This is the first year we have grown tomato's in a hanging basket, and very successful it was too. We planted 3 tumbler tomato's in a 12" basket placed in outside our kitchen which gave shelter from wind but plenty of sun, we will certainly be doing this again next year.
Sue
Wow... what a beautiful idea.
Kaleem
Looks really healthy! I'm going to try that next year, too. I love little red grape tomatoes and want to try those in hanging baskets or inverted buckets.
gardenwife
The only thing you have to watch is watering, the baskets can dry out quickly other than that we just gave a weekly feed.
Sue
Thanks, Sue. Did you use any kind of soil additives, like those polymer water-absorbing crystals?
Gardenwife
No additives used, planted in normal potting compost.
Sue
do you think it matters what type of tomato you use? is there a special kind for hanging baskets?
Hi Priincessyfs
Tumbler are good in baskets as the naturally grow over the sides and mine were quite compact and bushy they didn't get too long, not sure about other varietes as the ones we grow in our greenhouse are more upright.
Sue
There's a few threads in the tomatoes forum, I think, regarding growing tomatoes in baskets. You can also invert a 5-gallon bucket and grow them out the bottom. Pretty cool stuff! Water crystals added to the soil would cut down on the watering needed; the polymers absorb water and release it when the soil around them is dry.
Posted twice on accident. Edited to remove one.
This message was edited Sep 28, 2005 8:34 PM
I'm growing a regular cherry out the bottom of a 3-gal pot. I have basil growing on top to help keep the soil covered. It's growing and doing great. It's my first time and this is what I've found:
-It does dry out faster than my regular 3-gal pot that's sitting on the ground. And more watering means more frequent feeding.
-Using Tumbler or another compact variety would be better because my cherry got too tall/long. I had to to tie some of the branches up with strings to support the weight.
-the black pot is not pretty. Next time I will slit holes on the side of the pot and plant a few flowers like petunias to cover it up.
It was fun, though. Definitely will do it again.
I'm jealous of your basil, I grew some this year from seed but it didn't do that well so I just buy a plant now and replace it with a new one every few weeks.
Sue
Quyen,
Next year grow some Nasturtium (with a mustard-like or peppery flavor) or Borage (with a cucumber-like flavor) in the tops. Always edilble (no more than 3 plants for each hang basket) out the top; both are hanging (droopy, draping) and make your tomatoes produce heavier yields. Companion plants are always the best, and if they benefit each other all the better; as well as covering up the plain pot.
Nasturtiums do not like transplanting! But I've had success in transplanting them while they were young and made sure I put newspaper in the pots (3 inches) before putting in the starter soil. I plant them with the newspaper remaining around the seedling; they biodegrade anyway in with the soil.
~* Robin
Robin, thanks for the great idea. I will do many things differently next year.
Sue, instead of buying new ones, you could try to root a few cuttings in water and start your new basil pot that way. That's what I do with mine.
Quyen,
Thanks for the basil reminder!
I have other plants I'm cutting and dividing tomorrow. The best moon for it is then according to the farmers almanac (for my northern area).
I'd better make a list. I took some benadryl to get me to sleep, chamomile is not strong enough tonight. I'll make the notation and leave my gardening diary on my chair seat; for the morning Java.
~* Robin
I am very impressed with your tomato plants and am wondering if there are any variety of tomatoes that can be grown (in containers on my balcony) that do not require direct sun? I am in a 7b climate and am dying to grow some tomatoes in a container, but do not have the sun for most varieties. Does anyone know of any? I'm very impressed with the idea of growing them under the baskets, or upside down if you will.
Please advise and keep up the good work. If anyone is jealous, it's me.
DepartureBay
How many hours of sun does the area get, DepartureBay?
I do not get any direct sunlight. It's all shade but not in darkness - I guess you'd call it indirect sunlight.
I ordered the 'tumbler' tomato seed for next year. I thought it would be a neat idea and decided to give it a try! Now I can't wait
Departure, if there's any way you could deflect light to the shaded area, they might do okay. I know they really need sun, though.
Grow light?
Yes, grow light is a real possibility.
