Taste of container-grown tomatoes? - Page 2

RT_Peasant · January 4, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tawnykay

If anyone would like to know how I compensate just ask.

Hi Tawnykay, I'll ask. How do you keep your containers from drying out?

My tomato line-up is now set for next year. I'm going to grow a dozen plants, 8 in containers and 4 in the ground. That's a big change from previous years. I was going to try double-potting my plants so the sides don't get as hot from the sun. Also, I'm going to try a heavier mulch layer than I've used in the past, and I picked up a bag of RTI Mykos, to see if that helps.

Ed of Somis · January 4, 2015

RT...sounds like an excellent plan! Light colored pots probably help with heat...and mulch is a good idea too. I think you will have a successful year.

zero244 · January 10, 2015

I grow all of my tomatoes in #10 black nursery pots and have great luck so far.
I add a couple of handfuls of Azomite to each container and some worm castings then fertilize as needed. I had several 1 pounders and a few in the 18 oz size.
Last summer I over planted and had way too many tomatoes. This year will be plating at least 30 percent fewer plants.

Father'sDaughter · January 10, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by zero244

Last summer I over planted and had way too many tomatoes. This year will be plating at least 30 percent fewer plants.

Yeah, that's what we all say at this time of year....😄

JamesL · January 10, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Father'sDaughter

Yeah, that's what we all say at this time of year....😄

Yes, what she said! Plant fewer tomatoes. That's good comedy!

Ed of Somis · January 10, 2015

My counselor has spoken to me about this, and between him and my anger management class...I am getting really mad!

AKmark · January 11, 2015

This year I will experiment quite a bit more with this. Last year I used cuttings from a plant and grew them in various size containers, the taste was very consistent across the board. This year I will use cuttings from a single plant and expand the experiment to different fertilizers, organic grown, outside in the garden, different temps, everything I can think of. It may be useful if I did a few different strains to see how each one reacts to alteration in care taking.

Dewayne mater · January 12, 2015

I used Raybo's earthtainers and soil gardens. To me the taste component grown in either is remarkably similar. Differences are containers are always earlier, often by 2 or more weeks. This is because the sun warms the container grow mediums much faster than the the soil. Containers plants are smaller and so is the fruit, both of which I attribute to smaller spaces for the roots to grow in. Productivity in containers tends to be higher. I suspect this is due to the fact that fertilizer is always present and boosted by occasional water tube liquid fertilizing.

Dewayne mater

RT_Peasant · September 4, 2015

Just a follow up to this thread from last winter. I wound up growing 10 plants in containers - 3 dwarfs, 3 cherries, and 4 indeterminates, plus 4 indeterminates in my raised bed garden, and 2 indeterminates in raised beds within a raised bed - more on that later. I couldn't be happier with the results. The flavor of the container grown tomatoes was fabulous. The doubly raised beds (I call them bunk beds) were good as well, and the garden grown tomatoes were big and bland. I may never grow another tomato in the garden.

Below are my containers. I used 15 gal nursery containers filled with 5-1-1 mix, fertilized with MG Shake-n-Feed, then with blue stuff later in the summer. I had to water pretty much every day through the heat of the summer.

The container-grown indeterminates were about half the size of the garden-grown. Typically 6-10 oz vs. 12-24 oz for the garden-grown. Productivity was much lower. Maybe 6-10 tomatoes per plant vs. 3-4 dozen. But the flavor was off the charts. Wow. The Cherokee Purple and Big Zac that I grew in containers were some of the best tasting tomatoes that I've had in years. The cherry tomatoes in the containers were tiny but tasted like candy. I really liked one of the dwarfs (Rosella Purple) and didn't care for the other two, but that's the subject for another post.

To further explore my idea that stressing the plants produces better tasting tomatoes, I planted a couple of indeterminates in 28" square raised beds, set on top of my raised beds. To me, that represents a compromise between a container-grown plant and an in-ground plant. The roots are still free to run, but the plants are definitely more stressed than if they weren't planted in a box. The plants got big and produced well and had great tasting fruit. Not quite as tasty as the 15 gal containers, but tasty enough, and much better tasting than their garden neighbors without the box, which I think grow in soil that's too rich.

Next year, I'm going to see what I can do to boost productivity in the containers. I'm going to experiment with watering twice a day to see if I can get more fruit to set, wrapping the pots in aluminum foil to keep the roots cooler, and perhaps fertilizing more than once a week.

Salaam · September 4, 2015

I grew for the first time in ground this year. Before it was all earthtainers. I think the in ground tomatoes taste better, all except the sweet million cherries. I have no idea why this exception.

