I’ve always had rotten luck when it comes to growing tomatoes in containers. In my early gardening years I grew plants that get too tall for containers (dumb) and then proceeded to NOT stalk them and they died off. Another year my plants didn’t get enough sun because I placed the container in a bad spot on my porch. Another time my container was too small and the soil was impossible to keep watered. Other sad stories of my container tomatoes are much the same. That said, I’m always willing to try again so I’ve spent a lot of time looking up container tomatoes.
According to tips and guides I’ve read, a lot of folks seem to think growing tomatoes in containers is a snap. Since my experience begs to differ, I’ve gathered some tips that may increase your chances of success.
I read (here) that, “In general, plastic or fiberglass pots are best for growing tomatoes [because] unlike clay pots, they don’t dry out as quickly.” I guess this is good news if you want to go the economic route (plastic is cheap) but not so good if you frown on plastics (not eco-friendly). In any case the main point is that tomatoes hate dry soil. Clay pots are harder to keep watered efficiently although not impossible.
No matter what material your pot is you need to make sure it’s large enough to manage tomatoes. 12 inches in diameter is as small as you should go pot-wise according to most guides I’ve read, but I think that’s really too small. Bigger is better. Since you’ll be working with a large pot weight is a huge concern. If you’re growing in a space that gets shade at times (say a patio) it’s smart to place your pot on a little cart with wheels so you can move the pot easily to an area with more sun. Make sure your pot has good drainage. Tomatoes will rot fast if they sit in soggy soil. I once tried the old pottery chips in the tub technique, but drainage holes seem to work better when it comes to tomatoes.
Tomatoes, like other fruit bearing plants need at least 6 hours of sunlight per day, but seriously, that’s a low minimum. My friends who have grown container tomatoes oh so much better than me note that their pots get 9-10 hours of sunlight per day.
Lots of organic matter in your growing medium will help your tomato plants to retain moisture and a steril mix is a must. Never pull garden soil from your yard for container veggies.
When planting tomato plants into your container plant them a little deeper than you think you should – right up to the first set of leaves. This allows for a stronger root system to develop.
Don’t crowd plants. The best container tomatoes I’ve ever seen are one plant per one large pot.
Water, water, and water some more! A major problem with any container plants is that it can be tough to keep them well watered. However, you can’t slack off when it comes to watering your tomato plants. This is a great way to kill your plants (trust me). Because tomatoes are hyper thirsty, you may end up having to water twice a day which can be obnoxious so a self watering method and/or timer is useful. You can also make sure to mulch which will help your potting mix, and thus plants to retain moisture.
You don’t have to grow tiny tomatoes. I don’t like cherry tomatoes (shown below) but just because you’re growing in a container doesn’t mean you can’t grow regular sized tomatoes. Container tomato plant ideas straight from the folks at Burpee…
- Tomato Sweetheart of the Patio (cherry)
- Tomato Patio Princess Hybrid
- Tomato Bush Big Boy Hybrid
- Tomato Bush Early Girl Hybrid
More tips:
- Growing Tomatoes in Pots – Grow Tomatoes Anywhere in a Pot
- A good garden forum thread with some interesting opinions about growing container tomatoes. The best thing I learned here was BIGGER is better with pot size. Also see a thread on staking container tomatoes, which you will need to do in most cases.
- Growing Tomatoes in Containers – good piece with disease info.
- Linette, another Blisstree gardener seems to have WAY better luck with tomatoes than me. Check out – Growing Tomatoes In Containers, The Great Tomato Experiment, Seeing Red, and Top Ten Heirloom Tomatoes
[image via stock.xchng]
Post from: Blisstree