gah I can't figure if it's too much sun or too little. I think overwatering could be it.
Here's the moisture meter, make sure you calibrate it before using it.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DM4LS1D/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glc_fabc_1V9SPDP28XMMNMJBRJ7D
Love this moisture meter, my best friend.
I'll take the same soil I'm using in a separate random smaller container, get it the exact perfect moisture level I want my soil at and then you adjust that to 5 on the meter. Then you know if it's under 5 it's dryer and over 5 it's too wet.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DM4LS1D/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_DmsSFb6V4Q3C7?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I got that guy and I love it. Can't imagine growing without it now. I was always just guessing at moisture levels and sticking a finger in but that doesn't tell you much. And with a 15 gallon living soil grow good luck lifting that sucker daily unless you are the Rock. This tells me exactly where I am at everywhere I stick it. It's the best.
You can grow any veg you want in pots and I have. You need to choose the right sized pots though. Tomatoes 5 gallon pails or 16" pots. Same for bell peppers. For hot peppers, 12" pots. For cucumbers, melons and squash 18" pots. 4 cucumbers can be grown in an 18" pot. Never had luck with beans in pots, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try. Get a moisture meter. This is a good one. Save instructions as the writing on device rubs off. As you live in a desert water is a real issue and you might need shade cloth.
No, it is a deader. Get a moisture meter. I have used one for 35 years, I have 34 pots at the moment and some terraced gardens and I never ever know when to water them without the meter. This is a nice one. You an calibrate it and you change the battery once a year. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DM4LS1D
No they don't and there is your problem. It is warm here and I water when I need to, not because it looks dry on top. There are exceptions like watermelon that wants water when it looks dry but tomatoes aren't like watermelons. Just because the top inch or two is dry, it doesn't mean anything, under that the soil could be sopping wet. The other thing is Tomatoes slow down at 90F air temp and stop at 95F soil temp. Garden bags are BLACK which leads me to believe the soil could be at 95F. So here's the thing, the plant is slowing/stopping and you keep giving it water it can't use or get rid of. It gives up and dies. So what do I do? I have NO idea when to water my pots! Been doing it 35+ years and once had 54 pots and now down to about 34. Not much space for raised beds which I do have, but pots are easier. If I don't know, how the heck do I keep things alive!? Well I have had failures, I am not all that great, but I CHEAT!! I confess, I am a cheater. I use a moisture meter to tell me when to water. It isn't perfect, I have a melon in trouble, it said it was good, but it isn't. But for most everything else, it is a godsend. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DM4LS1D You can calibrate it and you need to follow directions and change battery each year. Reasonably priced. For most things that need to be watered when soil is DRY it does excellent. Not my first but my new favorite. This is the a necessity to me, otherwise, I would kill everything. I use smaller ones for indoor plants.
Well, what kind of water gauge. In ground gardens need 1" a week as an average. In pots you wait till dry and water till water drains out the drain hole. The inch doesn't apply to pots. I use a moisture meter to determine when to water. Melons need it more moisture than peppers, for example. Usually I wait till dry, but cucumbers and melons, I water a little more often to keep them watered well.
Been doing containers over 35 years so I have some ideas:-) Depends on your budget on soil. If you are strapped for money get dollar store potting soil and add about 2 handfuls of perlite per 5 gallon container. Peppers need sand, I mix about 1/4 to 1/3 of sand into a container. As to pots. It is best to buy good ones but they run about 60 bucks now, 40 in my day. BUT they have lasted 35 years!! If you are going to stay with containers, they are worth it. But again if you are strapped, then 5 gallon buckets for tomatoes and 2 gallon ones for peppers!! Don't forget drain holes. If you are making drain holes make them about an inch or 2 up the side. This way you have a small water reservoir at the bottom. Then you get one of these.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DM4LS1D
I never know when to water. You see the top of the soil looks dry and you water and water and the plant drowns. By sticking this into the ground, you KNOW when to water, not guess. You can calibrate it and should change the battery once a year per directions.
Now it is 105F out, you have to water MORE, right? WRONG! You use the meter and water when dry early morning. Also it is best to remove the bottom leaves off the tomato plants as they grow. They will get the blight anyway, so best to be preventative. There are a lot of good composts out there, I use Sweet Peat, it is a mulch/compost and very good. For fertilizer, use fish/seaweed tomato/veg fertilizer like Neptune. Back to compost. Once a year, remove 4" of soil and add 4" of compost. Fertilize per directions. Here are some of mine mostly flowers, I don't need to grow a lot of veg and I have raised beds for them too.
As to the other stuff, biochar can be made at home, if you are interested. Burning bones, collecting the ashes and using that in the soil. I've never used it, but no reason you can't. Perlite only comes in one size grain, but I only buy the Miracle gro brand. If you buy regular potting soil it will have slow grow fertilizer in it with perlite and you don't need to add anything for the first season you use it. You don't have to empty pots each year either. The 5 gallon may split if they freeze so you may want to cover them for the winter.
