Tomatoes In Containers - The Complete Guide

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Planting tomatoes is about as fun as it gets. But if you're new to the gardening game or maybe you've tried before in the past without much success, beyond this channel I also offer a 12-chapter, self-paced online course designed to take you from beginner to expert! The first batch of enrollments is live and ready to sign up!: courses.theripetomatofarms.ca/courses/vegetable-gardening-basics

[@nbeizaie]

Great video as usual. As for starting seeds indoors 4 weeks before planting them out, yours look like they have been in the pots for a long time? They look too big for a 4 week plant (from seed).

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

@@nbeizaie yup, these ones were overgrown on purpose for two reasons.... To show worst case scenario for planting and to show live adventitious roots. :-)

[@nbeizaie]

​@@TheRipeTomatoFarms yeah, makes sense. If they still can give you a big harvest with that size of transplant, then that is good news as not everybody has a greenhouse and a lot of the seedling behind the window seal come to be something similar to the ones you showed :)

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

@@nbeizaie Definitely. Because tomatoes (and peppers) are planted deep, I have no problem creating overgrown starters....it gives them that much more of a head start. Other plants though, not so advantagious.....

[@nbeizaie]

@@TheRipeTomatoFarms That is great! I will give it a try next year :)

[@SweetLdyK]

This a very thorough video. Not only is the content good, you provide step by step instructions & “ summarize “ at the end. Thank you very much. 👍

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

@@SweetLdyK hey thanks, glad you liked it! :-)

[@brandywvstrong9673]

Going to be planting this evening. Have 3 new metal raised beds to go with my grow bags. Can’t wait for some fresh tomatoes 🍅 🥰🍅

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Right on Brandy!! What varieties are on deck for this year?

[@brandywvstrong9673]

@@TheRipeTomatoFarms going to have hillbilly tomatoes, Roma, cherry, betterboy and the cute little Tiny Tim. Maybe brads atomic grape.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

@@brandywvstrong9673 Epic, can't wait to hear about the harvests!!

[@lalocatweety78]

Thank you for your video. I have tried to grow tomatoes before with no success. I decided to try again and look for videos for tips. Your video gave great information and detail. I also learned something new, the additional root system along the stem. In fact, I see it now looking at my plant under a large branch close to the base.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

@@lalocatweety78 happy to help, best of luck!

[@pocobuen]

thanks man, especially regarding the feeding regime prior to harvest - using it this year; will let you know how it goes

[@arubaguy2733]

I have grown tomatoes and peppers in fabric bags for many years. For "soil", I've found a mix of 1/3 coconut fiber, 1/3 composted manure, and 1/3 good quality bagged potting mix, with a top-dressing of 1" of composted fish waste and bat guano from a bag. I mulch each plant with 1-2" of pine shavings. This setup allows me to grow ANY tomatoes in 5 gallon bags, and peppers in 1 gallon bags with phenomenal success. It's not the quantity of "soil", it's the quality that counts. I start all my plants from seed and exclusively feed them with 1tsp honey, 1tsp active dry yeast, and 1 cup of whole milk diluted in 1 quart of water until they plants blossom, then switch to a composted manure "tea" throughout their lives. I reuse the same soil year after year with only fresh compost added every year to rejuvenate. This works great in Central Lower Michigan. One more thing - dig a hole in the soil and plant the seedlings much deeper than they were in the starting cups. I recommend TWICE as deep. Remove the bottom stems and leaves and cover those stalks. The "hairs will grow into roots and the plants will thrive.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Nice work! Keep it going!

[@arubaguy2733]

@@TheRipeTomatoFarms Thank you. I consider that quite a complement coming from you. I going to your channels to subscribe now.

[@Maggie-eq4cd]

Thank you once again Jeff. I so enjoy your videos. This information is so helpful as I only use fabric containers same as the type you show here. Your expertise is great. Fingers crossed we get some fruit. It's rained so much thus season, but the up side is the rain water. The video you did on rain water was excellent. Take care Maggie UK

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Thanks so much Maggie. I hope we get some of that warm weather eventually....its been sub 15C here all spring. Feels like February honestly!

