Tomato pots

For my Birthday, my Mother-in-law (advised by her daughter / my wife) bought me some really great containers for growing Tomato plants. They are made by the leading garden supplies company Stewarts

These ones are officially called "Balconnieres"  but we normally call them "Planters" or simply "Tubs".

A big rectangular container:

That sits in a "saucer"

Put the two together...

The tub has a perforated base that separates the compost from a water reservoir below

The reservoir is filled / topped-up by means of a tube that protrudes above the surface of the compost. Any excess water drains into the saucer via two overflow pipes.

The large regular shape of this container lends itself to the use of my cane-support brackets:-

This set-up will make it much easier to maintain a consistent level of moisture in the compost. The fluctuation between too-dry and too-wet can promote disease in Tomato plants (such as Blossom End Rot), and increase the likelihood of the fruit cracking.

I can hardly wait to get planting now - although my tomatoes are only a couple of inches tall at present and it will be several weeks before they are ready for planting-out.