How to grow organic tomatoes in containers

You can easily grow your own fresh, organic tomatoes, even in the smallest gardens!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Potting mix (not soil), preferably organic
• Compost
• Large container
• Tomato plant seedings
• Garden stake or tomato cage

1. Find a container: You can use almost anything, such as old washtubs, oversize beach buckets, 10-gallon buckets, old 1/2 barrels - be creative. You don't need to spend a fortune on a fancy planter: anything can be attractive. When choosing your container, be sure it will not leach hazardous chemicals into your soil. Plastic and galvanized aluminum are great choices - they are not heavy and do not overheat the soil. When using wood, line the inside with landscape fabric.

2. Prepare the container: If you are using a "found" object, take a large nail and pound several holes in the bottom of the container for drainage. Cover the holes with something porous such as mesh screen or cheesecloth to prevent soil from draining also. You may also place a 1" layer of clean gravel on the bottom. This will assist with drainage and also keep the pot from tipping when plants get very tall. Fill with a mixture of 2/3 potting mix and 1/3 compost to a few inches below edge of pot.

3. Plant! Place your tomato seeding directly in the center of the container, with the entire root structure buried in the soil. Add more of the potting mix/compost mixture up to one inch below the rim. It is good to have some of the stem buried - it will add stability as the plant grows. A good practice I find helpful in fending off pests is companion planting: flowers or herbs with a strong scent planted along with tomatoes keeps many pests at bay. Use companions which are not fussy and do not require a lot of nutrients - leave those for your veggies! Good choices are marigolds, basil, or rosemary. Only add 1 or two "extra" plants - you don't want crowded conditions or too much competition for your tomatoes.

4. Caring for your plants: Regular watering is essential. If you can devise a drip irrigation system, that is best. Most of us will instead be watering by hand - try to give a good soaking every morning - aim for the root zone rather than the leaves. In very hot areas, you may need to water again in the evening as well. Regular, even watering prevents the skin of the tomato from cracking, and will also prevent blossom-end rot. A healthy, well-watered plant will resist insect and disease problems better than a stressed plant. You should not encounter many pest problems, but most can be safely dealt with by hand-picking the offenders, then dropping in a jar of soapy water and disposed of. For very stubborn, larger infestations, I find that neem oil spray, diluted according to instructions, is a good organic solution which kills soft-bodied pests and disrupts the life cycles of others without being toxic to humans or pets.

5. More care: You will want to use garden twine to tie the plant to its trellis or cage as it grows. Since your plants are not "chemically dependent" they will need little fertilizer. If necessary, a good all-around organic fertilizer is a liquid fish and seaweed emulsion with can be sprayed on the leaves or watered into the soil. This, every 2-3 weeks, will supply all the nutrients your plants need.

6. Harvest and enjoy!!

Tips & Warnings

• When selecting plants, look for "determinate" rather than "indeterminate" varieties unless your container is VERY large or you plan on doing a lot of staking. Smaller varieties such as grape, cherry, and patio tomatoes work very well in containers.
• Be sure the plants you select are healthy and not harboring insects: no yellow leaves or straggly stems. Look on undersides of leaves for unwanted hitchhikers.

[AbbyNormal]

on 7/2/2008 Good article.