[@jamesrhoades2224]

Well done!! Really well done-best basic tutorial on tomatoes in containers that I seen

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Thanks James, appreciate that! 🙂

[@janicepottie802]

Thanks for another great video! Greetings from Cape Breton!

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Thanks Janice, coast to coast! 🙂

[@ladybug9274]

Excellent video! You are appreciated.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Thanks so much, right back at you! 🙂

[@kenpernak9944]

Love to hear all your garden lessons. My excitement this year is if my green peppers seeds will harvest here in N.C.. planted in mid April replanted in May. Thankyou for all you do.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Right on! Love green peppers.... I don't care what anyone says, they rule on pizzas! You growing bells?

[@sandyhayden-bristow1382]

Awesome video and tons of good information as always! ❤ A trick I use with my fabric grow bags is to make a continuous plastic sheeting 'pan' to catch all the rainwater and those nutrients that were washing out. This allows the soil to grab all the moisture it wants and reduces the amount of fertilizing needed. This way my plants have continual access to any moisture they need. You do have to be careful with big rain storms and clear out excessive water. I like to keep it at the one inch mark after heavy storms. If I do need to water, I simply pour the water into the 'pan' which avoids getting the foliage damp and risking molds and mildews.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Once again Sandy, that's brilliant.....much more feasible for a large number of pots too!

[@sandyhayden-bristow1382]

@@TheRipeTomatoFarms Awww, thank you. Thought it might be helpful to those who cannot physically move the bags once they're filled. Getting older means getting creative. lol

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

@@sandyhayden-bristow1382 it's great point.... Even for those 10 gallon bags... They get HEAVY!

[@christinebrooks6364]

Hi Jeff, another great video with plenty of hints,& tips,growing the best tomatoes. Thanks for sharing and take care 😊

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Thanks Christine, hope all is well in your world! 🙂

[@amybrown9360]

This video was very helpful! My first time growing tomatoes (3 are potted), and all this information is perfect. Thank you!

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Awesome to hear, best of luck with all your veg!

[@jackijax505]

Great tips!! Thank you!! 🤜🏻🤛🏻💕

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Cheers Jack, thanks so much for watching! 🙂

[@jimgadd1900]

Thank you for this video. It was to the point without a bunch of unnecessary commentary fluff. Great job.

[@ashleybreckheimer1387]

You're the best teacher ever !!

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Thanks Ashley, kind of you to say! 🙂

[@ashleybreckheimer1387]

@TheRipeTomatoFarms I say it because it's true ! If it wasn't for you , I'd be messing up all over this land 🤣 You teach it well, and you know exactly what you're talking about ! 💅

[@suzannehaag4899]

Great, informative video🍅I really appreciate the guidance with fertilizer! So many opinions it gets confusing:) Thank you.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Thanks Suzanne! Its tricky with containers and tomatoes because they are so vigorous and hungry. I always err on the side of less is more though. :-)

[@harryhoudini7058]

I enjoy your channel immensely, I started cherry tomatoes in containers for the first time with aide of various tomato video's on your channel. The only comment I would like to make, is that this concise video for planting container tomatoes would have been super helpful a month earlier.

[@SazzadAli-u1g]

I'm growing sun sugar and super sweet 100s in 10 gallon containers. They're getting like 8 hours of direct sunlight per day and I love imagining the roots in the container becoming more and more vigorous. I'm going to feed them tomorrow with fish fertilizer. People say it stinks. But I think the smell is awesome. That's the kind of smell that guarantees good results. Great vid.

[@northerngirlhobbies]

I started 17 different varieties from seed. I can’t wait for harvest time to begin.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

That's amazing! What variety are you most excited about?

[@northerngirlhobbies]

@@TheRipeTomatoFarms honestly, all of the new varieties that I received from the seed swap with other content creators and subscribers, and always the mortgage lifter which is incredible!

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

@@northerngirlhobbies So awesome! Love the seed sharing!!

