Container Tomatoes
Tips for growing tomato plants in a container
Three problems you should avoid: 1. Too small of a pot 2. overheated soil 3. fluctuating moisture
Choose the largest container available (eg. whiskey barrel) to allow plenty of room for root development. Make sure you use good, well-drained potting soil. The soil mix should retain some water but allow excess water to drain freely (don’t use garden soil). If your container does not have a drainage hole, add coarse gravel to the bottom of the pot. This also helps to weight down the pot so it doesn’t get knocked over on a windy day.
Container plants will dry out faster and will require more frequent watering on hot days. Water mature plants when the top inch of soil is dry and then water until it drains from the bottom.
Some afternoon shade from the hot sun will help keep the soil from getting too hot. Overheated soil will stress the plant causing poor growth of leaves and fruit production. Fluctuating moisture(too much, then to little) can cause problems such as blossom-end rot. To avoid blossom-end rot and cracking maintain even moisture and place a layer of mulch around the plant.
For optimim success grow special varieties of tomatoes that are designed for container gardening such as a Patio Hybrid, Totem Hybrid (70 days). Both have compact vines that produce medium sized tomatoes. Tomatoes need at least 6-8 hrs of sun. They are heavy feeders and frequent watering will leach the nutrients down the drain hole. Therefore, fertilize regularily (10-14 days) with a 10-10-10. You can also add a time-release fertilizer to the soil as a suppplemental fertilizer.
You can have a varietable garden on your patio since most vegetables that can be grown in containers. Here are some of the easier ones; snap beans, beets, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, eggplant, lettuce, onions, peppers, potatoes,pumpkins, radishes.
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I am considering growing a few tomato plants in an area that gets only partial sunlight. Would it be advisable to supplement light from a grow lamp, when natural light is not available? What about the use of mirrors to reflect sunlight to shaded areas?
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I have a porch tomato plant that has already started to fruit! Is it too early in the season to let this happen? Can you expound about early fruiting on container plants? Also give your best instructions on watering potted tomatoes? Thanks!
a general question i have for you…can Tomato plants be planted with other plants,such as Coleus?Or will the Coleus take all the nutrients from the fruits?
I have a 33 x 10 m glasshouse and a 30 X 40m shahdehouse I do not know how to use – I do not have time to grow commercially but want to use them – any tips or ideas?
tips for growing tomato plants in bucket
I just planted in seperate 4 gal pots, a San Diego Hybrid and a Better Boy using potting soil and 5-10-10- fertilizer. My question is how often do I water and fertilize them. I was told that chicken fertilizer made into a tea mix was good for tomatoes. Also can I use miracle grow?
My healthy looking container tomato plant has beautiful flowers, but they are drying up before setting any fruit. I had great success last year with this same container in the same location. Help—
I have planted tomatoes in large pots - one of the pots has tomatoes that has the leaves starting to curl – we water regularly and have fertilized twice – there are three plants per pot ( 10 gal pots ) – can you help me
I use 5 gallon containers with potting soil mixed with osmocote. Water with l/2 gal every morning. Now the bottom leaves are turning yellow. What should I do?
I have heirloom tomato plants in large containers using new potting soil. I water evenly and regularly. They get at least 8 hours of sun. I have some blossom end rot, not every tomato on every variety has it. I am using Tomato Maker 4-2-6 by Organic Laboratories Inc. which has 6% calcium. Also use Neptune Harvest Inc. fish and seaweed fertilizer 3-2-1. Both products used as directed and not applied at same time. How do I avoid getting blossom end rot? Thanks for your response. broomcarol
http://ipm.uiuc.edu/diseases/series900/rpd906/index.html
Hi, is there a fixed number on the yield of tomatoes grown in containers throughout the growing season, or does it all depend on when it’s planted, the size of the container, etc?
I have been trying to grow a tomato plant for around 1 1/2 months now. i keep up with watering, keep it in the sun and give it fertilizer but all of the leaves are droopy and the edges are dry and brown, everytime a tomato grows the bottom turns brown and dies. i have no idea what is happening to it. it is too high for animals to get at, and i even moved it out of the direct sun at times. what is wrong with my plant and why cant i keep it healthy?
I need some advice on my tomato plants.
The leaves seem to be dieing off and the fruit has a brownish colour at the bottom and they seem to be spitting.
The tomatoes have not yet ripened, but are near.
Any advice on what and how to treat the problem would be most appreciated.
Daniel
I am growing two Red Robin heirloom dwarf plants and recently transferred them into separate pots. Before I transferred them they were bothe doing fine. I noticed this week that some of the lower leaves have started to curl a little with some yellow and brown on the edges. Is this normal or could I have damaged the roots when I moved them. Neither had started flowering yet. I got a late start on planting them. I’m in southern GA and I know that the weather has been dry/humid and hot but I water them everyday. Any suggestions as to why the leaves started turning?
Sometimes the new growth on top of the tomato plant seems to be drying and taking a brownish color and then either its growth slows down or it dies. Another problem is, one day the plant is vigorously growing and then it suddenly wilts. Watering is consistent in both cases.
Hi Aura
Is this plant in a container or growing in the ground?
Answer: Growing in Containers.
Planting short season varieties tomatoes in containers is a great idea to get you the very first available tomato of the season! Container gardening is an excellent choice for gardeners who live in an apartment or house without a yard. Get a few plants established and give them reasonable care, and soon you’ll have – great results! Most important is to choose large enough containers or pots (larger is better) and to water properly.
i have two tomatoes growing in containers. one is an heirloom variety, the other was a from a church sale, so i don’t know. the “church one” is very tall. both have done very well, but over a week that i was away (a friend watered) the leaves have turned yellow and spotty on the church one, and i see some yellowing and spotting on the heirloom. it seems to be working it’s way up the plant. the church one is already half way up. i can’t tell if the spots on the leaves are an external powedery substance, or discoloring on the leaves.
