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Had to pick between two balcony layouts for my tomatoes this spring
I was stuck deciding between hanging baskets vs a railing planter for my cherry tomatoes. I went with the railing planter because I figured the roots would have more room, and so far the 'Sweet 100' variety is putting out fruit like crazy after 8 weeks. The only downside is I have to water twice a day now since the soil dries out faster up there. Has anyone else found a good way to keep moisture in those narrow railing planters?
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angelaellis28d ago
I've been through that same battle with thirsty tomatoes in railing planters. One thing that helped me a lot was mixing some water-absorbing crystals into the potting soil before planting. They swell up and hold moisture so you might get away with just one good soak a day. Another trick is to mulch the top of the soil with a thin layer of shredded bark or even a few clean pebbles to slow down evaporation. @umab35, you are right that two waterings a day is a lot, but cherry tomatoes are thirsty divas when they are really producing. I also started setting a drip tray underneath my planter and it catches the runoff so the roots can drink it up later. Just make sure your planter has decent drainage holes or you will end up with root rot instead of dry soil.
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