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| Photo Credit: Felder Rushing |
| This EarthBox® trial in Florida proves you can grow a bounty of veggies in a small area – and without a lot of work. |
Tomatoes – we can’t get enough of them! Don’t you wish you could grow as many as you’d like anytime of the year in an almost-perfect environment where you could adjust the soil, regulate the fertilizer and irrigate your plants precisely when they need it?
With the help of some new products for growing tomatoes (and other veggies), your wish may just come true! These innovative containers house all the elements that tomato plants require whenever they’re needed (except for sun, of course), and they include self-watering devices that help gardeners eliminate that annoying tomato “drought or drown” cycle. Several self-watering containers are advertised as being near-perfect greenhouse-like structures that will produce bountiful tomato crops with the least amount of effort by the home gardener. They’re entirely self-contained, and some even arrive at your doorstep complete with fertilizer, a rich growing medium, watering tube, screen and a cover (to smother any opportunistic weed crops that might sneak in). Sound too good to be true? Think again. The fact is, these containers work! And the overriding advantage of all of these tomato-growing products is that they can produce great crops in minimal space with minimum water loss! The only downside is that they do come at a cost (after all, there’s not much cheaper than planting in the ground). And, even though these containers make growing tomatoes easier, the plants still, of course, require upkeep – someone needs to monitor for pests, check the water level and pick the fruit when it’s ready! | Add Photo to Journal |  | | Photo Credit: Gardener's Supply Company | | The Tomato Success Kit produces pounds of tomatoes without all the watering. |
Here’s a look at just some of the available products:
Consider the Tomato Success Kit by Gardener’s Supply Co., Burlington, VT. This particular growing system works for tomatoes, as well as a variety of other veggies, and it comes complete with a 4-gallon reservoir/self-watering device. The kit I saw (for $64.95) includes a season’s supply of growing media, organic fertilizer and a water-level indicator. All you have to furnish are the tomato plants and water. The basic kit is just 26 inches long, 19 ¾ inches wide and 10 ½ inches tall, and an accompanying tomato cage stretches the height to 38 inches. (A two-part stacking cage is designed to “grow with the plants.”) The container is available in terra-cotta or green. There are a variety of accessories, too. You can get an elevated trolley or a set of four casters so you can easily move your container if need be. You can also buy a cage extension to support tall, indeterminate tomato plants. Like most of these innovative growing devices, the Tomato Success Kit can accommodate two tomato plants or various numbers of other vegetables, depending on their size.
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