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| Photo Credit: Megan Bame |
| Place a garbage can or extra large container in full sun and fill it with potting mix. |
The tomato is the hottest summer fruit (or vegetable, as some people tend to call it). Many look forward to that burst of vine-ripened flavor that you just can’t get from the grocery store produce section any other season. Whether you’re a fan of the Southern summer mainstay – the tomato sandwich – or if you just desire the occasional delicious tomato for your salads or other meals, you might consider growing your own.
Jim Wilson, former host of “The Victory Garden” television series, once bragged about harvesting 60 pounds of tomatoes from plants grown in an extra large container he fashioned with a few simple supplies. With today’s food prices soaring, this small investment to get some veggies of your own started should pay off after only a couple weeks of harvest. Here’s all you need to do: 1. Place a clean 25- to 30-gallon container in full sun. (A whiskey barrel or unused, plastic garbage can works well.) If there are no drainage holes in the bottom of the container, drill some. | Add Photo to Journal |  | | Photo Credit: Megan Bame | | Drill holes in the bottom of your clean garbage can and elevate with bricks to provide proper drainage. |
2. Place bricks or wood blocks evenly under the container to facilitate drainage and prevent disease organisms in the soil from establishing and reaching the plant roots.
3. Fill the container to within 2 inches of its rim with “soilless” potting mix. While using garden soil will also work, soilless media (like a peat-based potting soil) will provide a sterile, pH-correct environment, avoiding many growing problems associated with “dirt.” Blend a complete controlled-release fertilizer (like 20-20-20) into the top 3 inches of the mix to feed the plants through late summer. | Add Photo to Journal |  | | Photo Credit: Megan Bame | | Transplant two healthy tomato plants into your can container. |
4. Plant two tomato seedlings (starter plants) in the container. In my North Carolina area, Better Boy is the most popular homegrown tomato variety, but you can choose whatever you’d prefer – maybe a pink or yellow variety, or consider a cherry tomato. Heirlooms, like Brandywine, Mortgage Lifter and Cherokee Purple, are becoming easier to find, with increased interest in these old-time favorites.
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| Warnings |
- Blossom end rot can be a common problem for beginner tomato growers. From the top, your tomato looks perfect, but the base has a nearly perfect black circle where the tomato has rotted and sunken in. Inconsistent watering and calcium deficiency are two causes of this physiological disorder. (It’s not a disease.) If you cut off the blackened end, the upper part of the tomato is still edible.
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| Facts |
- Growing tomatoes in a large bucket or garbage can is helpful for elderly, disabled or injured gardeners who find it difficult, uncomfortable or painful to bend down to harvest and care for their plants.
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| Tips |
- For maximum flavor, leave tomatoes on the vine until completely red (or yellow, pink or purple, depending on the variety grown). Tomatoes can be harvested early and allowed to ripen off the vine, but they won’t have the benefit of sugar accumulation, which occurs in the fruit that’s allowed to fully develop on the plant.
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| Faqs |
- Q: What causes my tomatoes to split near the top?
A: Inconsistent watering is the main culprit. Wet/dry cycles can contribute to many problems. The goal is to provide adequate moisture at all times. Mulching can help maintain moisture levels, especially during hot, dry periods.
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| Resources |
- We’d love to see how your “canned” tomatoes are growing. Post pictures and an update of your harvesting progress in our Learn2Grow forums.
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