I did introduce worms into the pots two weeks ago, accroding to a friend’s advice to help airate the soil, which seems to have become very compacted. What do you recommend? Are they too far along to repot?
Watering is essential. You have to be careful watering moist roots because the leafs are curling in hot weather. I have unpotted many plants with dead dry tops but soggy roots.
I mist my plants during the hottest part of the day (over 100) and hose down the outside of the pots to cool the roots but follow the at least 1 inch dry on top soil rule before watering roots. As long as the nighttime temps are below 80 degrees the plants will be OK. Watering too much in pots creates surface roots which do not perform well. Lots of leafs and little fruit. Planting down in the pots and adding soil as the plant progresses over several weeks seems to provide a deeper root system which is essential in a potted tomato plant. Like anything in life diversify types and locations to insure at least some crop for your tomato sauce. IMO.
Hi, I have better boy plants. One each in 12 inch pots. They are tall, producing yellow flowers, no fruit. They appear healty, but bottom leaves are turning yellow. I see after reading that I need to fertilize them more. My question is, do I need to transfer them to larger pots or are they okay in this size as they appear to be healthy. Also, I may put small rocks on top of soil to keep them from drying out in the heat here in NC. Thanks for any info you can give!
OK, thanks for info. (I don’t think my last post went thru)
my tomato plant is a upside, it has a lot of tomatoes
The plant seem to be drying and taking brownish color
What do you recommend?
because in an a close container I cant not see if the soil is dry or wet
Hot tomatoes
I bought a green house this spring and have it all up and going and everything I have planted so far has been wonderful at sprouting and growing strong. I have both a garden bed in my yard and have also been doing a lot of container gardening. This year I decided to try 18 gallon totes as my pots. They were 3.00 at home depot and for that kind of price and them being so much roomier than pots I figured it would be a good move. So far so good and I do not have too much a problem with the soil getting too hot. In 3 of these totes I have tomato plants that look great, I do of course have the battle of making sure to keep them hydrated. I live in Louisiana and we already have 90 degree day time temps. My main question is, should I go ahead and move my tomato plants out of the green house, or would they be just fine in there? It is SIGNIFICANTLY hotter in the green house, I would say on average between 100-110 on average according to my thermometer.
I also have potatoes, onion, garlic, corn, carrots, and bell peppers growing in the green house in totes. I also have another round of seedlings going for the tomatoes which just started sprouting.
I know I need to move out and so on with the plants, otherwise I would have no room in my green house it is only 6′X 8′. I am sure these totes will be super heavy considering each tote takes 80lbs of top soil and compos mixture.
Sorry so long.
Thank you very much for your advice. I will do so tomorrow. I have began opening the door during the day time hours due to the heat in there. I personally do not enjoy being in those hot of temperatures. A person quickly become dizzy in there. Louisiana is one hot sauna, I have 2 windows and a door in my green house, when I open the door it does become much cooler. I have been watering the tomato plants twice a day due to the heat and making sure that the soil is not soppy, but just moist. I am new to container gardening, but have really grown to enjoy it. I also believe I may have started a neighborhood trend with the storage tote gardening.
Basil insect repellent
I have a friend who swears by the organic practice of planting basil at the bottom of her tomato plants to keep the ugly green tomato worms from attacking. She claims that she hasn’t had a problem with them since she starting pairing the two plants. Does this work?
I just began planting my tomato plants and would like to know if “planting” them 2/3 in the pots makes for a stronger plant later in the summer? And what can I use for mulch for container plants? Thank you.
i have a cherry tomato plant in a pot on my patio, it has borne fruit but not a massive amount,so far anyway,like they usually do when i plant in the ground. i have put organic fert, green sand, and organic potting mix and epsom salt. the pot is large but not massive. could it be too small, and if so, could i transplant it at this point? thanks.
Every website that I go to says you must have big containers; half whiskey barrels, 15-20 gallon, etc…
This is a myth. I grow tomatoes until I am sick of looking at them every season using 3-5 gallon containers.
Granted you have to give them plenty of TLC. Top notch compost is what I like best, good make that GREAT cages, plenty of good mulch, and a consistent fertilization and watering plan.
Everything is important but if I had to stress one thing it is a good cage. The typical three ring types you see at the landscape supply houses are not effective. I make my own out of rolled wire.
I found this site via Bing and just wanted to take some time to say thanks for writing about these great growing tips. I will be sure email this site to my friends. Thanks again!
Thanks,
Thanks for all the posts and replies! My first tomato garden in containers just might survive the summer our hot patio thanks to you! Fertilizer, compost, mulch and basil here I come!
No flowers
My young tomato plants have lost their flowers. Do I have a problem?
Blossom end rot
I am growing container tomatoes. There are plenty of tomatoes on the vine but when they start to turn, the bottoms are turning brown. What do you think is causing this. Can you still eat the tomatoe and can this problem be fixed?
Hi,I have my plants in hanging bags. They started off doing great, but I am noticing some yellowing leaves and less flowers are coming. I don’t know how to fertilize the bags. They have a water reservoir on the top, that would be the easiest, but I don’t know what kind and the numbers for the fertilizer to use. Also, I’ve read to remove some of the non producing leaves, but I don’t know how to judge which ones will not produce flowers.
I’m new to all of this, so any advice is welcome.