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Troughs for tomatoes.

Brickman0430Brickman0430 Posts: 178
in Fruit & veg

Hi all, i've been hardening off my tomato plants, and want to plant them into troughs, i've got three troughs, approx three foot long, by about 8 inches deep and wide, i intend putting three plants into each trough, but i'm wondering if the troughs are deep enough, any suggestions? 

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  • Brickman0430Brickman0430 Posts: 178

    These are the plants n troughs. image

  • Brickman0430Brickman0430 Posts: 178

    Sorry, one of the troughs, i don't know how to edit. 

  • Sophie17Sophie17 Posts: 342

    I always plant mine in deep pots ( the ones some supermarkets sell flowers in). They then produce more roots from the buried stem making them more sturdy. It helps when they become heavy with the fruit.

  • Brickman0430Brickman0430 Posts: 178

    Aaah thank you Sophie, that was the bit i was wondering about, if they were deep enough for the roots. 

  • TopbirdTopbird Posts: 7,708

    I prefer to grow mine like Sophie (unless they're in the ground).

    That said - some people seem to have a lot of success growing toms in grow bags. I've never done that because I couldn't work out how there would sufficient depth of soil to keep the plants stable. But I guess there is quite a lot of room for sideways root growth.

    I would think the troughs might be a bit too restrictive on all counts.image

    Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
  • Esme MorganEsme Morgan Posts: 1

    I agree with previous posts I grow mine in large tubs the bigger and deeper the tub the more tomatoes I get

  • Brickman0430Brickman0430 Posts: 178

    Thanks all, I'll go shopping for some big pots at the weekend.

  • PalaisglidePalaisglide Posts: 3,414

    Brickman, fill the trough with compost. Those pots should then fit in the top of the trough, set one plant to a pot filling just halfway, three shoult fit nicely though two would be better. Water the trough and keep the pots just damp, providing the holes in the pot are big enough the roots grow through. As the plants grow top up the pots with fresh compost for extra feed though tomato feed will still be needed.

    I grow my tomto's in twelve inch pots on a gravel bed that holds water, never failed in thirty five years where some around have lost the crop, careful feeding watching the watering and making sure of an ambient temperature takes time but worth it.

    Frank

  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,154

    Brickman,

    Which ever method you choose, whether it be pots or growbags, tomatoes are greedy things and need a lot of room for their roots.

    I have adapted the ring culture method by using large pots instead of a ring and growbag. http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/fruit-and-vegetables/how-to-grow-ring-culture-tomatoes/3685.html

    Not sure it would be good for bush tomatoes but it certainly works for the tall things that take over the greenhouse.

  • pr1mr0sepr1mr0se Posts: 1,178

    That;s the size of trough that I use - three plants per trough.  I've done it for years, and get more tomatoes that I can eat fresh - but they make wonderful passata or chutney!.

    The difficulty may be in supporting them.  I have found that three canes per trough about 4ft high, linked at the top with square-lashed cross pieces (and the top canes link each of the troughs, too) together with short angled braces at the bottom, is more than adequate.  

    I have a picture somewhere to show what I mean - if I can find it, and then work out how to post it!

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