choices, an early tomato

[wally mcgee]

I have decided to build a few earthtainers this winter and plant Kimberly, Glacier, Kotlas, and Beaverlodge Slicer in them. Do any of you use containers to get a jump start on the season. I am in zone 5b.
I don't want them to get leggy if I start them too early. Any advice for me?

Rob

[dfollett]

I did just that. I'm also in a zone 5b with a normal last freeze date (usual plant date) of the first week of June. I planted 7 Earthtainers with 14 different varieties - 4 the end of March and 3 in mid April. We've been eating fresh tomatoes since May 27. They are now coming faster than we can eat them. I normally don't have ripe tomatoes until late July. I posted a thread about it in the 'Growing in Containers' section. It is titled 'Earthtainer Greenhouse????' It is certainly something I'm going to do again next year. This is a link.

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=26514

[wally mcgee]

Originally Posted by dfollett

I did just that. I'm also in a zone 5b with a normal last freeze date (usual plant date) of the first week of June. I planted 7 Earthtainers with 14 different varieties - 4 the end of March and 3 in mid April. We've been eating fresh tomatoes since May 27. They are now coming faster than we can eat them. I normally don't have ripe tomatoes until late July. I posted a thread about it in the 'Growing in Containers' section. It is titled 'Earthtainer Greenhouse????' It is certainly something I'm going to do again next year. This is a link.

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=26514

Thank you for your response.

After reading through the other thread you pointed me to, I am very excited to give it a try with the Earthtainers. A good Iowa winter project Did you use the Inntainers because they are easier to move, (lighter, not as heavy)? My plan is to put them on our heated porch, and move them to our patio/deck on warmer days. Feasible?
I start all my tomatoes in soil blocks: 3/4" to 2" to 4-6" pots in my basement , and have good success; getting a little better at it each year anyway

Again, thank you for your input.

[dfollett]

I used the full-sized Earthtainers, not the smaller Inntainers. The pea-fence cage that fits the top of the Earthtainer wrapped in stretch-wrap makes for a perfect small greenhouse. I did put them on a small furniture dolly. I wanted the option to be able to move them easily. However. I never did anything but rotate them once so the thinner edge was facing the sun when the days started warming into the high 60's to keep them from getting too hot during the day.

If they could be easily moved from the patio to the porch, that would work - depends on how much work you want to do. Mine remained outside throughout. They were on the outside edge of my patio - often covered with snow. I did nothing but put the lids on and off the 'tainers and turn the heaters on and off.

The full-sized tomatoes are ripening now. When my DW tells friends and neighbors we are eating home-grown tomatoes, they find it hard to believe. We have several folks a week come by to see how we could possibly have home growns in June. We're loving it.