Grow Tomatoes in Pots
Crisp, juicy tomatoes are a favorite among many container gardeners. Tomatoes require large pots to grow in and usually need the support of a tomato cage or other staking system in order to reach their full potential. Additional precautions, such as bug netting and shade cloth, can help a tomato plant survive even in the cruelest of conditions. Anyone who is not put off by these extra steps can be rewarded with a plentiful yield.
Contents
Steps
Preparation
- Obtain a healthy tomato plant. Most varieties can be grown in pots, but larger tomatoes will need larger containers. Tomato plants are also significantly easier to grow by transplant, rather than by seed.
- Use a large pot with drainage holes. Most tomato plants require a 15-gallon (60-liter), 18-inch (46-centimeter) pot in order to have adequate room to develop. Some small varieties may fit inside a 12-inch (30.5-centimeter) pot, but the roots will be restricted and your yield may not be very impressive.
- Be mindful about material. Sturdy clay pots may look nice, but a pot this large will get very heavy and you will not be able to move it without some strain. As a result, plastic pots with drainage holes and saucers may work best.
- Scrub your pot clean. This step is crucial if your pot once held another plant, since it may have left bacteria and microscopic insect eggs behind. At minimum, you should wash the pot out with hot water and soap. You can also use a little bleach for a more thorough cleansing.
- Prepare your potting mix. Never use garden soil, which may contain harmful pests and bacteria that can damage tomatoes, which are susceptible to disease. An all-purpose potting soil provides an excellent base, but you can also mix it with equal parts perlite, sphagnum peat moss, and compost to improve drainage and provide additional nutrition. Make sure that any compost you use has been heated to high enough temperatures to kill off potentially harmful organisms.
- Mix fertilizers into the soil. You can use a commercial fertilizer safe for vegetables, or you can mix in organic fertilizing components, including soy meal, blood meal, bone meal, kelp meal, and greensand.
- Organic fertilizing components can purchased online, and a few common types, like blood meal and bone meal, can usually be found in big chain garden and home improvement stores, as well as specialized nurseries. Feed stores that sell food for livestock may also carry a few organic components, like kelp meal.
Planting and Initial Care
- Place a fiberglass screen at the bottom of your pot. The screen should be cut to fit the size and shape of the bottom. Having it in your pot will prevent your soil from draining with the water, keeping things much cleaner.
- Pour pebbles or river rocks into your saucer. The rocks create air gaps in between the underside of your pot and the surface it sits on, which allows water to drain more thoroughly.
- Fill your pot 1/3 full with potting mix. For a 15-gallon (60 liter) pot, you should cover the bottom 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 centimeters) with soil.
- Place the tomato plant in the container. Push the stem of the plant into the existing soil, just enough to give it a base of support.
- Continue adding soil around the plant. Pack the soil around the stem of the tomato plant as you go, making sure that it remains securely fixed in the pot and does not wiggle around. By the time you finish, about half of the stem should be beneath the soil.
- Give the tomato plant a thorough watering. Soak it with water once, and then wait another 10 minutes before soaking it again. The soil should be completely saturated, soaking the root, as well.
- After soaking it so thoroughly, your tomato plant may not need additional watering for an entire week. Constantly saturating your tomatoes will destroy them.
- Set the pot out in a sunny location. Your tomatoes need at least six hours of sun per day in order to grow and eventually produce fruit.
- Fill the rest of the pot with soil as your plant continues to grow. Trim the leaves from the stem before adding more of the planting medium, packing it around the stem as before. By filling the pot in with soil as the tomato plant grows, you help the plant build its root mass.
- Continue to fill the pot with soil until it reaches the near top, with only 3/4 to 1 inch (2 to 2.5 centimeters) of empty space in between the surface of the soil and the rim of the container.
Daily Care, Caging, and Harvesting
- Insert a tomato cage once the pot is filled with soil. Carefully push the legs of the cage into the soil, centered over the tomato plant. Stop once the cage is firmly fixed in place. If you feel any resistance, pause, and readjust the position of the cage before continuing. Pushing down too recklessly can damage the roots.
- Wrap nylon netting around the tomato cage. This serves as a defense against insects like tomato worms and stink bugs. Wrap the netting around the entire cage, holding it on the cage with clothespins or other sturdy clips.
- Water your tomatoes as often as necessary in order to keep the soil moist. Do not allow the soil to get soggy, however, since this much water can drown your roots and cause them to rot. During dry, hot weather, you may need to water once a day.
- Continue giving your tomatoes plenty of sunlight. They need a minimum of six hours per day, especially during late spring and early summer when temperatures are still moderate.
- Provide your plants with shade once mid-summer heat comes along. Excessive sun and heat can cause the container to heat up, drying out the soil in the process. Pin a shade cloth to the lower part of the cage using clothespins. The shade cloth should extend a foot above the top of the pot.
- Mulch your soil. Mulching is another technique used to keep your plants from drying out too fast. Spread a little mulch over the top of the soil and around the stem of the plant.
- Fertilize your tomatoes once a week, starting in the sixth week. Apply a water soluble fertilizer after you water your plants in the morning. Follow label directions concerning application.
- Keep an eye out for garden pests. Even when you use netting, there is a chance that some pests, like aphids and flies, will get through. If an infestation occurs, use neem oil or a safe-for-humans pesticide to ward off the bugs.
- Harvest your tomatoes one by one, once they develop their red color. The fruits should almost be completely red, with only trace amounts of green remaining. Ripe tomatoes can be plucked or snipped off their branches.
Tips
- Most tomato varieties can survive in pots. Many beginning gardeners find cherry tomatoes easy to manage in terms of size and care, but you do not necessarily have to start with those. Select your favorite variety and go from there. Alternatively, you can also plant several different varieties in separate pots to produce a diverse crop range.
- It is best to grow them in warm seasons like summer and spring.
Warnings
- Always wash your tomatoes after you harvest them. Washing removes any chemical residues, as well as dirt and bacteria that may have gathered on the tomato’s surface.
- Always be mindful of any chemicals you spray on your tomato plants. Many chemical fertilizers and pesticides are not safe for consumption, and should be avoided for use on vegetable and fruit plants. Before selecting a product, read the label carefully to determine whether or not it could prevent a threat.
Things You'll Need
- Tomato plant
- 18-inch (46-centimeter) pot
- Potting soil
- Fertilizer
- Fiberglass screen
- Pebbles
- Watering can
- Tomato cage
- Nylon netting
- Shade cloth
- Mulch
- Pesticide
- Shears
- Water
