I was going to try Rosy Finch, Orange Hat, and Tiny Tim mixed with other plants in my new Greenstalk planter, which offers at most about a trade gallon container's worth of space to each plant. Sounds like Orange Hat is still a "maybe" for that plan, but Rosy Finch had better get its own pot!

A 3 gallon pot is what, a 14" container of average height?

Yep, one of my selections is Rosy Finch so I will adjust my thinking, A huge THANKS Dave for that info. It really helps.

I jlooked up 5 gallon nursery pots, and they seem to be 12" diameter and 10-11" in height.

I just found this conversion online, and it seems about right: A 1-gallon pot is equivalent to 8 inches. For every increase of 2 inches in pot diameter, the pot increases by 2 gallons.

That means my 18-20" containers that curve slightly toward the base are probably about 10-12 gallons. Last year, I put empty containers into the pot before filling with soil mix to limit the amount of potting mix per 1 plant (and also because I was running short on potting mix). This year, I think I will fill the containers all the way up and put 2 dwarf tomato plants (or 3 Rosy Finch!) in each pot.

I drilled these containers 2" from the bottom to create a bit of water reservoir... with the empty containers upside down in the bottom (drainage hole covered with plastic), they didn't have much potting mix in contact with that bottom layer, just enough to wick up the water. I'll have to rethink that if I remove the empty comtainers from the bottom, maybe throw an upside down plant saucer in there instead or just not worry about it. I suspect a soggy layer at the bottom of the contaienr wouldn't stay soggy very long. My goal is to water them every other day rather than daily. It'll be interesting to see how much potting mix worked its way to the interior of the upside down pots at the bottom of the containers...

@critterologist
To be more precise, a container that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom is an inverted conical frustum - which has a math formula. (Google it. . . I neglected writing it down after using it.)

For example, my 20" planter (so named by vendors) has the ACTUAL measurements of 21.5" Top diameter, 17" High and 12" Wide at the bottom. Using the formula, it's capacity is 21 gallons (~1.47 cu ft).

FYI the common shop buckets sold by big box stores (HomeDepot has their bright orange Homer buckets) are 5 gallon buckets. I have the cheapest: Homer buckets @ <$3.00 (water-tight lids are sold separately). Homer buckets are 12" Wide and 13# deep (measured from the inside), with a capacity of 20 dry quarts (~2/3 cu ft).

They DO have a little rim that raises the bottom up off the ground, but my marking the INSIDE, one can drill a drainage hole slightly ABOVE the bottom (I've found that 1/4" is too small for adequate drainage and 1/2" is good - but one might want to secure a screen/mesh inside to keep the media in the bucket).

I've used these buckets (with 1/2" drainage holes with a piece of screen) to grow: dill, many many kinds of peppers and some tomatoes (determinants were very successful and indeterminants grew albeit smaller & produced some tomatoes).

Wow, I didn't realize those "20 inch planters" had quite that much capacity. !!

I have a few 18" ones as well. Judging by last year's dwarf tomatoes (1 in each planter with reduced soil capacity by adding an upturned empty container), though, I think 3 dwarf tomatoes in each would be too crowded, so I'll make it 2 dwarf tomato plants with basil plants and similar to fill in around the edges.

I am wondering if the strong scent of basil will deter bears. I may put my dwarfs in larger pots than I originally planned with a wreath of basil and maybe rosemary around the edges. I do want to grow tomatoes but I don't want those dang bears climbing up on my deck to feast on them - as the neighbors tell me they will do.

@ardesia I could never live anywhere where bears are allowed to roam. Do you have a rifle or shotgun?

Alice, I don't "think" basil will deter the bears... but if it does I'd sure like to know!

10

"deter bears?" let me know if ANYTHING you plant deters bears!

my Grandpa built a log cabin in Alaska and passed these gems to me about bears:
As far as a rifle or gun....do NOT use a .22 (it'll just make 'em mad and they'll attack you).
Don't climb trees (bears can climb. too.)
Don't run downhill (with their shorter front legs, they can run downhill faster).
Best thing to do if you see a bear: walk slowly and quietly away and go back inside your home and stay there!

Use a bear trap to! Best thing is to shoot.

Yikes, I have no intention of shooting anything. The bears are generally docile and walk away on their own. Any kind of food does attract them and they will climb up the posts to a deck. I do not want to share my masters. My neighbor, an architect, designed a huge bear baffle for his deck. If you don't think strong scents will deter them my next idea is a string of bells around the deck. 🤞

I'm sure things are different in different parts of the country, but here there are large penalties for shooting a bear out of season.

I've been thinking lately how glad I am not to have the deer issues a friend faces. Bear issues, though, that's a whole nuther level.

Thinking in terms of what deters bunnies and groundhogs, I'd suggest trying mint, thyme, oregano in addition to basil (which isn't all that strong a scent, at least not regular sweet italian basil.. maybe lemon basil?). I wonder if they would dislike orange oil -- cats and dogs will back away from it. Bells aren't a bad idea, but they might just let you know the bear is a-comin' and not do much more than that. Would holographic streamers give them pause? Maybe if you changed up the placement and type of streamers on a weekly basis so they stayed wary. Check with your local game commission to see if there are rules against using an electric fence wire halfway up your deck supports.

I'm envisioning a "bear baffle" as a sort of metal skirting around the perimeter of the deck, far enough out from the supports that the bears couldn't shimmy around to the top side of it... maybe you could go one better and strap tomato containers to the outside of your deck (on the other side of the railing), above the bear baffle. Just don't fall into the bear pit while trying to pick tomatoes!

Hikers routinely wear Bear Bells strapped around their ankles to warn the bears away. Any kind of noise humans make will encourage them to go in the opposite direction. I played music on my phone once when we had a neighborhood bear at a vacation place years ago. So, my thought this morning is a motion sensor with music, Never heard of that but I am sure there is something out there or something that could be adapted.

Red robin & Uluru ochre

my micro have been re potted and sent to the greenhouse.
I am starting another batch from seed today

Looks like they're off to a great start, Cinda!
(And I'm jealous - still one more week until I start the tomatoes that will be grown in my high tunnel )

gardengus said: Red robin & Uluru ochre

my micro have been re potted and sent to the greenhouse.
I am starting another batch from seed today

I was chatting with Mom tonight and told her about the microdwarf tomato varieties I'm trying this year. She's very excited about having a plant (or 3) on her windowsill. Her assisted living apartment has huge 6' wide window (maybe 8') with an extra-wide window ledge, so I have a good time keeping her in houseplants and flowers. She thought miniature tomato plants would be a real conversation starter, too.

She may have to guard the fresh/ripe tomatoes

She'll enjoy sharing them!

The courtyard where she lives is supposed to be renovated by spring. I'll see if I can offer some dwarf plants to put in... or maybe on the premise that it's better to ask forgiveness than permission I should just sneak some in. Everybody will think somebody else planted them... Nobody will suspect Mom, since she rarely leaves her apartment.