10am would be better. You scoop up soil with your hands and if dry, water. Or get a moisture meter. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DM4LS1D Again, temperature is not an issue when watering although most believe if they regale the plants with water it will help. I saw a news article where a farmer in TX said the same thing, temperature doesn't matter. Water when dry for the most part. There are some plants that do like it moist, you can google plant care for whatever you are growing.
Get a moisture meter, here is one where you can calibrate and change the battery each year. Over watering is the greatest reason for failure. I use one, can't tell by looking at.
https://www.amazon.com/REOTEMP-Garden-Compost-Moisture-Testing/dp/B07DM4LS1D
Okay. Your pots are way too small, 5 gallon buckets minimum. You water when the soil is DRY early in the morning. The diseases and fungus love damp plants in the evening. What kind of fertilizer do you use and how often. I do Tomato/Veg fish/seaweed fertilizer, a couple of times a season. If you are unclear on dry and I don't blame you, I AM TOO, get a moisture meter, here is a great one, you change the battery once a year and you can calibrate it! And it doesn't matter if it is 110F out. Tomatoes shut down with a soil temp of 95F and can't get rid of the water you're giving them. They know when to stop.
I suggest large pots. Good ones, they pay for themselves over years. Easy to weed and maintain. Easy to overwater and kill everything! Get a moisture meter, love this one, you change the battery once a year and you can calibrate it. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DM4LS1D . You can use 5 gallon pails or grow bags too. Simple way to start. Go to a plant nursery and talk to the people there about plants to grow in your area. If you have anxiety, seeds are not the way to go, by the way. I started 450 seeds this year and I BUY HERB PLANTS! Not worth the effort to me. Marigolds and zinnias are easy to grow. There are many others that do nicely in containers too. As to You Tube, they are all good and don't talk down to you. But the people at the nursery are a really really good resource as they know you, you situation and the plants they sell you. NO BIG BOX STORES!!! A guy that sold nails last week is hardly an expert on plants this week.
This is my current favorite and you can calibrate it. Read instructions on battery access and annual changing. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DM4LS1D/
Daily, no, no, no. What you think is dry isn't. I asked because you have had previous failures of a similar nature. Once or twice a week and I don't care if it is 105F. Water in the morning and I highly recommend this device. I use one and I've been doing this for 35 years. Watering is a pain. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DM4LS1DThis gets down there so you aren't guessing if it is dry. Read the directions on the battery and calibrate it to directions. I recommend trying romaine lettuce. I think they take the heat better.
Yes; and I killed it by over watering it!! So that might answer your question. It is droopy because it is stressed out. You have to be careful watering it, I got a moisture meter to help me now with that, watering is tricky. This is good one to get. 6 bucks cheaper than when I bought it and you can calibrate it. Read the directions for the battery if you get it. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DM4LS1D
Get a moisture meter. This is my favorite at the moment. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DM4LS1D/ Here's the thing, it rained last Saturday and this is Tuesday. It has been 90F for two days and there is NO reason to water any of my plants other than those in 1 1/2" pots that I haven't planted yet. For some reason people think it is necessary to dump tons of water on their plants when it is hot. Not necessarily so!!
I agree when you are a new parent, so to speak, everything looks deadly. The biggest problem with plants are the gardeners. Overwatering is number one killer, watering the plants rather than the ground is next. Watering at night is the worst. The reasoning is to water at night to retain water. It is also loved by fungi, wet and dark is how mushrooms are grown. I use a moisture meter to take the guesswork out of it. This is my new favorite for the garden and pots. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DM4LS1D/
Yes, 18" square container. 4 cucumbers. Square tomato supports stacked or tall tomato ladders. 6' is good if you want to make your own trellis. Mine are self watering but optional. Get a moisture meter, not optional. I have container grown for 35 years. I still use a moisture meter. Garden centers sell them, but I think this is a better one for you. It can be calibrated and it is cheap compared to a similar one I have also. Read battery instructions carefully. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DM4LS1D?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
https://imgur.com/fhREi4w The thing is I don't grow them in the same container for 3 years. You can get away with 2 years in a row maybe. The thing is blights and diseases. Many times killed over winter in the soil. So that helps and you can use products like Bonide's Revitalize to soak the soil for fungus. Not every year is successful, but that holds true for in ground too. I grow mostly pickling cukes which I like for pickling and thinner skin for eating.
Water until you see runoff this time. Check the weight of the planter and slap the sides to get a feel for "wet." Then check that pos meter one last time before tossing it!
Going forward, lift the planters, slap the sides or use the knuckle gauge (2nd joint-ish).
I use one of these, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DM4LS1D/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s04?ie=UTF8&th=1 for my 3x3 (larger beds) no-till as a backup.
I also recommend the Build a Soil (Jeremey) YouTube series of vids completely. So much information in each episode. https://www.youtube.com/user/BuildASoil
Hope this helps and happy Thanksgiving!