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 in the bottom, then place 2 inches of gravel in the bottom for drainage.  Place the container in a location where it will get the maximum sun.  You will need at least 8 hours of sun a day.  Make sure the container is level and elevated from the ground by at least an inch.  Use bricks or 2x4’s to form a base for the container.

 Week 1 - Planting the seedlings.  Note - 1 plant per barrel

 

Week 10 - The plants are healthy

Mix your soil thoroughly with the following ingredients in a wheelbarrow before placing it in the container:

Sphagnum Peat Moss, 1.5 cu ft
Vermiculite, 1 cu ft
Sand, 1 60-lb bag
Wood Ash, 2 quarts
Compost, 1 cu ft
Lime, ¼ quart
Fertilizer, ¼ quart.   Use slow release granules, NPK = 5-6-5.

You should have approximately 13” of soil from the bottom of the container. Bury the plant deeper than they come in the pot, all the way up to a few top leaves.   Place a handful of fertilizer in the hole before planting.  Sprinkle a snail deterrent around your plant.   Stake your plants with a sturdy, non-pressure treated, 6’ high stake or a tomato cage.   The tomato cage must be at least 6 feet tall.  Be prepared to tie guy lines to the cage to keep the plant upright when it gets to be top-heavy.

This Big Zac is over 7 feet tall.

Watering

Water deeply and regularly while the plant is developing, about a half quart of water every two days.   If your soil mix and drainage are as recommended above, there is no chance that you will over-water.


Here’s my recommended watering schedule:

Weeks 1-2 ½ quart every 2 days
Weeks 3-4 ½ quart every day
Weeks 5 –6 1 quart every day
Weeks 7-10 1 gal every 2 days
Weeks 11-13 1 gal daily
Weeks 14 to end of season 2 gals daily

I have an automatic watering system.  I use a bubbler with an adjustable head to regulate water flow, fed from a ¼ inch tubing.  I am able to set the duration and frequency of the watering with a programmable timer that I purchased at our local Ace Hardware store.

Fertilizing

Fertilize your tomato plant with Miracle-Gro® Water Soluble Tomato Plant Food.  Feed  every 7 to 14 days during the growing season.  Follow directions on the package for dosage.  Side dress with one cup of slow release granule fertilizer (NPK 5-6-5) monthly.

Pruning Out the Suckers

Tomato suckers are the growth that appears in the crotch between the stem and a branch.  If left to grow, they will become another main stem with branches, flowers, fruit and more suckers of their own.   You may be setting more fruits if you let the suckers to grow, but if you are aiming for big fruits, get rid of the suckers.

Sucker Growth

Training Your Plant

While keeping suckers at bay, pick off all flower clusters until your main stem is roughly ¼ inch in diameter.  Once you have a nice thick stemmed plant stop pinching the flower clusters and let some go, but only one flower per cluster – pinch the rest. At this point when the tomatoes are now on the vine you should have one tomato per cluster.  Continue to pinch off the suckers.   Now all you have to do is wait for the tomatoes to ripen, then you can pick the biggest one for your winning tomato in the competition.

                                          Week 28 - It's harvest time!