Growing tomatoes in large pots. What type of soil?

360 Views 6 Replies 4 Participants Last post by Monocot Master, 2 mo ago

Danno99

Discussion Starter · 2 mo ago

We’re going to grow tomatoes in large pots on our deck. The pots are probably around 10 gallons, and we have 5 of them.
Should I use potting soil, which would be rather expensive, or a combination of topsoil, compost, and anything else?

thanks!

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Grover

· #2 · 2 mo ago

I would make a “soilless” mix. 40/40blend of peat moss and compost and %20 perlite or vermiculite then use organic amendments like bone meal, blood meal, kelp mean, azomite, etc…, or maybe just keep it easy and use tomato tone or the like.
If you decide to go this route you need to let the mix “cook” for about a month so the microbes can process the nutrients.
Google “soilless mix for tomatoes” or something along those lines and you can find all kinds of info about it.

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Danno99

Discussion Starter · #3 · 2 mo ago

Grover said:
I would make a “soilless” mix. 40/40blend of peat moss and compost and %20 perlite or vermiculite then use organic amendments like bone meal, blood meal, kelp mean, azomite, etc…, or maybe just keep it easy and use tomato tone or the like.
If you decide to go this route you need to let the mix “cook” for about a month so the microbes can process the nutrients.
Google “soilless mix for tomatoes” or something along those lines and you can find all kinds of info about it.

I appreciate your response and it sounds like you know what you're doing, but I'm not going to go this route.
No offense at all, but it's just too much work for what we're trying to accomplish.

I think I'll just go with topsoil and compost, unless others have a simpler suggestion?

Thanks again,

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corneliani

· #4 · 2 mo ago

My wife just planted her cherry tomatoes yesterday in similar-sized containers and she just used Potting mix to work into the existing soil. The original fill was a mix of landscapers mix & compost that I did for her. Not the ideal mix as it can get waterlogged and heavy, holding on to moisture, but it's what I had around at the time.

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Grover

· #5 · 2 mo ago

Danno99 said:
I appreciate your response and it sounds like you know what you're doing, but I'm not going to go this route.
No offense at all, but it's just too much work for what we're trying to accomplish.

I think I'll just go with topsoil and compost, unless others have a simpler suggestion?

Thanks again,

No offense taken. What you’re planning on doing sounds fine as well, you just may want to mix in some type of organic fertilizer like tomato tone. Tomato’s are nutrient hogs.

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Danno99

Discussion Starter · #6 · 2 mo ago

gardeningzilla said:
Growing tomatoes in large pots on your deck is a great idea! From my personal experience, I recommend using a combination of potting soil, compost, and perlite to ensure optimal drainage and nutrient absorption for your plants.

While potting soil may be more expensive upfront, it can save you time and effort in the long run by providing a balanced blend of nutrients for your plants. Alternatively, you can make your own potting mix by combining equal parts of peat moss, vermiculite, and perlite.

Don't forget to fertilize your plants regularly and provide them with ample sunlight and water. Happy growing!

Thanks for your suggestion.
Once the season is over, can/should I reuse the soil in the pots or start fresh each year??

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Monocot Master

· #7 · 2 mo ago

Danno99 said:
Thanks for your suggestion.
Once the season is over, can/should I reuse the soil in the pots or start fresh each year??

You can re-use it but you need to practice crop rotation standards.

For my container vegetables, my mix is about 80% ground pine bark + 10% peat moss or compost + 10% perlite and 15 lbs of lime per cubic yard of mix. Compost, instead of the peat moss may give you better results. With that blend, besides the NPK, it will need micronutrients. I use Miracle Gro for tomatoes or vegetables to help with the micros, and macros.

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