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I have a bunch of 5.6 gallon containers that I am going to use this summer for tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. I was hoping that some of you experienced in these matters could shed some light about soil composition for these containers. As of right now, I am planning on combining spanghum peat moss with store bought bags of humus/manure mix (Hyponex, Earthgro, Bovung, etc..). Does that sound like a plausible idea? Any suggestions are welcome, although please understand that I am not driving a pickup truck to collect manure anytime soon, so I am resolute on getting bagged manure in spite of how some gardeners may frown upon that practice.
Second, I keep reading where one should place rocks at the bottom of the container, and my question is this: Just how big should the rocks be? Are we talking small pebbles, larger paving stones or big ass rocks that could break a car windshield?
Based on my research, I would say it sounds feasible to plant two determinate variety (e.g. Celebrity) or cherry/grape type tomatoes (e.g. Juliet) per 5.6 gallon container, whereas the larger indeterminate varieties may command just one plant per container. Has anyone had success planting varieties like Big Boy, Better Boy and Big Beef with more than one plant in a container? If so, I'd be interested to hear that and any pointers you could share.
As for eggplant, I would say two to a 5.6 gallon container, and I could easily fit three to four pepper plants in such a planter. The planters I have are 13 3/4 inches in diameter and 10 inches in height, FYI.
Thanks in advance for any pointers you can give and I look forward to your responses.
-- joiseyfresh
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