, they're the best.
(post #14308, reply #30 of 33)
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I beg to differ....the best-hands-down-EVER tomato is one called 'Cherokee Purple'. It is one of the ugliest....looks like a purple and green bruise. But the BEST eating tomato I've ever had.