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Growing Tomatoes in Pots

Self-watering containers have been around for about 10 years - perhaps longer - and are generally used by busy people who forget to water their plants on a regular basis. They consist of a plastic pot that has a reservoir in the bottom for water and a wicking system to keep the pot's soil moist, but not soggy. Tomatoes, like most plants, hate to get totally dry or sit in soggy soil. These containers solve both problems - like Goldilocks' porridge, the soil is just right.

Self watering containers are available at garden centers everywhere, but they are not cheap. Be prepared to pay $35 -$60 for a container big enough to grow a tomato plant - one with a 4-5 gallon capacity. They will last forever, of course, but if you are on a limited budget, you can make your own self-watering system for very little. I was given several by Bill Waste of Lyme, NH who made them using 5-gallon plastic buckets, 16-ounce disposable cold drink cups, and some plastic hose.

The 2 buckets need to be the same size and shape. Joint compound for dry wall comes in 5 gallon buckets that are ideal - 5 gallons each and free at construction sites. When you place one inside the other, there should be about 4 inches of space between the bottoms of the two buckets - your water reservoir.

Next, buy some plastic cups. You will have to cut a hole in the bottom of the top bucket just big enough for the cup to drop down into the space below it (in what will be the reservoir of the lower bucket). The lip of the cup should rest on the edge of the hole you cut. If you are lucky, the cup will also rest on the bottom of the reservoir bucket.

Plastic buckets are not easy to cut. The easiest way is to use a jig saw. Flip the bucket upside down; place the mouth of the cup on the bottom of the bucket. Outline it with a magic marker, then draw, freehand, another circle just inside the first one. You will cut out the inner circle. Using a power drill, make a quarter-inch (or larger) hole in the bucket so that a jigsaw blade will fit in the hole. Cut out the inner circle, and check to see if the cup fits.

Next drill a hole for the fill tube in the bottom of the upper bucket near the outer edge. It should be the diameter of the hose you will use to fill the reservoir after the soil-containing bucket is full, probably about three quarters of an inch. Hardware stores sell paddle bits in whatever size you might need.

The cold drinks cup should be of the plastic variety, not paper or Styrofoam. Using a box cutter or sharp knife, make three slices through the wall of the cup from top to bottom to allow water to seep in. Fill the cup with your potting mix, and insert it inside the upper bucket. Put the upper bucket into the lower bucket.

Install the fill spout - a length of hose - in its hole in the upper bucke, and extending out the top of it. A funnel is helpful for filling. The last job before filling your soil bucket is to drill a couple of quarter-inch holes in the sidewall of the reservoir bucket about three and a half inches from the bottom. These are the overflow drains, in case you get a week of rain and your soil bucket starts to fill up.

Soil, as always, is the key to success. Garden soil won't work, as it will get too compacted and potted plants need fluffy soil. In a wheelbarrow make a 50-50 mixture of commercial potting mix and good quality compost. Add half a cup of organic bagged fertilizer such as Pro-Gro. Then fill your bucket to within an inch or two of the top lip. Add water until it starts to ooze out of overflow holes. It is ready to plant.

Commercial potting mix is low in nutrients, but the compost and fertilizer will allow you to grow your tomato nicely. You can add some liquid fish and seaweed fertilizer to the soil once a month if you wish. The soil mix in the cup will stay constantly wet, and moisture will wick up into the root zone. You will need a tomato cage or wooden grade stakes to tie up your tomato when it gets big.

Be sure to select a "patio" type tomato, not one that produces giant fruits. Keep your plant in full sun, and in a couple of months you will be ready to start harvesting. Water once a week while the plant is small, but more often in August.

I know that making your own system seems like a lot of work, but if you make a couple of these instead of buying them, you could save a hundred dollars. It's worth the effort to me.

Henry Homeyer is a gardening coach and the author of three gardening books. His web site is www.Gardening-Guy.com.