container garden...can anybody give me some advice?

[ProudGrandma]

I want to plant a couple tomato plants and a cucumber in pots.  But I don't know what kind, what size, what sort of dirt I should use.  I have 2 potato bags that I bought years ago that I thought I would use, but I am not sure if they are deep enough for either plant...and I am assuming one plant per bag...but I have 3 tomato plants and 2 cucumber plants, so I know I will need more containers.  

 

is there a "rule of thumb" that I can go by...or what do you all think??

 

thanks.

[The Girls' Mom]

The tomatoes should be fine in the bags with potting soil.  One per bag, as they can get pretty big.  The cucumber plants will climb/sprawl and would probably do better in a large pot.  It doesn't have to be super deep, but fairly wide.  The cucumbers can also climb if they have something to climb on.  Also, your tomatoes will need some sort of support...a tomato cage, stakes, etc.

 

 

[The Girls' Mom]

See the two large pots kind of in the middle?  I just planted a tomato plant in each of them.  They'll get cages in a few days, before the plants get very big.  

 

 

[ProudGrandma]

I just measured my bags...they are 18 inches wide and 14 inches deep.  So, based on what you said, I should put 2 of my tomato plants in the 2 bags, I own, and then get another one for the 3rd tomato and a pot for the cucumbers?  I planned on using cages and some sort of trellis for the cucumbers.  

 

How deep should my soil be? a foot deep? That is a lot of potting soil, I think...like several bags?  right?

 

How big are those pots? (in the picture)

[ProudGrandma]

what are you doing with the metal feeding trough (or whatever it is)?  I ask, because I have one just like it...and I don't know what to do with it...but it's kind of cool.

 

 

[The Girls' Mom]

what are you doing with the metal feeding trough (or whatever it is)?  I ask, because I have one just like it...and I don't know what to do with it...but it's kind of cool.

 

I have zinnias planted in it.  They just haven't come up very high yet. This is from two summers ago.

 

[The Girls' Mom]

I just measured my bags...they are 18 inches wide and 14 inches deep.  So, based on what you said, I should put 2 of my tomato plants in the 2 bags, I own, and then get another one for the 3rd tomato and a pot for the cucumbers?  I planned on using cages and some sort of trellis for the cucumbers.  

 

How deep should my soil be? a foot deep? That is a lot of potting soil, I think...like several bags?  right?

 

How big are those pots? (in the picture)

 

It think they are around 18-24 inches wide...I used two bags of soil for those two pots, one other, and still had about 1/3 of one bag left.  Get a potting soil that has moisture control...it will help keep it from drying out as easily.  I would have the soil at least 18" deep for the tomatoes....it might be better to the the cucumbers in the bags and get deeper pots for the tomatoes.

 

 

Edited May 17, 2016 by The Girls' Mom

[The Girls' Mom]

I just found this handy post: http://eartheasy.com/raised-beds-soil-depth-requirements.html  although I have grown tomatoes successfully in less than 24" of soil depth.  

Edited May 17, 2016 by The Girls' Mom

[ProudGrandma]

thank you everybody for your help.  I just realized that I forgot to mention that my tomato plants say on the tag that they are for container planting...but there is no indication as to how deep the soil needs to be...so I don't know if that makes a difference or not. Does it?