Healthy, fruit producing tomato plants can easily be grown in a container, avoiding the need to have an outdoor garden.
A container is an ideal place in which to grow tomato plants and has a number of benefits. This method of growing is well suited to those without a garden or who are short on space. Pots can be placed anywhere that receives enough light for the plant to sustain its growth including patios, yards and even window sills.
The containers or pots can be moved around between the sun spots, thus ensuring the plants receive adequate sunlight, which is about 6 hours per day. Growing your plants in pots or containers has the added benefit of reducing or eliminating the need to weed!
Container planting has proven to be successful for most varieties of tomato plant, although some of course, fare better than others. You should consider growing tomatoes that do not become too large. Tomatoes that grow to a smaller size are known as determinate varieties. You would expect these to achieve a height of between 30-60 cm (1 to 2 ft).
It is common for a tomato crop to ripen at the same time if grown in containers, so growing smaller tomatoes helps reduce the likelihood of being left with unwanted fruit.
Tomato plants that have a low water requirement are best chosen to ensure maximum success. Tomato plants need about 2-3cm (one inch) of water a week, thus keeping the soil moist. But, because they are being grown in a pot, keeping the soil moist can be a challenge. Maintaining the soil at the correct moisture level is aided by the correct choice of container.
Growing tomato plants in a terracotta pot, with plenty of room for the roots to expand, is ideal. Good drainage is important, so make sure that the pot has drainage holes at the bottom. You can also add a layer of rock at the bottom of the pot to assist with good drainage and ward off root rot.
To keep the soil in the pot moist you should also use the right kind of soil. Tomato plants grown in a pot do well in a soil-less mix of sphagnum peat, perlite and vermiculite. You should also add a scoop of organic fertilizer to the soil mixture as well to the centre of the pot and mix it in well. Tomato plants tend to be heavy feeders so you should add a fertilizer that is slow acting. Every two to four weeks, fertilizer needs to be added to the soil.
It is truly wonderful to be able to grow your own tomatoes. Enjoying freshly grown organic tomatoes that taste better than those from the shops is priceless. With the ability to grow tomato plants in a container, flat and apartment dwellers and those who are limited on space can enjoy the same benefits as those with access to a full outdoor garden.
Tom Brown is a longstanding tomato grower and loves to share his knowledge with others. To receive more useful information on growing tomatoes, visit his website and sign up for his free mini-course or, for a more detailed guide to growing tomatoes, be sure to look at Tom’s fantastic e-book Guide to Growing Big Red Juicy Tomatoes.
