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Growing Tomatoes

Best tomato varieties for containers?

14 years ago

Hello,

I'd like to know what varieties of tomatoes are best for growing in containers. I know that the determinate varieties are recommended, but is it possible to grow indeterminate ones as well, or do these not work well in containers?

There are indeterminate varieties that I really want to try, but I have to move so I will be losing my beloved garden plot and have to settle for containers. :(

Does anyone know if Anna Russian, Amish Paste, Paul Robeson, Stump of the World, Neves Azozan, Riesentraube (cherry tomato), would grow well in containers?

Thanks.

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Comments (6)

solanaceae
14 years ago
Hi snoop92 ,

You will find this question all over this board.I suggest you do a search. You can grow any tomato in a container. To do an indeterminate you will need to decide which cultural method you prefer. If you are space consciouses, money conscious or like to cage and forget. Generally it will range from 5 gal to about 20 gal.
sillyrib
14 years ago
Any variety can be grown in containers to varying degrees of success. I find that Paste tomatoes are difficult due to ber as are any elongated or oxheart varieties. It really depends on the quality of your setup. Dont expect to plant a sudduth into a 5 gallon bucket with soil and expect to get any tomatoes. OTOH, a whiskey barrel with good potting mix, mulched, with a drip or earthbox system would work nicely. cherries will generally work in almost any pot.
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Edit: my Early Girl works fine in a container. I am using 10 gallons, with drip irrigation, but might move to two 5 gallon pots in future, as explained below. Here's a thought. People will often say that a 15 gallon tomato outproduces a 5 gallon plant. But is that the right comparison? Shouldn't the 15 gallon tomato outproduce THREE 5 gallon plants? Otherwise it is a mismatched comparison. Yeah, if you want more tomatoes use more mix (and square footage), but surely there is a sweet point (possibly a different one for different locations) that will determine pot size vs pot count. (Oh, and since I just noticed it in a random image on the internets, if you say "I am using 20 gallon pots," and then you show pots only half full of mix, "no, you are not.") This post was edited by johns.coastal.patio on Fri, May 23, 14 at 11:27
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Which one of these varieties is best for a container?
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The container is about 2 1/2 feet by 1 foot by 1 foot deep. I know it should be bigger, but I figured some tomatoes are better than none. So do you think the Cherry Romas, then, or should I refuse to donate my plants and make her get a patio tomato, LOL?
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Have you tired using actual cages (not the 3 ring things) on them rather than stakes? Much better support and lateral containment. I too grow some plants in Earthboxes but find the support system they sell to be useless. Using 5'6" CRW cages many of us make ourselves (lots of discussions here about them) works 100 times better. As to varieties - if you grow your own from seed then you have hundreds of choices but if you buy your transplants then your choices are limited. Tatianas Tomatobase lists several hundred tomato varieties suitable for containers, dwarf, determinant, semi-indeterminant, etc. but the majority of them have to be grown from seed. Personally this year in containers I am growing Bella Rosa, Bush Champion, Bush Early Girl, Principe Borghese, Japanese Black Trifele, Better Bush, Margo, etc. just to name a few. But in my Earthboxes I grow only 1 plant, not 2 and most of my containers are 15-25 gallon tubs. You should also check all the tomatoes discussions over on the Container Gardening forum here for more suggestions. Dave Here is a link that might be useful: TT - Container Tomato varieties
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I second kumquat. They are small, hardy, ornamental, and less common. I haven't tasted a Fukushu yet, so it's great to see Steve's recommendation. Meiwa taste fantastic, but it's seedy. The first photo is Fukushu planted 8 months ago. Both Meiwa are in ground as shown in the second and third. In Southern California we have it easy, my hat's off to you northern growers.
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azruss
14 years ago
This season alone has convinced me that you can grow ANY tomato variety in an 18 gallon or larger self-watering container (SWC) with the proper potting mix and tomato plant fertilizer. This year I have Neves, Goose Creek, Stupice, Hawaiian Tropic and Gardener's Delight among others--all large plants--very happily growing and producing in these containers. As a backyard gardener, I am a SWC convert.
digdirt2
14 years ago
Anna Russian, Amish Paste, Paul Robeson, Stump of the World, Neves Azozan, Riesentraube

Those are all pretty big plants.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Container tomato plant discussions
chalstonsc
14 years ago
Snoop-
Grew Anna Russian for the first time last year in a 5 gallon bucket. Got quite a few large DELICIOUS
tomatoes over a long season. First time growing an oxheart, so don't have any comparisons, but I was pleased enough that Anna was one of four varieties strong enough to make it back this year, against some great competition from a dozen new varieties, all indeterminate or semi determinate, all in containers.
tn_veggie_gardner
14 years ago
I've grown Roma, Early Girl, San Marzano Organic, Cherry & a few others in containers. Pretty much all varieties will work in a container. Some need larger size pots than others. Potting mixes may need to be different, along with feeding, watering, etc..

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