Quasit

There's no denying it: the two pots I bought for the additional tomato plants aren't big enough. They were expensive, but even so they're too small.

But a smart friend suggested that two five-gallon •buckets• would be much more suitable, and Lowe's has them cheap. I'll have to make some holes in the bottom, but that's no problem.

I'm just worried that the repotting will be messy. But I'll deal with that.

#Garden #Gardening #Repotting #Tomatoes #Pots

Jun 29 at 9:06pmWeb
Show threadAlistair K1d ago
A soldering iron makes nice smooth holes, if you'd like to avoid cleaning up the swarf from a drill bit.
Show threadGary "grim" Kramlich1d ago
@Quasit The buckets will be good for a few seasons but the UV from the sun will make them brittle over a number of years. Basically once they start fading you'll want to start thinking about replacing them.
Show threadQuasit1d ago

@grimmy
No problem! I plan to get a second raised bed next year, assuming that things work out well this year.

...and assuming I'm not evicted or priced out of living in the USA altogether. Renters are the modern sharecroppers!

Show threadOld Hippie Ⓥ Resistance!1d ago
@Quasit I've been using grow bags in my greenhouse with great success. They come in many sizes and help to air prune the roots.
Show threadQuasit1d ago
@old_hippie
Thanks, I'll check them out!
Show threadDavid Megginson1d ago
@Quasit Yes, I learned that the hard way too over the years. Even a giant 14" diameter terracotta pot grows small, stunted tomato plants with only a few fruit, while the same seedling in the ground will top 2 metres and produce dozens of tomatoes (hundreds if indeterminate).
Show threadQuasit1d ago
@david_megginson
Unfortunately my soil is the epitome of hard, stony, New England ground. I'm hoping that once the tomatoes in the raised bed get through the soil I put in the bed and reach the original ground, the roots will be able to penetrate.
Show threadDavid Megginson1d ago
@Quasit My soil here in Ottawa is mostly inert clay, thankfully, but I still had to build raised beds and haul over 1,500 lb of black earth and compost to establish a productive garden in 2024. Since then it's really paid off, though: I just loosen the dirt with a pitchfork and rake in some new compost at the start of every season.