KC.Sun · September 4, 2015

I've grown in ground and containers. To be more precise, I'm growing exclusively in containers now so I can control my growing environment and grow more organically.

In ground tomatoes, in my area I don't give me much of a yield.
My containers (earthboxes) are out of control productive.

RT, I've noticed my from experiments that watering too much dilutes the taste.
It also noticed how well a plant performs depends on the fertilizer used, including fruit set. I've also noticed that different fertilizers yield fruit that can be comparatively different in taste.

RT_Peasant · September 4, 2015

I'm always amazed at the variety of results that seemingly similar growing conditions produce. I suspect that the earthtainer's water reservoir is doing a much better job of watering the plants than my daily top watering from a hose. I've seen pictures of SWC plants with big, healthy leaves, tall plants, and tons of tomatoes, and they look nothing like my spindly plants with droopy, curled leaves, and undersized tomatoes. So maybe it does come down to how much water the plant is taking up?

Some of the best tasting tomatoes that I've ever tried came from small, undersized plants with very little watering and just a few small tomatoes on the vine. And more often than not, the worst tasting tomatoes came from the biggest, healthiest looking vines with dozens of tomatoes on the vine. But then there are always the exceptions - a Sungold 12' in diameter with hundreds of tomatoes that were fantastic, or a giant Cherokee Purple plant with dozens of tomatoes up to 25 oz that were just delicious. If it were simple, would so many of us find gardening to be as fascinating as it is?

SharonRossy · September 5, 2015

I grow almost entirely in smart pots, 15&20 gallons. I use pro mix with added ferts and lime and Epsom salts. Watering is always a challenge but my plants are over 7ft, some even taller, and depending on the variety, production is usually very good, especially cherry tomatoes. I have about five in ground and three have done really well, the other two not so much. BER is more of a factor with container plants especially if you manually water. But flavor has always been great, and I agree, a little stress at this time of year intensifies the taste. Ii think it's really important to get the container mix well supplied with slow release fertilizers and then once they start to flower and forming fruit give them weekly doses of a good water soluble fert with micronutrients, increasing the ratio as the plant grows. Far less issues with pathogens.
Sharon.

Ricky Shaw · September 5, 2015

Sharon,

I'm moving to container and the 15 and 20 gallon smarts is my plan too. I believe the larger sizes will buffer heat and dehydration better.

This winter I'm taking out several raised beds and have some ideas for 6in high racks to get air circulation underneath. I'm hoping to find a method to clip panels to give shade the pots, but not the plants, in the hottest periods.

Gerardo · September 5, 2015

In ground has been tough for me, very old trees on the property inevitably get into any area I prep.

After a few tries I was able to isolate a small area from root invasions and amended it with tobacco/sheep/chicken/steer manure. I also increased the volume by raising it with some cinder blocks. Mulched it heavily. The watermelons were outstanding. The tomatoes not so much. Disease pressures were more pronounced. And no, no TMV--the tobacco/sheep manure mix is supposedly pasteurized.

From my experience, container inputs can be carefully monitored and somewhat controlled. Ground not so much. Mobility is also nice. Containers are easier on my back too.

Mountain Magic grown in a 25 gallon rootpot is still producing after 5 months and relatively healthy. Each truss with 3-5 very tasty orbs. In-ground sister plant is now dead, succumbed to multiple heat waves. When they were producing side-by-side the container-born ones won. Similar result with Cosmonaut Volkov.

Gonna stick to corn and watermelons in-ground, and everything else in containers.

January 4, 2015	#17
Ed of Somis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Somis, Ca Posts: 649	RT...sounds like an excellent plan! Light colored pots probably help with heat...and mulch is a good idea too. I think you will have a successful year.

January 10, 2015	#18
zero244 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Oregon Posts: 47	I grow all of my tomatoes in #10 black nursery pots and have great luck so far. I add a couple of handfuls of Azomite to each container and some worm castings then fertilize as needed. I had several 1 pounders and a few in the 18 oz size. Last summer I over planted and had way too many tomatoes. This year will be plating at least 30 percent fewer plants.

January 11, 2015	#22
AKmark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Wasilla Alaska Posts: 2,010	This year I will experiment quite a bit more with this. Last year I used cuttings from a plant and grew them in various size containers, the taste was very consistent across the board. This year I will use cuttings from a single plant and expand the experiment to different fertilizers, organic grown, outside in the garden, different temps, everything I can think of. It may be useful if I did a few different strains to see how each one reacts to alteration in care taking.

