Tomato pot sizes

I am growing tomatoes in a greenhouse. Last year I used growbags. Was quite successful and no particular reason to change but this year I thought I would try in pots. Any recommendations on size of pot per plant? Or do they just work like bonsai - you can't go too small you just get smaller plants?

I have a mixed variety of varieties, but no cherries this year.

 

I would think 10 litres would be about right, Jack.:thumb:

 

I used pots that are about 14" diametre and 12 inches tall - Google says thats 30 Litres if I've done my sums right, but that sounds a heck of a lot for a one foot cube

pi x radius squared, for the area of the circle? and then multiply by the height for the Volume?

So I make that pi * (7 * 7) = 153 sq. inches, then times 12 inches tall = 1,847 cu. inches - yeah, that makes 30 litres too. I still don't believe it.

Hurry up, put me out of my misery please ... :(

 

I still say 10 litres is plenty big enough.:hehe::gnthb:

 

I think you are right, but I am still expecting that you are going to correct my maths for me

 

20 divided by 2 = 10.:gnthb::rotfl:

 

Sod litres, use a 12in pot.

 

OK, so I like, and use lots of, R Sankey's pots - if anyone should know its them, eh?

They even have a specific Tomato Pot - but hang on, its only 23cm (9") Diameter and 5 Litres ... I'm having my doubts already :(

I did find a conventionally shaped 14" pot, and that was 20L ... so maybe my maths wasn't so wrong - just need to make an allowance for taper I reckon.

 

A truncated cone you mean.:D

 

Yeah! Although I expect I could just average the wider top diameter, and the narrower bottom diameter, use that to calculate the circular area and multiple by the height. But its going to be between 20L and 30L

So, my pots are between 20L and 30L. That's a heck of a lot - they don't look that big - I mean, they look like an amount that I could drink on a Friday night, but there is no way I'm going to attempt to drink 30L of Beer - those days are long past, thank goodness!

 

Stuff the maths. B&Q plastic buckets worked pretty well last year, as did redundant chicken pellet buckets. My take on the subject is that up to a point, bigger is better in that the bigger the pot, the less time it takes to dry out.

 

Kristen, gardening is not an arm of maths. Just do it and forget the equations.:gnthb:

 

Its bugging me that I can't trust my basic maths ... I'll be using the wrong compost next :(

 

Kirsten,

your maths are right for a cylinder - try averaging the top and bottom diameters/radii and you will get nearer the 20l I expect

HBC