Tomatoes in buckets

[Zeroturn]

About 3 years ago we started to plant tomatoes in 10 gallon buckets. They take up so much room in the garden and it just worked better. There was little weeding and the bugs kept off the tomatoes. We tied them to the back side of the deck (so no one could see it). Ever tried this?

 

[KennyV]

Have grown tomatoes in containers before BUT I've not ever seen a 10 gallon bucket...
Where did you come across that odd size? KennyV

 

[Zeroturn]

I don't know why we tried it. Just knew you had to have a lot of room for the roots to grow in. We don't put them in the ground at all, the roots just stay right in the bucket.

 

[KennyV]

Where did you find a 10 gallon bucket... I can think of several uses for that size, but like I said, I've never seen a 10 gallon bucket... I have seen a 10 gallon hat. KennyV

 

[BKBrown]

Dad planted the whole garden through heavy black plastic - It kept moisture in and weeds out + bugs didn't like to crawl on hot black plastic - we planted tall sunflowers with the tomatos and used the sunflower stalks for tomato stakes.

Not buckets, but it worked.

 

[Zeroturn]

OK- maybe it's not a 10 gallon bucket... I'll ask my hubby when he gets home... We have several buckets and I swear he said they were 10 gallon. I might be a bit blonde at the moment though.

My parents also use the black plastic. They say it keeps the weeds down. I think it attracts snakes.

 

[yankeejim]

I'll bet they're 5 gallon buckets. ::smile:

YJ

 

[KennyV]

Bummer... I was thinking someone had came up with a 10 gallon bucket... I can get 5 and 6 gallon all the time. KennyV

 

[harleyron74]

I plant tomatoes,cukes,peppers,onions and other salad crops in old tires. I have heavy clay soil here and nothing grows well so I had a lot of 16" and up to semi tractor tires. I cut out one sidewall(used for the top ring) and stacked them 3 high and filled them with A combination of compost and cheap potting soil. Works great. Easy on the back and putting grass clippings in as mulch smothers the weeds.You can plant potatoes in the same manner. one tire to one plant and as the plant grows put on another tire and fill with compost/potting soil mix. Cut holes in the tread around the tires (3 or 4) and you can reach in to harvest new potatoes. You can go up to 3 tires high. In the fall knock down the tires and shake out the soil and the potatoes harvest themselves. Sure beats digging!. All the dirt goes into the compost bin for the next year. The tires ,being black, really heat up in the spring fast which helps get the plants off to an early start.

Good Luck!
H.R.