January 12, 2015	#23
Dewayne mater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 1,212	I used Raybo's earthtainers and soil gardens. To me the taste component grown in either is remarkably similar. Differences are containers are always earlier, often by 2 or more weeks. This is because the sun warms the container grow mediums much faster than the the soil. Containers plants are smaller and so is the fruit, both of which I attribute to smaller spaces for the roots to grow in. Productivity in containers tends to be higher. I suspect this is due to the fact that fertilizer is always present and boosted by occasional water tube liquid fertilizing. Dewayne mater

September 4, 2015	#25
Salaam Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Ottawa, ON Posts: 128	I grew for the first time in ground this year. Before it was all earthtainers. I think the in ground tomatoes taste better, all except the sweet million cherries. I have no idea why this exception.

September 4, 2015	#26
KC.Sun Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: 6a Posts: 322	I've grown in ground and containers. To be more precise, I'm growing exclusively in containers now so I can control my growing environment and grow more organically. In ground tomatoes, in my area I don't give me much of a yield. My containers (earthboxes) are out of control productive. RT, I've noticed my from experiments that watering too much dilutes the taste. It also noticed how well a plant performs depends on the fertilizer used, including fruit set. I've also noticed that different fertilizers yield fruit that can be comparatively different in taste.

September 4, 2015	#27
RT_Peasant Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Colorado Posts: 24	I'm always amazed at the variety of results that seemingly similar growing conditions produce. I suspect that the earthtainer's water reservoir is doing a much better job of watering the plants than my daily top watering from a hose. I've seen pictures of SWC plants with big, healthy leaves, tall plants, and tons of tomatoes, and they look nothing like my spindly plants with droopy, curled leaves, and undersized tomatoes. So maybe it does come down to how much water the plant is taking up? Some of the best tasting tomatoes that I've ever tried came from small, undersized plants with very little watering and just a few small tomatoes on the vine. And more often than not, the worst tasting tomatoes came from the biggest, healthiest looking vines with dozens of tomatoes on the vine. But then there are always the exceptions - a Sungold 12' in diameter with hundreds of tomatoes that were fantastic, or a giant Cherokee Purple plant with dozens of tomatoes up to 25 oz that were just delicious. If it were simple, would so many of us find gardening to be as fascinating as it is?

September 5, 2015	#28
SharonRossy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Montreal Posts: 1,140	I grow almost entirely in smart pots, 15&20 gallons. I use pro mix with added ferts and lime and Epsom salts. Watering is always a challenge but my plants are over 7ft, some even taller, and depending on the variety, production is usually very good, especially cherry tomatoes. I have about five in ground and three have done really well, the other two not so much. BER is more of a factor with container plants especially if you manually water. But flavor has always been great, and I agree, a little stress at this time of year intensifies the taste. Ii think it's really important to get the container mix well supplied with slow release fertilizers and then once they start to flower and forming fruit give them weekly doses of a good water soluble fert with micronutrients, increasing the ratio as the plant grows. Far less issues with pathogens. Sharon.

September 5, 2015	#29
Ricky Shaw Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Zone 6a Denver North Metro Posts: 1,910	Sharon, I'm moving to container and the 15 and 20 gallon smarts is my plan too. I believe the larger sizes will buffer heat and dehydration better. This winter I'm taking out several raised beds and have some ideas for 6in high racks to get air circulation underneath. I'm hoping to find a method to clip panels to give shade the pots, but not the plants, in the hottest periods.

September 5, 2015	#30
Gerardo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: San Diego-Tijuana Posts: 2,594	In ground has been tough for me, very old trees on the property inevitably get into any area I prep. After a few tries I was able to isolate a small area from root invasions and amended it with tobacco/sheep/chicken/steer manure. I also increased the volume by raising it with some cinder blocks. Mulched it heavily. The watermelons were outstanding. The tomatoes not so much. Disease pressures were more pronounced. And no, no TMV--the tobacco/sheep manure mix is supposedly pasteurized. From my experience, container inputs can be carefully monitored and somewhat controlled. Ground not so much. Mobility is also nice. Containers are easier on my back too. Mountain Magic grown in a 25 gallon rootpot is still producing after 5 months and relatively healthy. Each truss with 3-5 very tasty orbs. In-ground sister plant is now dead, succumbed to multiple heat waves. When they were producing side-by-side the container-born ones won. Similar result with Cosmonaut Volkov. Gonna stick to corn and watermelons in-ground, and everything else in containers.