tomatos in hanging baskets

[xspye]

Help, i'm planning to grow bush cherry toms in hanging baskes but i'm not sure how many plants to put in each basket (i have 14inch round ones) . Also what is the cheapest thing to line baskets with? i'm working on a very tight budget!

[vicki]

Hi, this is my first posting on the forum having just registered, so here goes...... I did cherry toms in hanging baskets last year so's my two year old couldn't reach them!! I just planted one plant per basket but I got absolutely LOADS off them! I lined the baskets with black bin liner cut to shape, and poked holes in the bottom for drainage. Good luck!

[Lesley Jay]

Hi Vicki welcome to the grapevine. That is a good idea for cheap liners for hanging baskets. I shall try that myself.

[Shortie]

Vicki, that's fab thanks.... I always seem to find the liner lets the water just seep straight out before it's even wet the soil! Okay so I need drainage holes, but at least it won't be quite so poreous!

[xspye]

Thanks for the advice, using bin liners is an inspired idea . I'm trying hanging baskets as i had a mouse issue last year and they ate most of my cherry toms!

[pigletwillie]

Another source of hanging basket liner that is a bit more robust than bin liners is your used compost bags used black side out.

[WiZeR]

Sorry to be thick but do you plant the tomato plant facing up or down? I have some tumbling tom's that I want to have in haging baskets. Is on really enough?

[Clarea1]

I am planting nastutiums (sp?) in between my hanging toms, for colour but also because you can eat the petals.

I have lined mine with this grassy stuff but knowing how hard they are to keep moist, I'm going to start again with bin liner - great idea! Don't want toms splitting after I water them!

[Strepsy]

Sorry to be thick but do you plant the tomato plant facing up or down? I have some tumbling tom's that I want to have in haging baskets. Is on really enough?

Just plant it like a normal pot. You could also grow some basil and/or borage with it if you want something else in there, which are meant to be beneficial to the taste and for keeping pesties off them.

[WiZeR]

fab, thanks

[vicki]

Honestly, you'll get loads even with just one plant - it won't look much to start with but once its starts filling out, it will start to spill over the sides and you'll get loads of toms! Then you only have to worry about how to use them all!!!!!!!!!!!

[SueA]

I use old compost bags cut up & turned inside out as well. I've grown tumbler & gartenperle toms in baskets & they romp away.

[vicki]

so when are you all going to be daring and put them....OUTSIDE!

[Nicos]

I'm hoping to plant the toms outside at the end of May, but who knows???!! They are slowly coming on in a mini lean-to plastic greenhouse for now.

[Strepsy]

so when are you all going to be daring and put them....OUTSIDE!

I really don't know... need to do some more googling I think to find out about the frost situation. Anyone any idea on last frost dates for mid-cheshire?