How to Grow Tomatoes in Pots
Don’t have much space for a garden? All you need is a sunny spot and a large container to grow this favorite summer crop
Lauren Dunec Hoang
April 19, 2020
Houzz Editor; landscape designer and former garden editor for Sunset Magazine and in-house designer for Sunset's Editorial Test Garden. Her garden designs have been featured in the Sunset Western Garden Book of Landscaping, Sunset Western Garden Book of Easy-Care Plantings (cover), Inhabitat, and POPSUGAR.
Houzz Editor; landscape designer and former garden editor for Sunset Magazine and... More
Tomatoes are one of the most rewarding edible plants to grow yourself, as their flavor is so much better than what you typically find at the grocery store. Plus, there are all the fun varieties to choose from. Don’t worry if your outdoor space is limited. All you need to grow your own tomato plant is a good-size container and a sunny spot on a patio or balcony.
Plant tomatoes in spring (once nighttime temperatures are over 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or 4.4 degrees Celsius, in your region), and you’ll soon be enjoying the fruits of your labor. Here’s what you need to know about growing tomatoes in pots.
Plant tomatoes in spring (once nighttime temperatures are over 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or 4.4 degrees Celsius, in your region), and you’ll soon be enjoying the fruits of your labor. Here’s what you need to know about growing tomatoes in pots.
1. Pick a Sunny Spot
Tomato plants thrive — and produce more tomatoes — when they’re in a spot that receives at least six hours, but better yet eight hours, of direct sunlight. (This applies to growing tomatoes in pots or in the ground.)
It’s easy to overestimate how much sun a spot in your garden or patio receives. To gauge whether it’s a good spot for growing a tomato, head outside in the morning, midday and afternoon, and see how much sun an area receives. Shoot for six to eight hours of direct sun.
Although daylight hours increase in the summer, the path the sun makes through the sky also changes, creating slightly different sun and shade patterns in your yard. If you’re growing tomatoes in a walled courtyard or next to a fence, you may need to adjust the position of your potted tomato as the season goes on in order to maximize sun.
Tomato plants thrive — and produce more tomatoes — when they’re in a spot that receives at least six hours, but better yet eight hours, of direct sunlight. (This applies to growing tomatoes in pots or in the ground.)
It’s easy to overestimate how much sun a spot in your garden or patio receives. To gauge whether it’s a good spot for growing a tomato, head outside in the morning, midday and afternoon, and see how much sun an area receives. Shoot for six to eight hours of direct sun.
Although daylight hours increase in the summer, the path the sun makes through the sky also changes, creating slightly different sun and shade patterns in your yard. If you’re growing tomatoes in a walled courtyard or next to a fence, you may need to adjust the position of your potted tomato as the season goes on in order to maximize sun.
2. Choose a Large Container
In general, you want to choose the largest container you can get your hands on. Tomatoes grow on giant, rambling, shrubby vines and need enough soil to support their growth. Plus, larger containers with deeper soil reservoirs are slower to dry out, giving you more of a buffer with your watering.
Select a container that has a soil depth of at least 18 inches, ideally more than 2 feet of soil, or a total soil volume of about 20 gallons. Galvanized-metal water troughs can make excellent vessels for growing tomatoes, as do wine barrels. As with any container, make sure that there are drainage holes before planting, drilling them yourself if necessary.
Note: When using metal containers, including feed troughs, avoid placing them in baking-heat settings or on asphalt, which can cause roots to burn.
Browse outdoor pots and planters in the Houzz Shop
In general, you want to choose the largest container you can get your hands on. Tomatoes grow on giant, rambling, shrubby vines and need enough soil to support their growth. Plus, larger containers with deeper soil reservoirs are slower to dry out, giving you more of a buffer with your watering.
Select a container that has a soil depth of at least 18 inches, ideally more than 2 feet of soil, or a total soil volume of about 20 gallons. Galvanized-metal water troughs can make excellent vessels for growing tomatoes, as do wine barrels. As with any container, make sure that there are drainage holes before planting, drilling them yourself if necessary.
Note: When using metal containers, including feed troughs, avoid placing them in baking-heat settings or on asphalt, which can cause roots to burn.
Browse outdoor pots and planters in the Houzz Shop
priscillatorres.com
You can get away with a slightly smaller pot if you choose a determinate tomato variety, which stops growing at a certain height. Determinate tomatoes, like ‘Better Bush’ or ‘Ida Gold’, form smaller, bushier plants that need less soil and less staking to support their growth.
Many tomatoes, including most heirlooms, are indeterminate and keep growing, reaching 6 or more feet tall. For indeterminate tomatoes, choose the largest pots you can find. If you’re planting multiple tomatoes in pots, leave a few inches between containers to help with air circulation.
Many tomatoes, including most heirlooms, are indeterminate and keep growing, reaching 6 or more feet tall. For indeterminate tomatoes, choose the largest pots you can find. If you’re planting multiple tomatoes in pots, leave a few inches between containers to help with air circulation.