The light that I do get is kind of reflected off the building itself. I just wondered if there was any particular type of tomato that was hardier that any others and that can grow in more difficult conditions. I know some of them can be higher maintenance than others.
I'd say cherry tomatoes are generally the toughest varieties. Try it, but be prepared to put something else into the pot or to put up that grow light if your results are disappointing. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
BTW, a "grow light" for veggies can be a regular cool flurescent tube (the cheap kind)... no need to pop for an expensive specialty bulb.
One of my favorites for baskets/containers is 'Tumbling Tom', but mine didn't do well this year, so I may have to *sob* buy seeds. I did save a few seeds from my 'Hanging Basket Tomato' (thanks, Sequee), which made nice little tomatoes (not cherry)... I would recommend that one, too!
As far as companions for container tomatoes, basil is also a classic combination with them. Trailing nasturtiums would be nice along the sides of the upside down pot, but my borage has always been very upright when I've grown it rather than trailing.... just like nasturtiums, there may be different grown habits among borage strains.
Thanks very much critterologist. And I must ask you, are you a "critterologist"? What would you do if you had what I think are "fungus knats" on my pansy plant. I had it given to me and came from a Safeway store. I tried to capture a pix of the bug on the side of the pot in the attached pix. The whole plant has wilted, and right now it's difficult for me to let it "dry out" as this is the rainy season in some parts of Vancouver Island. Please advise what you would do.
Natural Insect Control: http://www.ghorganics.com/page9.html
Plant Diseases: http://www.ghorganics.com/page15.html
Gardening Tips and Other Goodies: http://www.ghorganics.com/page8.html
Golden Harvest Organics, Site Map: http://www.ghorganics.com/Site_Map.html
"If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves." -- Thomas Edison
HTH!
~* Robin
Thanks for your help. Unfortunately, any sprays that are sold by companies in the U.S. will not ship to Canada.
There are links there for you to make Natural Insect Control recipes on your own: ei:
I've used this remedy all around the place and it really does work.
Fungus Gnats:
Probably the best trap ever for these annoying bugs is to put out small containers filled halfway with cider vinegar in areas where you are having problems with them. They dive into the vinegar and drown. Strain and reuse the vinegar until you have gained control of them. To keep gnats from pestering you try a few dabs of pure vanilla extract on your skin or clothing. This is supposed to keep gnats at bay and vanilla has such a pleasant smell!
You have to scroll down the page and read through the notes.
~* Robin
Thanks Robin. A few people have gotten back to me about a product that is sold only throughout the U.S.. I should have read it more thoroughly before I assumed the same from you. I really appreciate your sending the articles. I guess the cider vinegar is good for killing the adults, but won't necessarily do anything for the larve in the soil. There's probably other natural solutions for that. Thanks again.
Regards,
Marlene
Marlene,
Use one tablespoonful of household peroxide to 8 ounces of water, put it into a clean spray bottle and spray the soil every other day for 2 weeks. If they present themselves again do likewise again. I've tried it myself and it does work and doesn't hurt your plants at all. Though you will hear the soil cracking and killing bacteria at first.
DG Member Jnette uses household peroxide in all her feeding water for her plants.
Read here: Propagation: seed germination-DAYlilies http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/414635/ at the bottom is where she says it.
~* Robin
NatureWalker:
Thanks so much for your input. Would that be 3% peroxide or 20% peroxide? I have seen both and would probably think it's 3%, as I think that the 20% is for hair dye???? (not sure but I think so).
Thanks again.
DepartureBay
Yes, you are correct it would be the 3% peroxide. Just make sure none gets on the leaves; it would burn those parts.
~* Robin
Sorry, I wasn't watching this thread! I'm a "critterologist" sure, but not that much of a "bugologist" LOL! For that, you need NightBloom! I think Robin has you on the right track, trapping & watering with peroxide solution. I get some fungus gnats among my seedling starts sometimes, but they've never been much of a problem in terms of being so numerous that they damamge the plant -- they're just annoying. I've starting using those polymer moisture crystals in nearly everything, and I think they help keep the soil from getting quite so soggy.
