Container for Paste Tomatoes

[KarenO]

Originally Posted by AKmark

I have trialed many paste varieties in containers. They grow about like the other 1000 varieties we have trialed in containers. A five gallon container is big enough for any tomato variety. Again... A five gallon container is big enough for any tomato variety. We put two plants in a five gallon container, we grow for production too. Determinates do just fine too, that would be one plant per. Everything is put on continuous feed fertilizer. Organics do best for us in raised beds, etc
We can get up to 50 pounds from some varieties in super large containers, but I get 20-25 out of a five gallon. I hope this makes sense? I have tried up to 25 gallon containers, the waste of money is colossal., We do use five gallon for a reason, it is the best balance point between production and cost I have found.

Gardeners cannot easily replicate a professional fertigated greenhouse system.

[AKmark]

Originally Posted by KarenO

Gardeners cannot easily replicate a professional fertigated greenhouse system.

It's really easier than people think. Super easy, we really do teach hundreds a year how to mix in a bucket and simply pour it in the top, we have a large retail business, and we also farm. My parents do it in Texas, we also have property in Kentucky and show people there. Its actually common, not hard, very simple. Some use additional drips to alleviate watering issues, others just water when needed. There's a dozen ways. When I began selling certain products in my retail center, and showed people how to use them, the excitement far outstripped what we even expected. When farming, we count our pennies then dimes count themselves. If a person does not care about cost, then go for it, one can get trees in very large containers, multiple leads, lots of goodness.

[zeuspaul]

What fertilizer do you use for the 5 gallon containers?

Originally Posted by AKmark

It's really easier than people think. Super easy, we really do teach hundreds a year how to mix in a bucket and simply pour it in the top, we have a large retail business, and we also farm. My parents do it in Texas, we also have property in Kentucky and show people there. Its actually common, not hard, very simple. Some use additional drips to alleviate watering issues, others just water when needed. There's a dozen ways. When I began selling certain products in my retail center, and showed people how to use them, the excitement far outstripped what we even expected. When farming, we count our pennies then dimes count themselves. If a person does not care about cost, then go for it, one can get trees in very large containers, multiple leads, lots of goodness.

[AKmark]

Originally Posted by zeuspaul

What fertilizer do you use for the 5 gallon containers?

We have trialed a few, but we have not found an adequate one part, although some are close like Flora Nova grow, 7-4-10. We had best results if we supplemented 3-5 ml of Cal-Mag per gallon with it at full strength. Maxigrow-bloom is okay too, but still add Cal-Mag. These are easy to use, are complete fertilizer mixes in one bottle or container.

For production 4-18-38 is awesome, its our gold standard now. We use 8 oz per 100 gallons, then add 8 oz of CaNO3, as well as 5 ounces plus of MgSO4.
Masterblend has a cute little kit we sell where they add the Epsom Salt in with the fertilizer the Calcium Nitrate is separate. (Two parts). You follow the directions and mix one into a bucket then stir it up. Then you add the second part. then mix them up together. This is a complete mix that works well in a container. I tested a mix following the scoop directions in the kit, and it was a 2.2 EC. This is right inline with our numbers we get when we use injectors using the mix numbers above. We do add a touch more Epsom Salt for our area, Mg is central to the chlorophyll molecule and we have extremely long days. I do use this as continuous feed in a container, some use it in dirt once a week or so, and have great results growing different veggies.
Jacks has a good mix, Technigro, Grow more, all professional grade fertilizers.

There's so many ways. What we are seeing in the business is this, people have an interest in growing in small spaces/ urban gardening. It's gone crazy, the public, city included, wants to put away food. We go to large conventions a few times a year, the industry leaders are even set back at the scale the interest in gardening has increased.

One thing you will have to be careful about when growing paste tomatoes is some will get BER if your watering is off, but no worse than Early Girl hybrid for a comparison. I'll tell you another goodie, a well grown paste tomato like a San Marzano, and spins can be great flavor wise, Opalka is good, Jersey Devil is very good, some Roma spins are good, several I thought have excellent complex flavor.

Your vines will explode if you follow this, you should keep them pruned somewhat, even a determinate, or you had better have alot of water. Keep in mind, they will take up a space, a bigger container means a bigger plant, the sky is the limit, but economic threshold is something to keep in mind too.

Container growing in long seasons is not as easy as growing in grandma's garden. The first year one will learn alot, identification of nutrient deficiency as well as antagonism of elements causing deficiency. If you really want to produce, you will soon own a pile of pH meters, EC meters, etc, partly joking, but it interesting, and pretty easy to be accurate and dismiss guessing from your program. The directions are no fun.... lol

One last thing, if you follow a program like this DO NOT TAILOR YOUR MEDIA. Use something like Pro Mix HP, Coco, etc. I swear, 90 percent of mishaps I see on these programs start with the home spun twist. These products mixes are at the upper thresholds of elemental distribution. In other words you can get antagonisms when you add to a media.

[Shrinkrap]

Interesting. This is about my seventh year growing Dwarf Project Tomatoes in Earth Boxes. I'm learning so much about nutrition.