Growing big, contest-winning tomatoes in half-wine barrel containers – My Method
By Zack Chavez Gardening in containers is a great way to grow tomatoes when you have limited space. Using containers allows you to easily set up your plant with your choice of soil mix rather than in-ground gardening, and you won’t have to worry about underground pests that might want to feast on your plant roots. The structure and limited space actually encourages upward growth that will give your plant maximum exposure to sunlight. With the growing technique described here, you will be rewarded with delicious, large tomatoes at harvest time. I use half-wine barrels for my containers. They give plenty of room for the roots to grow and they are easy to maintain. Select your plant. Choose a variety that is known for big fruit. I grow Delicious and Big Zac varieties for my competition tomatoes. I transplant my seedlings into the wine barrels during the first half of April. Prepare the container by drilling 10 ¼-inch holes ...