Reusing my recycling bin

happychick · September 3, 2007

The last owners of this house left 5 recycle bins in the garage. Occasionally we forget to put our stuff out on recycle day, but we never need 5 bins.

So I was thinking of using one to grow a tomato in. I have a volunteer that sprung up in a pot with a banana pepper plant and I'm pretty excited, because I think it might be a Cherokee Purple. All my seedlings died while I was out of town and DH was supposed to be babysitting, so I didn't have time to start new ones and had to go with grocery store Bonnie plants, which is why I'm excited that this might be a CP. I only think it is because the stem is a purplish color and of the seedlings I started, it's the only variety that had a purplish stem (for me). I want to put this plant in a pot instead of the ground, because it's still tiny since it started so late and I'm afraid I'll need to bring it in at some point to allow the tomatoes to ripen after it gets cold. (I have a very, very sunny room that should do just for making sure the fruits get ripe, I think.)

So anyway, I'm wondering if my recycle bin will be big enough for it. It's 22.5" long X 14" wide X 14.5" deep, so if my math is correct (which it very well might not be) it should hold around 19.77 gallons. And it already has drainage holes in the bottom, lol. I was figuring it might be big enough, as long as I prune it to just a couple main stems. Am I right?

Rena · September 3, 2007

I normally plant one or 2 in a 11 gallon so you will be good!

happychick · September 3, 2007

Do you prune them heavily?

Rena · September 3, 2007

I never prune. I slip a big cage over. I know some like to prune but alas I am in the nonpruner group.

Show us pics!

happychick · September 4, 2007

Well, I prefer not to prune. I have a toddler. I don't have time to be pinching perfectly healthy stems off all my tomato plants.

I just figured I might have to, in order to keep it manageable for the container and to get some fruit set before it gets too cold, since the seedling just sprouted about two weeks ago. Guess I'll have to go ask how much more quickly you really get fruit if you prune. Thanks for your help!

September 3, 2007	#1
happychick Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Southeast Texas Posts: 37	Reusing my recycling bin The last owners of this house left 5 recycle bins in the garage. Occasionally we forget to put our stuff out on recycle day, but we never need 5 bins. So I was thinking of using one to grow a tomato in. I have a volunteer that sprung up in a pot with a banana pepper plant and I'm pretty excited, because I think it might be a Cherokee Purple. All my seedlings died while I was out of town and DH was supposed to be babysitting, so I didn't have time to start new ones and had to go with grocery store Bonnie plants, which is why I'm excited that this might be a CP. I only think it is because the stem is a purplish color and of the seedlings I started, it's the only variety that had a purplish stem (for me). I want to put this plant in a pot instead of the ground, because it's still tiny since it started so late and I'm afraid I'll need to bring it in at some point to allow the tomatoes to ripen after it gets cold. (I have a very, very sunny room that should do just for making sure the fruits get ripe, I think.) So anyway, I'm wondering if my recycle bin will be big enough for it. It's 22.5" long X 14" wide X 14.5" deep, so if my math is correct (which it very well might not be) it should hold around 19.77 gallons. And it already has drainage holes in the bottom, lol. I was figuring it might be big enough, as long as I prune it to just a couple main stems. Am I right?

September 3, 2007	#2
Rena Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Warm Springs, GA Posts: 1,421	I normally plant one or 2 in a 11 gallon so you will be good!

September 4, 2007	#5
happychick Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Southeast Texas Posts: 37	Well, I prefer not to prune. I have a toddler. I don't have time to be pinching perfectly healthy stems off all my tomato plants. I just figured I might have to, in order to keep it manageable for the container and to get some fruit set before it gets too cold, since the seedling just sprouted about two weeks ago. Guess I'll have to go ask how much more quickly you really get fruit if you prune. Thanks for your help!