[@northerngirlhobbies]

@@TheRipeTomatoFarms totally! Get it on it for sure. I’ll try to have a video up for tomorrow about starting everything I started from seed. Gardening is full-time right now and I’ll be happy when everything is in its place. Hope you had a good Father’s Day.

[@Darrellbythelake]

Thanks for the container size recommendations!! I see some people saying 20 gallon grow bags are the way to go but that's a lot of soil. Ended up getting the 10 gallon bags and figured that would be plenty, even for indeterminates...👍

[@davidthedeaf]

For some reason, on my patio a big Rubbermaid storage container I drilled holes in and made compost in from garden scraps that kills plants makes indeterminate grape tomatoes thrive. A tomato plant grown in that huge container grows much faster and taller than those grown in smaller, more expensive self watering containers. My current Sungold tomato plant I bought at a nursery as a very small plant in May, and now I have topped it at over 7 feet tall. I secure its main stem with a gentle rubber ball tie meant for hanging Christmas lights! It is super easy to adjust as more stems need secured too, or moving it as the plant grows. I just use 3. I use a green sturdy pole I bought at the store meant for this purpose, and was inexpensive and reusable for many years, which is about 8 feet tall. My only issue: Getting the tomatoes to ripen quickly. It is July 22, and the Sungold is still growing the tomatoes and sizing them up, but not ripe yet. The currant tomato in a smaller planter is growing well, but has no tomatoes yet at all. 😢

[@stephenhope7319]

Soil, the single biggest reason why I grow in above ground planters. My soil is clay, 2 feet thick. Lawn does ok, some trees but not much else. I have been at this house 24 years and have a compost bin and grow organically. Today ( 102F ) I picked 3 pounds of tomatoes from 12 plants. this is a standard yield for me every 2 days in summer. Thanks for the video.

[@taramoon4822]

Thanks so much. Very informative. I tried my had at gardening for the first time and planted tomatoes in a small pot and it been a disaster. It barely growing after weeks and it has black spots and leaves curling inwards. I plan on repotting it to a larger container. Applied a copper solution. Hope it works!

[@Mechanicturfgear]

I built a small green house and trying squash and tomatoes and peppers In 38 L bags . It’s only late June and they’re doing great so far . 4-5 feet tall . I used a bag garden soil mix cow manure compost bone meal . I also used string runners to for them to climb on .

[@mamabearthrives7815]

Thank you Jeffe! 😘💓🍅🍅 i appreciate your guidance so much 💋 💋

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Her thanks mama! And thanks for watching!!

[@melindaroth5796]

Always excellent Teaching here Jeff. Thank you Brother 😊❤

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Thanks so much Melinda, too kind!

[@rjjrrailsgscalesolenske5231]

Excellent video, well laid out

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

@@rjjrrailsgscalesolenske5231 Thanks, and thanks for watching!

[@jimmcdowell9017]

Jeff, I’m 6 hours and 2500 viewers behind,but still watching(and learning). I’ll do better.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Thanks so much Jim, hope you had an awesome weekend! 🙂

[@charleshoward1591]

Excellent tutorial

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Thanks Charles, appreciate you saying that man.

[@magafam4847]

I get super loam 50/50 organic ND loam always worked great in maine almost 6 feet

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Perfect!! Stay with what works until it doesn't! :-)

[@magafam4847]

With everything in life

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

@@magafam4847 true dat!

[@yoshi04cgn]

Good video. I'm currently over run by cherry tomatoes about over 30 plants with tons of clones. They love to be deep in the pot. Zone 7 here I started indoors in February

[@dreamtoreality7919]

Learned a lot

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

@@dreamtoreality7919 thanks, hope it helps!

[@markwesley9346]

A great video thanks. Could you explain the quantities of coconut fibre and compost needed per container please?

[@Tamsins_Potager]

Another great video 😊🍅❤

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Thanks! 🙂

[@AnnaCentauri]

it rained for 2 months and all my garlic dies. carrots made it. tomato survived. pigs got my corn. potato's turned into a 10ft vine. all in all, decent. Thanks for the vids mate. But yeah the garlic I was sad to see go

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Acckkk, sorry about the garlic Anna. We've been super cold all spring, but without all the rain.

