It just takes a little more work than garden-planted tomatoes because of the limited access to water and nutrients.
Give your potted tomato plants some extra care, and theyll richly reward you with handfuls of sun-ripened fruit.
These 10 tips will guide you togrowing tomatoesin pots successfully.
Credit: Adam Albright
Dont be fooled by the size of a planta small tomato plant can produce loads of fruit.
There are many patio-jot down tomato varieties, and dozens more coming onto the market every season.
Tomato plants are eitherdeterminate or indeterminate.
Choose a big pot
Tomatoes have a large, wide root system.
The bigger the container, the more room the plants roots have to grow.
Use a 14-inch hanging pot to grow 12 tomato plants, choosing smaller varieties suited for hanging growth.
Only plant tomatoes in pots that have good drainage.
Use potting mix
A pot ofregular soil scooped from your gardenwill not drain fast enough for container plants.
Growing tomatoes in pots will be much more successful in a potting mix labeled for container gardening.
Provide nutrients
Nutrients fuel a tomato plants fast growth.
Plus, potting mix drains quickly, taking nutrients with it.
For these reasons, you’re gonna wanna fertilize your potted tomato plants regularly.
Look for a product designed specifically for vegetables.
Ample light is also essential forproducing flavorful fruit.
Water tomato plants in pots regularly
Tomatoes are thirsty plants, especially when they begin to gain size.
Add in hot or windy conditions, and you may have to water your potted tomatoes twice a day.
Water plants deeply until you see excess moisture running out of the drainage holes.
The best way to tell if you better water is to use the finger test.
If it feels damp, skip watering.
Keep leaves dry
Severalcommon tomato leaf diseasesspread when water and soil splash onto the leaves.
Provide support for potted tomato plants
Tomato fruit becomes heavy as it ripens.
Even clusters of small grape andcherry tomatoescan bend and break stems.
Support your tomato plants bysinking a trellisor stake into the pot at planting time.
Weave tomato stems through the trellis or tie them to the stake as they grow.
Tomato cagesnot only support your plants but also help protect ripening fruit from pests and critters.
Enroth, Christopher.Scale up your gardens health with fish emulsion fertilizer.College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences.
