How to Grow Tomatoes in Containers, Pots or Buckets. Container Gardening.

In this video Brian is planting tomatoes in a five gallon bucket, or any container. A few tips you need to know to have success growing tomatoes in containers. How to grow tomatoes in pots differs slightly from growing tomatoes in the ground. Tomato Gardening 101.

**** ADDITION/CORRECTION KEEP FILLING THE POT WITH SOIL AS THE PLANT GROWS UNTIL YOU ARE ABOUT 2 INCHES FROM THE TOP OF THE POT. THE TOMATO WILL GROW ROOTS ALL THE WAY UP!

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[DM-jflg]

I drill 4 half inch holes in the sides of the buckets near the bottom. I put the buckets in a kiddie pool in my driveway. When I want to water I just fill the pool up with about 4-5 inches of water. Once a week I throw a scoop of miracle grow in the pool and add the water. My tomato’s grow to about 8 feet tall and produce more than I could ever need. I end up giving away hundreds of tomatoes every year.

[TheDarcyhorn]

I grow in buckets. Instead of putting my holes in the bottom of the vessel, I put 5 or 6 around the circumference of the pot about 1.5" up from the bottom of vessel. The holes will prevent the plant from drowning, but it also provides me with a 1.5" wicking well in the bottom, in case I am lazy on my watering. Works great for me for quite a few years now.

[CuriousinNY]

Nice video. Especially the part about Gypsum. One thing I do differently with my plastic 5 gallon pots is to put the holes not at the bottom of the pot underneath, but 2” from the bottom of the pot with some wood chips in the bottom of the pot. The wood chips I get are free and they suck up the water and act as a slow release when it is dry out. By having 4 holes drilled 2” up from the bottom you now have a water reservoir and if it rains too much the holes on the sides of the buckets allow for drainage. I hope this tip helps.

[jgehbinv]

For containers, I have had great success with fabric grow bags and recommend using them over traditional containers that you have to drill holes in to drain water out of. The bags also allow plant roots to breathe and not encircle.

[vBDKv]

I was absolutely blown away by the rich taste of my homegrown cherry tomatoes last year (and first ever tomato plant). Never in my life tasted such delicious tomatoes. The ones from the store tastes like water compared to homegrown. A lot of things went wrong. Too windy, main stem broke. Too rainy, over flooded container. I accidentally dropped my phone on the plant, pretty much half of the plant broke of and on top of that, I used a container that wasn't big enough. Despite that, it was a good harvest. I harvested roughly 1kg (2.2lbs) of cherry tomatoes :) This year I'm using a much bigger pot and I have fabricated all kinds of things to keep it stable in heavy winds. I can't wait, only 30 days to go here in Denmark!

[friaspr]

My wife thought I was crazy to use the polymers from my daughters diaper for my plants but it works for me all year around for all my vegetables. Here in Puerto Rico is sunny the majority of the time even in the rainy season. Glad to know someone else is doing the same. I always recommend to check your plants daily that’s the relaxing part of gardening seeing and taking care of your plants! Thanks for sharing!

[joyfulinhope]

I never liked tomatoes until this year when I grew a couple of pink Brandywine plants. Now I’m completely obsessed! 🍅 😋

[josephlightner]

Thanks so much for your great work. 61 yrs old just now learning how to garden your videos are deeply appreciated!

[mwsilversage]

Hi Brian; I've been quietly following you for years. I was immediately impressed by your ability to stay on topic which kept me tuned in. I also love your solid advice which I have found to be right on and works for me just like you said. I now have twelve grow boxes which I built and incorporated many of your recommendations. I made them deep, drip watered and even built in liquid fertilizing. With your process of string support on indeterminate plants, I used steel conduit to create nice loops eight feet high over each box and used overhead struts to support the string winders. My tall telephone pole beans grew over the top. It was my biggest crop in Idaho, of tomatoes, green beans, peas and cucumbers ever. My growing season (5) is only half as long as yours so I will stay close by to continue getting the most out of my crops by following a leader in the garden world. Thank you🍅.

[Kate]

i decided to plant in buckets this year, thanks for some ideas. i saved the containers when i bought junipers, but will add buckets

[mikecarney]

Growing tomatoes this year to deal with military PTSD and having a lot of FUN. Thanks everybody for your tips. Your a great group of people with Positive conversation and it’s very UPLIFTING. Question please. Have any of you come across a famous Doctor, can’t recall his name ( I’ll call him the Gut Doctor ) who strongly feels that tomatoes are VERY BAD for us ??? I’d like to pass on to everyone of you my tomato TIP that is making mine BRIGHT, BRIGHT BEAUTIFUL RED. I’m singing JIMMY BUFFETT songs to my bucket garden with of course, many MARGARITAS to deal with the min 6 hours of HOT SUN in Austin, Texas. GO AIR FORCE !!!!

[amyk]

Another great video! I just started using Gypsum in my raised beds last year. No blossom end rot on any of my fruit 👍🏼

[heidimisfeldt]

For my garden I save all clean eggshells. When I have a lot, I crush them with the thing to mash up potatos, until they are really tiny pieces. Really small. I do it while watching gardening videos... eggshells contain 26 minerals and trace minerals, including much calcium. I love the fact that this is not one more expense.😍😎😄

[kathleenrickard]

Your videos are awesome! I’m a lifelong gardener but you have taught me so much! Makes me want to dump all my tomatoes and start over!

[jeanlaikan]

I use coco peat for water retention and crushed egg shell for calcium. I also recently used black board chalk for more immediate effect.

[cathybird]

Very informative, Thank you! I love your laid back doggy, too

[randydeshane]

I always put a dish that is made to go under pots to help retain a little water in case I am late for a watering. It also helps contain some of the nutrients that can be absorbed back into the Buckets. I put pea gravel in the tray to stop mosquitoes.

[stingrays]

Love Tomato Tuesday! I had a couple of tomato plants in pots last year that were showing signs of blossom end rot. I crushed up tums and sprinkled on top of the soil. No more end rot for the rest of the season.

[henrywilliams]

You better have a plan to anchor your plants if they grow at all in the buckets, because they will turn over with what little weight is in the bucket. I grow mine tomatoes in containers but I cut the bottoms out, I loosen the soil under the container and bury left over fish scraps under them. This attracts worms that help the tomatoes grow. Put Epson salts and crushed egg shells you have treated with vinegar. Also use a good tomatoes fertilizer. You better make sure you steak them on both sides. I use concrete wire cages that are six feet tall for them to grow on. The plants go all the way up and then all the way down and then some. I've had some that were about 14 ft long. We make salsa and give tomatoes to all the neighbor's and family . I grow them in my front yard flower beds and the neighbors brag on how good they grow. They call me mister tomatoes man. The varieties I grow are better boy hybrid and a beefsteak that I saved seeds out of that ibought at walmart, it was an heirloom and I've grown them for the past three years and them seem to get better every year. If you save seeds to start yourself make sure they are heirlooms and get your seeds the the prettiest tomatoes that you grow. Good luck.

[dreamweaver]

I'm using 19 gallon Ikea bags that are safe for food. The bags are 99 cents each. I'm wrapping the outsides of the bags in burlap to make them look nicer and protect them from the sun. Might even last 2 seasons while I'm building up my tote collection.