Gardening and Horticulture - RE: a tomato plant

Someone recommended that I double pot... setting the pot inside a larger one then filling it in with soil. What's your advice on this?

<<I bought one little tomato plant that I am growing in a 18x14 (circumference by depth) container on my back porch. You see, I am surrounded by cement in Philadelphia, PA. Anyway, the thing has grown immensely. When I purchased the pot at Franks, they recommended 12 inches. I went with the 14 inch and just today while checking the moisture of the dirt, I felt roots (I only went down about 3 inches). Am I to transplant this monstrosity again? If so, how do I do it? By the way, this is my first experience with growing anything.>>

If both pots are terra cotta, the only advantage that might exist would be slower drying which could be achieved by using a larger pot in the first place.

Hope this helps.

Did this someone tell you why this was supposed to be a good thing to do? What was the reasoning?

This is what I think your friend meant, Take 5" diameter clay pot (or any size you need) plant your plant as you normally would, then, take a 6" clay pot (at least 1"diameter larger than the one your plant is in) Plug the bottom hole up of the larger pot so water cannot get out set the smaller potted planted inside the larger pot then water between the crack of the two pots water will seep into the smaller pot thus reducing the time you spend watering or if you leave them for the weekend, this only works with real terra cotta pots, evaporation may still be a problem. I have done this with tomatoes & green peppers