No garden plot ? Learn how to raise tomatoes in containers , the best type to plant , and tips for thriving hanging baskets .
grow tomatoes in pile is easy if you have a spot thatreceives luck of sunlight , perhaps on your deck , terrace , or balcony . you may raise all your favorite kinds of love apple in containers , from deep red slicers to tiny grapevine tomatoes . It just takes a small more workplace than garden - implant tomatoes because of the limited access to water and nutrients . Give your potted tomato embed some extra care , and they ’ll high pay back you with handfuls of sun - ripened yield . These 10 tips will guide you togrowing tomatoesin pots successfully .
1. Plant a patio or bush tomato variety
Small love apple industrial plant , known as terrace or bush varieties , grow and fruit practiced in container . Do n’t be befool by the size of a flora — a small tomato plant works can produce loads of yield . flock - friendlytypes of tomatoestypically grow to a finicky size , usually 1 to 3 feet tall , and then begin fruit . There are many patio - character tomato varieties , and dozens more coming onto the market every season . The best tomato varieties for pots include ‘ Patio Choice Yellow , ’ ‘ Tumbler , ’ ‘ Bush Early Girl , ’ ‘ pixy , ’ ‘ Tiny Tim , ’ and ‘ Small Fry . ’
Tomato plants are eitherdeterminate or indeterminate . Patio and bush varieties are determinate , mean they discontinue grow at a sure height , which gain them more suitable for growing in pot . undetermined type of tomatoes go forward grow indefinitely , so they are more ambitious to keep in container or other small spaces .
2. Choose a big pot
Tomatoes have a large , extensive ancestor system . The heavy the container , the more elbow room the plant ’s base have to grow . Thebest choice for develop tomatoesin pots is a container that admit at least 5 gallon of soil and measure 20 inch full or more . A 5 - congius bucketful , although not in particular attractive , micturate a o.k. tomato container after you practice drain holes in the bottom .
Growing tomatoes in pot can be done in ahanging plantation owner , but they need extra support , such as rampart mainstay , because the container can weigh over 50 pounds . When there ’s piffling or no pace area or patio space , such as on anapartment balcony , hanging planters are a neat pick .
utilize a 14 - in hanging quite a little to grow 1–2 Lycopersicon esculentum plants , pick out smaller sort fit for hanging increment .
Credit: Adam Albright
3. Drainage is key
Tomatoes will grow in plastic , clay , and stone sight , but growing containers that lack drainage holes are useless . drain holesallow spare water to escape , which is all-important to avoiding root rot and other industrial plant diseases . Only flora love apple in pots that have skilful drainage .
4. Use potting mix
A mass ofregular soil scooped from your gardenwill not drain tight enough for container works . mature tomato plant in sens will be much more successful in a potting mix label for container gardening . Lightweight and easy to apply , potting mixes are designed to have large drainage while hold enough moisture to keep plants hydrated .
5. Provide nutrients
Nutrients fire a tomato plant ’s fast growth . Plus , potting mixture drains cursorily , select food with it . For these reasons , you need to feed your potted tomato plant regularly .
One of the easiest way to provide food when growing tomato in grass is through a dim - releasefertilizer mix into the potting mixatplanting time . bet for a product design specifically for vegetables . Then , four to six weeks after planting , feed the plantsagain with a tedious - discharge plant food mixed into the top 2 in of ground or habituate an constituent product , such as fish photographic emulsion , greensand , or kelp meal .
Fish photographic emulsion strengthen tomato plant life and dirt but should be used outdoors due to its odour — and it may pull fauna .
6. Give tomato plants plenty of sunlight
Growing tomatoes in toilet require at least eight hours of sunlight day by day for the best growth and fruiting . Ample twinkle is also essential forproducing sapid fruit . Place your potted Lycopersicon esculentum plants on the Confederate States or west side of a construction , where they will receive the most direct sun .
7. Water tomato plants in pots regularly
tomato are thirsty flora , especially when they begin to advance size of it . Add in hot or breezy conditions , and you may have to water your potted Lycopersicon esculentum twice a day . Your finish is never to rent the potted tomato plant life dry out enough to wilt because a wilt plant is a stressed works , which can involve your harvest . sunup is the best time to water , but if your container have dry out out importantly throughout the 24-hour interval , water again in the late afternoon . water supply plants deeply until you see spare moisture running out of the drain holes .
The best means to tell if you need to water is to use the “ digit test . ” bond your finger down a couple of inch into the potting dirt , and if it find teetotal , append water . If it feel damp , skip tearing .
8. Keep leaves dry
Severalcommon tomato plant foliage diseasesspread when pee and soil splash onto the leaves . Minimize disease fan out by water tomato plant at the theme ; avoid make the leaves wet as much as potential . If you ’re using a hose to irrigate your Lycopersicon esculentum plants , adjust the pressure sensation so that potting admixture is n’t splosh up onto your plant .
9. Give plants space
near air circulation helps prevent disease because moving air dries soused foliation quickly , prevent some diseases . Arrange pot plantsso that air can freely pass around them . For example , place your tomato plant plantsso their leave are n’t against wall or touching other plants as much as possible .
10. Provide support for potted tomato plants
Tomato fruit becomes profound as it ripens . Even clusters of belittled grape vine andcherry tomatoescan bend and bankrupt stems . Support your tomato plant bysinking a trellisor stake into the pot at planting time . Weave tomato stem through the treillage or tie them to the stake as they develop .
Tomato cagesnot only support your plants but also serve protect ripen fruit from pests and critter .
Enroth , Christopher . “Scale up your garden ’s health with Pisces the Fishes emulsion fertiliser . ”College of Agricultural , Consumer & Environmental Sciences . Illinois Extension . 2022 .
