Three Pots Planted

I got three pots planted with three tomato plants per pot, as you can see in the picture. Notice that two pots have some mulch on top. This supposedly helps retain water and prevent weeds from growing in there.

The plants are doing well. I didn't notice any wilting with the second two pots, as I had with the first. No idea what caused that.

Oh hey, I forgot to mention that I drilled four holes in the bottom of each of these planters. If the dirt inside were to get too saturated, it could cause the roots to rot. We don't want that! When growing tomatoes in containers, it is important that they have good drainage.

Now you can see what is left in my original hanging planter. Seven more plants! I don't think I can leave more than two in there, or it will be too many.

Shopping for Tomato Supplies

I went out and got two more of the same type of square pots, plus another one slightly smaller than the rest. I also bought six metal tomato cage things and two big bags of dirt--Miracle Gro Organic Choice Garden Soil, about $8 per bag. This gardening stuff really is getting expensive. I've probably spent over $100 so far, which is a bigger investment than I expected. I thought growing some of my own vegetables would save me money! Well some of these supplies are reuseable year after year, so next year it won't be so bad.

I'm going to get all the tomatoes planted in their pots now. Oh, I also bought seeds for basil and chives.

Dirt! Potting Soil, Top Soil, etc.

I have to be honest, I do not understand all the different types of soil available. Who knew dirt could be so complicated? I started my tomatoes out in top soil, although I've since read that this isn't the best idea. I dunno, the plants seem to be doing very well. I had purchased a bag of potting soil to add to the containers, but it seemed very sandy. I'm not so happy with sandy dirt when I'm paying for it!

Why am I buying dirt? Because in my small yard, I don't really have any. Okay, I have some. I dug up about half a container's worth of dirt from my flower garden. I got some more from some land behind my property, but it's full of rocks and difficult to work with. I'm combining this dirt with the sandy potting soil I bought to fill the two tomato pots.

Oh, and I've realized that two tomato pots are not enough. I'm going to have to get some more. And also, more dirt.

Tomato Planter Pot!

This is the pot I got for planting my tomatoes. I bought two of them, actually. $12 apiece. I also got a bag of potting soil, $3. The cost is starting to add up here!

The pots are nearly two feet by two feet. I figure I can fit several plants per pot. I just read that when potting tomato plants, you should only do one plant per pot. The roots need plenty of room to grow. That sounds great. But I've got too many little plants and too few pots, so they're going to have to get used to growing alongside some neighbors.