How to Grow Roma Tomatoes (in a pot) AND
Roma Classic OG, 2009 Growing Journal

Disclaimer: The following How To is just one way to grow a roma tomato plant. There are many different methods, tips and do's and dont's on growing tomatoes. The following method is right for our climate zone, requirements, and situation. We hope that it will be helpful to readers. Also, tomatoes grown in containers larger than 5 gallons, (10 to 25 gallons) will produce more and larger fruit, but 5 gallon is what we have to work with this year. So,...

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Update June 28, 2009:

A lot has happened in the past 2 weeks and not much of it is good. First off, we are getting mid-July Summer heat in the middle of June, about a month early. And I mean scorching heat. For 2 weeks, there has been solid 95 to 105 degree heat, with a heat index (humidity factored in) of up to 109 degrees every single day. Only a few blooms have produced new tomatoes but tomato production has largely stopped altogether.

As if that wasn't enough, there was also a blossom rot fiasco. For those of you that don't know, blossom rot looks like this: It occurs when the tomato fruit does not get enouch calcium from the soil. The ironic part is that the soil might actually contain enough calcium, but it goes to the tomatoe's branches and leaves first, but not the fruit. This blossom rot only occurred on 1 roma tomato, one of my youngest and one not pictured anywhere above. It also occured on 1 Spitze. Since that Spitze only produced one tomato before the heatwave hit, it's not a catastrophe. However, on the Roma that was struck by blossom rot, about 24 little tomatoes had to be pulled off.

What can you do when you have blossom rot? After you got it, not much. It's easier to prevent it from happening then it is to cure it. - See, when I mixed my little bit of peat moss with my compost and top soil to make my container mix, I incorrectly assumed the few crushed eggshells I tossed in carried enough calcium. Or maybe it did, and by chance that bucket didn't get enough eggshell calcium in the mixture, or it did and it just didn't get to the roots, or it was watered too much and washed out. - Either way, I take the blame. (BTW, blossom rot is not related to the heat wave unless I did water too much).

I'll tell you about my attempt to fix the problem, albeit late, but let's jump ahead to what you need to remember to do next year. As you are mixing the compost, peat moss and top soil together for your containers next year, throw in a cup or two of lime, or crushed eggshells, and mix it up real good with that soil.

I came across this moisture meter (or here) in a garden store and it has proven itself quite useful - better than sticking your finger down in the dirt to try and guestimate the moisture content.