[@jenkitching43]

Thank you for the information. 👌🍅

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Cheers Jen, thanks so much for watching! :-)

[@Offgridlee444]

Great video, thank you!

[@Moon..Shadow]

By the time our nighttime temps are over 50F, its already 80F+ day temps headed to over 100s. I do use shade cloth.. Along with that, I fight late blight. Any suggestions of working around the temperatures?

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

If going containers, outside during the day, then protected at night maybe? Its a tough one, those 24-hour swings can be large.

[@D4ni3773]

Great video!

[@user-xb7sj2uk4u]

I sow my tomatoes indoors and gradually pot them on into larger pots until they're big enough for their final pots. In my case spare cut flower buckets from my local store. I just drill plenty of holes into them and they are good for planting. As for feeding, i never did this until the first flower stalk appeared and has set. Maybe I should change that to your recommendation. I usually only use Tomorite liquid fertiliser. Is Seeweed fertiliser good before changing to Tomorite?

[@chantalcote7867]

Thanks for the info! I'm assuming you're in the do-not-prune camp since you didn't mention pruning? I keep hearing conflicting things about pruning indeterminates 😮

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Hey Chantal, I'm on the fence. I do prune both indeterminates AND determinates for spacing and airflow to ward of pests and disease...but as for training leaders and pruning for yield, I am still experimenting.

[@fyrehawkSix]

I noticed that in your greenhouse that the tomato plants have nice open green leaves and look very healthy. I also saw that one or more of the plants outside it full sun have skinny curled leaves and do not look as healthy. I have read that a tomato plant will adjust the amount of UV light it needs for proper photosynthesis by curling it's leaves so my question is: Will a plant inside a greenhouse with huge outspread leaves and a plant in full sun all day with curled leaves produce the same quality and/or quantity of tomato?

[@RA-rf4nz]

Thanks for the information packed videos. Where do you source your straw mulch in those large bulk bags? Internet or local? Brand? Thanks again.

[@deecooper1567]

Do you wire to trellis your indeterminate ones? I just planted part of my seedlings yesterday & today 🍅🍅👵🏻👩‍🌾❣️

[@blblawhoo4338]

can i take the main stems off also toward the lower level? i mean in know to take suckers out but my plant is growing crazy, i wander if i remove some of the stem that goes horizontal it would help the other tomatoes get red faster. thanks

[@weedwacker1716]

A few years ago my neighbor did something to ruin all of his garden crops. Everything he planted came out bitter like poison. I mean you could take one bite of a cucumber or bell paper and have to spit it out because it puckered your mouth. He never admitted to doing anything and I have no idea what could cause this. Do you know what could do this?

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

I wonder if it was some excess of nutrients or something? That is very strange. Gotta be something the plants uptook from the soil.

[@bobthorn7879]

Wondering,.. what's a decent temp for the greenhouses? I'm struggling to keep mine below 95° 😭 It's a 10x16 shade clothed 40% with 3 big swivels and an 8" inline ...hot summer..

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

100F seems to be the cut-off for proper ripening. 95F and red tomatoes may ripen orange instead, but with no ill effects. When summers get that hot, usually greenhouses aren't the best solutions. Wetting the floors down and running big fans can take the edge off extreme heat though.

[@bobthorn7879]

2 ft and no suckers or flowers! Will they throw them out when I correct the environment? I have a 70% shade cloth ordered!

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

@@bobthorn7879 Yes, 100% they can recover. They are perennial plants....they'll keep going. Its just with the extreme heat they go into survival mode...

[@elizabethbosch6352]

Where I live it will get to 100 F pretty soon. Do you recommend to cover the tomato plants all day or only when it gets to 90+ F and uncover in the evening? Also is 70% shade cloth okay or needs to be 50% or less. Thanks!

