Gardening Aloft: Tomato Growing Resources

There is so much information on the internet about growing tomatoes, that it's quite daunting to make quick and easy sense of it all. I've assembled some information here that I've found in my web browsing and learned from others, compiled into several sections. I think it'll be useful to refer back to over this growing season and the next; I hope others find it helpful as well. :-)

*** NOTE: This is a Work In Progress ***

The Importance of Fertilizer!

This is probably the most overlooked aspect of growing tomatoes in containers. There are many opinions and an even greater range of testimonies about each combination of fertilizer nutrients as well as their application. Ultimately it will come down to your own specific situation. Some tomatoes are hearty enough to get by with minimal fertilizer while others will bear minimal fruit for the whole season with the wrong nutrient combination (or lack thereof). It's a good idea to consult gardening internet forums and other resources for recommendations (of which there are plenty). You can get by with something as basic as an Miracle-Gro tomato food, but if you really want to boost your production you need to dig your hands in deeper. And last but not least, remember that using a highly regarded potting medium will significantly increase fertilizer effectiveness.

Bottom line: It's better to over fertilize and then back off, rather than under fertilize and wait for weeks on end to figure out that your plant needs more nutrients for being productive.

Potted Growing Materials

Pot -- Preferably large, 5 gallons at the bare minimum (10+ gallons preferable), with a sub-irrigation design that includes a wick to help pass moisture up into the soil. Tomatoes produce an extensive root system so they need room to grow.
Support -- Stakes or a cage, especially for indeterminate types. Plastic, metal, and bamboo are often used to provide vine support so that the plant stays off the ground and does not fall over itself, nor get knocked around by strong winds. String or tape to lash plant stems/branches to supports.
Potting Medium -- There are many different ideas on the optimal potting medium blend for tomatoes, but generally the idea is something that is rich in organic material but also breathes fairly well--can pass water without becoming muddy/saturated. Best results seem to be had with mixtures, such as top soil, potting mix, perlite, compost, and fertilizer. Raybo's 3:2:1 blend is very popular, with is 3 parts peat moss, 2 parts pine fines (or hydroton), and 1 part perlite.
Fertilizer -- There's potting fertilizer (blended in with potting mix) and then there's water soluble fertilizer added when watering plants. Compost made from decayed food matter and/or manure is popular for potting; you can make your own or buy it from a retailer (like Fertilome). For water soluble fertilizer, try Libby Miller 10-10-10, Neptune's Harvest 3:2:1, etc.
Nutrients -- There are 16 different nutrients that tomato plants need to thrive, but many occur naturally in the soil in adequate amounts. The 3 critical nutrients for most plants is nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. Tomatoes also need sufficient calcium and magnesium. The more natural ways you can supply nutrients, the better (such as egg shells for calcium and banana peels for potassium). A great way to supply trace elements is through ground mineral mixes like Azomite.
Soil Test Kit -- A soil testing kit will help you get an idea of what nutrients may be deficient in the soil. There are also pH test kits for determining the acidic/alkaline balance. For small time growing operations, you generally don't need this if you're doing the basic fertilizing correctly.

Tomato Glossary

Blight : A disease (early and late) that attacks tomatoes, affecting the leaves, stems, and fruit.

Cracking/Splitting : Tomatoes develop cracks and splits, usually caused by uneven watering across their development. When not enough water, the skin will tighten in preparation of ripening, but if followed by heaving watering the fruit attempts to enlarge and ends up stressing the less flexible outer skin that causes it to split.

Cultivar : A tomato type that is cultivated (propagated from a cutting, dividing, etc), and is sometimes used interchangeably with "variety." I see it periodically mentioned so I figured it would be good to list here.

Blossom End Rot : The disorder is where the bottom or "blossom" end of the tomato develops a large spot of decay, which can can be due to a variety of factors. Generally a calcium deficiency is most commonly to blame, as well as drought stress, excessive moisture, or significant watering fluctuations.

Blossom Drop : The blossom may wither or the stem yellows causing the blossom to drop. This always happens if pollination fails, but can also be caused by environmental stresses such as temperatures too extreme for the plant's comfort (too low or too high), in addition to nutritional stress (such as nitrogen presence insufficient or too high, watering too little or too much). Rutgers University has an excellent article on it: "Blossom Drop in Tomatoes". Also, check out University of Florida's article: "Blossom Drop and Post-Pollination Disorders".

Determinate : A type of variety that is bred to grow at a compact height and ripen all of their crop at roughly the same time (usually a 2 week period), then die off for the season. Generally these are lower maintenance plants. Fruits produced are mid to smaller in size and are often used for creating sauces.

Indeterminate : A variety that grows like a vine and will produce fruit at "indeterminate" times all throughout the growing season. These are higher maintenance, because adjusting supports (caging/staking) and periodic pruning is necessary to ensure a healthy plant. Fruits produced can be a variety of sizes, but generally indeterminate types are larger than the determinate ones.

Heirloom : This is a tomato variety that has been reproduced for many generations without any cross breeding (like "passing down a family heirloom"). There are several sub classifications, which are commercial, family, created, and mystery. Family heirlooms tend to be the most popular among home gardeners.

