How to Build Your Own Tomato Planter

Tomatoes come in many sizes and varieties. The smaller size tomatoes are well suited to container gardening. Instead of purchasing expensive pots for your tomato plants, create your own tomato planter from a 5-gallon bucket. Buckets hold enough soil for your plant to flourish and are readily available from hardware stores at little cost. A bucket isn't suited for planting as is. You must prepare the planter in order for your tomatoes to grow well.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 5-gallon bucket
• Bleach
• Drill
• Compost
• Peat moss
• Sand
• Mulch

1. Sterilize a 5-gallon bucket before using. Mix 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. Rinse the bucket in the bleach solution, then rinse with clear water.

2. Drill drainage holes in the bottom of the bucket using a ½ inch drill bit. Drill four to six holes equally spaced.

3. Place the bucket's lid on the ground to act as a drip tray if desired. Place two bricks on top of the lid and set the bucket on top. This elevates it so water can drain out as needed.

4. Fill the bucket with a quality potting medium. Make your own by mixing 1 part peat moss, 1 part compost and 1 part coarse sand. Fill the bucket to within 2 inches of the rim.

5. Plant your tomato plant inside the bucket, one plant per bucket. Plant 2 inches deeper than it was in its nursery pot.

6. Water thoroughly until the soil is evenly moist. Place a 1-inch layer of organic mulch around the plant to preserve soil moisture in the planter.

Tips & Warnings

• Place a stake in the soil behind the tomato at planting, so it is ready to support the plant as it grows.
• Buckets are also available for free from many restaurants if you ask. They receive flour and other ingredients in them.
• Avoid using buckets that held toxic chemicals, as these may have leached into the plastic and may then leach into the tomato fruit.
• Containers dry out faster than garden beds. Check the moisture level daily and water as needed to keep the soil moist.

References

• University of Florida: Growing Vegetables in Containers