[@tassiegirl1991]

Invaluable for me Jeff. I was going to use a new raised bed this year, but they take room and wont get many in it. So i will re try using grow bags but spread them around my small garden and maybe my courtyard, with your advice on board. As before thank you.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

That's how it started for me tassiegirl. Didn't want to burn bed space so I branched out to pots and then grow bags. Never looked back. Best of luck! 🙂

[@tassiegirl1991]

@@TheRipeTomatoFarms thank you

[@Marshland24]

Thankyou

[@dmick9168]

pots and containers for tomatoes are potential for problems. The main issue is watering. Tomatoes need a constant water source. If your container dries out - your going to be in trouble. When the plant dries out the fruit cannot access calcium- resulting in end blossom rot. The only way to avoid this is to choose a variety that grows small fruit - or specific type such tiny tim- using a fabric grow bag - sitting in a tray of water. The grow bag has plenty of opportunity for the plant to breathe and the tray acts as a reservoir. If you do this with a normal pot - not a fabric- the plant will be drowning in water.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Yup, you gotta be careful with them. All varieties are on tap though. Brandywine and Starfire were my main container producers last year! 🙂

[@deathnote4242b]

Could i swap the coco fiber for peat moss or would it thow off the ph to much?

[@RicardoGonzalez-yz1vp]

I have four tomatoes plants in my screened in patio, there 6 foot tall, some yellow buds and no tomatoes, in 8 gallon pots, watering daily, fertilizer every 3 weeks, have a artificial grow light on them, what am I doing wrong ?

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

@@RicardoGonzalez-yz1vp don't water daily. It's too much unless they absolutely need it from a heat wave.

[@RicardoGonzalez-yz1vp]

@@TheRipeTomatoFarms its normal to be 92-95 degrees here in south Florida in the day and 80-85 at night, humidity 73-90%

[@RicardoGonzalez-yz1vp]

@@TheRipeTomatoFarms 🙏 thanks

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

@@RicardoGonzalez-yz1vp indoors can be tough... Things often seem to move slower

[@RicardoGonzalez-yz1vp]

@@TheRipeTomatoFarms these tomato plants are bought from QVC, Roberta’s tomato plants, supposedly there beef tomatoes and regular tomato plants, first time try, first order showed up dead/dying, 2 nd order is growing now….

[@renatominellifigueirs2292]

Great video. But, for me, is missing the amount of fertilizer.

[@southernyankeeprepper]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HELP! MY BEEFSTEAKS I BELIEVE HAVE EITHER PSEUDOMANAS CORRUGATA OR PITH NECROSIS! ..I've lost 5 out of 8 so far! Black rot spots, and when I prune the dead branches the stems are completely hollowed out! Need help how to combat this! It's the only bed having this issue ,my cherry tomatoes are healthy in a different bed. Soil is all same throughout the garden... please make a video on this !

[@bobbyshmurdda470]

Hopefully he responds cause I need to know a solution too.

[@southernyankeeprepper]

@@bobbyshmurdda470 yeah as of now all my beefsteaks are rotten out. I plan on finishing out the season with a fast growing disease resistant determinate tomato. Hopefully I'll get some by fall

[@cindyfrench3451]

You are overwatering them

[@robbiesnipe]

Had a very hard time starting from seed. Plant deformed and roots were small

[@neva-surrender]

The deer ate all my tomatoe plants this year, I gave up on them lol

[@RTMgi9]

How tf did your tomato grow so tall in that small pot??? Do you water regularly?

[@KayMaria40]

Ugh! Good content yet the cadence is laborious.

[@meenakshimuralidhar6498]

❤ Great ideas Brother, God Bless President Trump, You & Your Families 🙏🏽🎈🙏🏽

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

@@meenakshimuralidhar6498 thanks for watching!

[@annettemartensson4523]

Thanks à lot, have you tried to leave the cuts in the top with high tomatoes…. I have heard that is more for commercial growers… while if you just have a couple of plants you can let them be bushier and get more tomatoes.. The small bushy ones I tried to different this year veranda red and Wilma, and found out that Wilma is god when your space is small. Planted in December I eat tomatoes sins may… appreciate your channel a lot👩‍🌾🐝🪴

[@Sunbeammicrogreens]

Great info!

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Thanks, glad you liked it! :-)