Hybrid : A tomato variety that is purposefully bred as a cross between two different varieties, to attempt cultivation of certain desirable characteristics.

Open-pollinated : A tomato variety that is self-fertilized (flowers contain ovaries that can be pollinated by the pollen of the same flower), such as heirloom tomatoes.

Sucker : This is a bit of a slang word, used to describe the growth off shoot that stems from between the main stem and a leaf branch. If left alone it will turn into a whole new production stem that will ultimately bare fruit. The trouble with too many of them is that the plant will have a huge leaf population that can attract disease and pests. Plus a more populous tomato crop will yield fruits smaller in size due to the additional drain (sucking) of the plant's resources that are constrained in container growing. Is it better to have many smaller tomatoes or fewer large ones? The latter tends to be preferable on average. Of course, some varieties are inherently smaller so pruning isn't as necessary.

Tomato Information Resources

Tatiana's Tomatobase : Huge resource on tomato varieties and grower reviews

TomatoVille : Forum for tomato growers, loaded with lots of useful info and populated with helpful people

Tomato Dirt : Great resource with tons of tomato related information -- a must read
Dave's Garden : Another useful tomato database called "Plant Files"

Grow Tomatoes : Dr. Benton Jones' website of tomato information

Tomato Q&A : Mr. Tomato King's blog in the UK, hosting an informative Q&A plus other resources
Tomato Growing FAQ's : From Gary Ibsen's Tomato Fest
North American Cultivar List : Used to look up older commercial varieties developed in North America
Rutgers Tomato Variety List : An extensive database of tomato variety descriptions and images of fruit grown at Rutgers NJAES research farms
100 Heirloom Tomatoes [1st 98 pages] : Dr. Carolyn Male's educational tomato book from 1999

Video Channels (YouTube)

Gary Pilarchik : Author of the Rusted Garden blog, Gary has over 150 videos and tons of great info about tomato growing, in addition to other crops. He also sells seeds for very reasonable prices.
Reagnite 71 : A gentleman from Arkansas who is passionate about organic gardening and in just about a year has created many very helpful gardening videos that are educational as well as entertaining. He also started his blog since April 2013 that helps you navigate through his material.
Growing Your Greens : John Kohler has a fun energetic approach to growing fruits & vegetables and has a few decent videos on tomato growing tips.
Learn How To Garden : Well experienced gardener Mark Abbott Compton has useful advice

Tomato Failure Causes

Growing tomato plants is relatively easy. Making them grow healthy throughout the course of a season requires skill and attention, because the plants will be challenged by the weather, disease/fungus/pests, and irregular watering. Even the best laid plans of preparation can be foiled by the onset of early or late blight, something of which there is little control (save for growing blight resistant varieties). Here are some of the challenges a tomato plant may face:

Irregular watering -- either too much or too little, causing stress to the plant.
Unbalanced sunlight -- either too much or not enough.
Unbalanced temperatures -- either too high or too low, for too long.
Unbalanced nutrients -- either too little or too much of certain nutrients, which impedes normal plant function.
Insufficient space -- not enough room for root system growth, or too close proximity to other plants.
Disease/Fungus/Pest exposure -- diseases and pests can come from a variety of sources. Most common with disease is from the soil surface splashing up onto the plant during heavy rains. If plants are frequently exposed to watering at night, fungus can develop on the leaves. Pests will be attracted to a dense leaf population, so pruning back can help reduce this risk. Also, try to keep finger contact at a minimum and wash your hands before managing your plants.

The first and most obvious sign of plant issues is indicated in the appearance of leaves. Reading them is an excellent way to know if your plant is healthy or suffering with one or more issues. It is practically guaranteed that one or more leaves will be eaten by pests or visited by a fungus. But if the plant is generally healthy, such problems will be minor and not require much care beyond cutting off the more predominantly affected leaves. Unfortunately, some issues can become major and will require drastic action to save the plant.

There are a number of different factors that can cause a plant to suffer from problems, so the more you are aware of them the better. Plant Physiology on-line shows what leaves look like when suffering from various nutrient deficiencies. The state of Maine has a website with excellent details and photos of common tomato problems. Texas A&M has a useful Tomato Problem Solver website.

My Tomato Growing Plan for Next Year

Use an Earthtainer construction for one or more pots (PDF).
Use a well regarded potting mix. Something like Premier Pro-Mix HP and/or Raybo's 3:2:1.
Combine potting mix with composted cow manure, about 50/50.
Combine potting mix with trusted fertilizer, like Ferti-Lome Tomato and Vegetable Food.
Mix in Azomite powder in the lower half of the container, for a wide array of trace nutrients.
Add pulverized eggshells in the root bed for long term calcium release into the potting mix.
After a few weeks of solid sun exposure, cover top with organic natural wood chip mulch.
If compost is available, make a compost tea and feed to the plant once weekly. Otherwise, use a periodic fertilizer regimen that contains micro-nutrients (like Food For Everyone micro-nutrients).