Review: An Excellent Primer
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 21, 2013
This book provides all of the information you need to successfully grow tomatoes in containers. It includes sections on how to choose the best location for your pots, how to choose containers, which tomato varieties work well and the different categories of plants, soil preparation, pruning, care during the growing season, common pests and ailments, and a very helpful section on companion plantings to help control many of those pests and that attract beneficial insects. In short, a complete guide that is well organized, well written, and clearly presented. There are references to where to find additional information online on tomato varieties, pests, and diseases which are helpful and would be overwhelming information to include in a beginner's guidebook.I only found two pieces of information with which I disagreed, but both are more matters of personal preferences rather than critical disagreements. The author states that she prefers to use ready-mix Miracle Gro potting mix for her container tomatoes, which can get very expensive if you're preparing pots for more than one or two tomatoes. I find it more cost effective and not that much more trouble to make my own potting mix. For those interested in making their own, my formula is two parts potting soil to one part peat moss plus a handful or two each of vermiculite and perlite and a handful of slow-release vegetable or tomato fertilizer.The other disagreement is another minor one. The author says at the end of the growing season to dump the used potting mix into your yard or discard rather than to dump it into your regular garden or compost pile. I abhor waste, so I always mix my used potting mix into my regular vegetable garden beds or flower beds and mix in well with the existing soil. I've never had any problem with this method, but do be aware that if you had diseased tomatoes, you should discard the soil and not recycle it.By the way, two of my favorite tomatoes to grow in containers which were not mentioned in the book are SuperSweet 100s for cherry type tomatoes and Principe Borghese paste type tomatoes that are also good for sun drying or dehydrating.Tomatoes aren't difficult to grow if you've got the right information and carry it out over the growing season. This book gives you exactly the information you need to enjoy home-grown tomatoes this summer. Recommended.