Was thinking about growing tomatoes and green peppers on my back porch (townhouse) to save a few bucks in 5 gallon buckets, any tips on soil mixture ? seed prices ? watering frequency ? any other ideas ?
A few years ago, my husband bought a bunch of tomato plants at local nurseries, grew them in pots on our porch to protect them from critters, then weighed the harvested tomatoes and realized he wasn’t saving any money. It was fun once.
You can start from seeds and save money, or try harvesting some seeds from tomatoes you buy at the grocery store. Also see if your library has the book “Grow Your Groceries” for tips on using food scraps to grow your own food in your garden.
One problem with the buckets is that the soil & roots can get hotter, too hot, than if they were in the ground. Depends on where you live.
Good luck!
Thanks for the info Lisa, I didn’t think of the heat being a problem but it does get pretty hot around here in the summer, that could indeed be a problem.
Do you remember if the tomatoes were tasty being grown in the pots ?
I saw some seeds on sale at the grocery store and was maybe thinking of starting them in styro foam cups on my window sill and move them into buckets.
I think that was a wash. I’m not a tomato connoisseur.
You’d need to drill drainage holes in the buckets. Better to get insulated pots (think thick walls, either hollow or foam filled) if you live in a hot area. Purchase an outdoor planting mix designed for pots or raised beds. Seeds are more economic; bedding plants more rapid. Based on the number of tomato or pepper plants you eat regularly, you may or may not save money, but if it sounds interesting or fun, try it.
Thanks for the info Sonoran, that sounds a like a good idea with the insulated pots.
If you have little experience, it’s easiest to contact your local master gardeners or, if not available, your county extension agent.
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Had great success in the past growing zucchini, baby beet greens, arugula , cherry tomatoes, Italian peppers,and many herbs in containers. No luck with green peppers, cucumbers or a baby watermelon. All from seed. You may want to consider using a few smaller containers and planting radishes and onion sets (scallions). As they grow quickly . Made great use of my county extension’s website for planting times and natural pest repellents. The book “carrots love tomatoes “ has great advice on companion planting.
This will be a hit and miss experience. Mostly because of sun vs shade, as in too much, or too little.
I would use trellis friendly veggies to increase your vertical areas since you mentioned a Town House.
Cherry tomatoes are easier to grow and will give more abundance than other varieties.
Zucchini and such usually grow easily and can be trellised. Baby cucumbers are easy to grow and can be trellis friendly. Beets, while not trellis friendly, are usually easy to grow and baby beets are delicious.
Your situation will dictate where, what, and how, you decide what to plant.
As was mentioned, your local agricultural extension will be a great help for ideas.
Watering for container plants, is very situational, I have discovered. As was mentioned, drill drainage holes in the buckets. Bigger holes, not a 1/8 drill bit hole, lol.
Once the plants start to grow, the leaves and stems will tell you what they need, or don’t need.
Good luck!
By the time you buy the seeds the pots and the soil, plus fertilizer and watering and getting rid of any pests that also love tomatoes. You will end up spending a hell of a lot more for those 5 or 6 tomatoes that you may or may not get than you would by just going to the store. For me it’s not worth it other than enjoyment which I don’t enjoy doing anyway. If you must do it may I suggest growing only those tiny little patio cherry tomatoes that seem to grow well in containers and yield the most tomatoes for your money.
You really need to talk to people in your area. I am in Florida. I know that growing tomatoes up north is different than growing them here. If you have a fast maturing variety, you can get two harvests here. One is early summer/late spring and one in fall. That would not be true in Wisconsin. Here you cannot grow potted plants in the same amount of sun because of heat that you would be able to grow them elsewhere. Talk to your local extension office or a local nursery to get some ideas.
Oh but the taste is far better in home grown vine ripened tomatoes than anything at the supermarket!
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There are tomato seeds specifically tailored for growing in containers. I’ve seen them on Renees garden website. Or else you can buy plants at Costco.
Thank you all for the info.