If you’re growing tomatoes from seed, start the seeds in seed trays. Pot up the seedlings in small containers, like the ones pictured here (make sure your pots have drainage holes), and then transplant them to a larger container when they reach about 4 to 6 inches tall.
3. Plant Your Tomato Deep
Select your container and place it in the sunny spot you’ve chosen.
Fill roughly the bottom half of the container with fresh potting soil and any soil amendments you’d like, such as compost, kelp meal, bone meal or slow-release fertilizer pellets.
Then place your tomato seedling on the center of the mound of soil. Adjust the height of the potting soil so that only two sets of two leaves of the tomato plant will be exposed above the soil level once the pot is filled to the top.
This technique (called deep planting) triggers the plant to form roots along the stem below the soil level, promoting a strong, healthy root system for the tomato plant. A system of healthy roots equals stronger plants and more tomatoes.
Select your container and place it in the sunny spot you’ve chosen.
Fill roughly the bottom half of the container with fresh potting soil and any soil amendments you’d like, such as compost, kelp meal, bone meal or slow-release fertilizer pellets.
Then place your tomato seedling on the center of the mound of soil. Adjust the height of the potting soil so that only two sets of two leaves of the tomato plant will be exposed above the soil level once the pot is filled to the top.
This technique (called deep planting) triggers the plant to form roots along the stem below the soil level, promoting a strong, healthy root system for the tomato plant. A system of healthy roots equals stronger plants and more tomatoes.
Once you have the height of the seedling set, backfill the container with fresh potting soil, leaving two sets of two leaves exposed above the soil level. Water well after planting.
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4. Add a Growing Support
Almost all tomato plants need support to grow — with the exception of small determinate varieties. Although your just-planted baby tomato plant doesn’t look as if it will need staking anytime soon, get your support in place now in order to avoid trying to wrestle a full-grown tomato plant into a cage later.
If you’re using bamboo or other wooden stakes, put one stake in the soil at the center of the plant and an optional three or four stakes around the edges of the pot to help support future lateral branches. Later on, you can loop string around the outer stakes to form a loose cage.
If you’ve purchased tomato cages, get them in place now with the tomato plant at the center. Plant ties can be useful for fastening the main stem and thick lateral branches to whatever type of trellis you’ve chosen to use.
Shop for tomato cages and garden trellises
Almost all tomato plants need support to grow — with the exception of small determinate varieties. Although your just-planted baby tomato plant doesn’t look as if it will need staking anytime soon, get your support in place now in order to avoid trying to wrestle a full-grown tomato plant into a cage later.
If you’re using bamboo or other wooden stakes, put one stake in the soil at the center of the plant and an optional three or four stakes around the edges of the pot to help support future lateral branches. Later on, you can loop string around the outer stakes to form a loose cage.
If you’ve purchased tomato cages, get them in place now with the tomato plant at the center. Plant ties can be useful for fastening the main stem and thick lateral branches to whatever type of trellis you’ve chosen to use.
Shop for tomato cages and garden trellises
5. Water Regularly
Regular, consistent water is the key to keeping container tomatoes happy. Water about twice a week (or more where summers are hot and dry), aiming to keep the soil consistently moist but not too wet. Too little water will produce weak and unhealthy plants that are more susceptible to diseases. Too much water can cause the roots to rot and the tomatoes to split.
Avoid getting water on tomato leaves, which can lead to tomato blight and fungus. Setting up a drip irrigation system is the easiest way to make sure your tomato plants get the consistent moisture they need — and will put your mind at ease if you leave for a week.
Find an irrigation professional near you
Regular, consistent water is the key to keeping container tomatoes happy. Water about twice a week (or more where summers are hot and dry), aiming to keep the soil consistently moist but not too wet. Too little water will produce weak and unhealthy plants that are more susceptible to diseases. Too much water can cause the roots to rot and the tomatoes to split.
Avoid getting water on tomato leaves, which can lead to tomato blight and fungus. Setting up a drip irrigation system is the easiest way to make sure your tomato plants get the consistent moisture they need — and will put your mind at ease if you leave for a week.
Find an irrigation professional near you
6. Fertilize Plants
Tomato plants are moderate feeders. Since containers have limited soil and nutrient reserves, plan to fertilize tomatoes about once every other week during the early growing period and then taper off once tomatoes begin to ripen.
Use a well-balanced fertilizer formulated for tomatoes and other summer crops (organic fish emulsion is great if you don’t mind the smell). Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers that can promote thick stalk and leaf growth, rather than signaling to plants to set tomatoes.
Tomato plants are moderate feeders. Since containers have limited soil and nutrient reserves, plan to fertilize tomatoes about once every other week during the early growing period and then taper off once tomatoes begin to ripen.
Use a well-balanced fertilizer formulated for tomatoes and other summer crops (organic fish emulsion is great if you don’t mind the smell). Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers that can promote thick stalk and leaf growth, rather than signaling to plants to set tomatoes.
3 Common Mistakes When Growing Tomatoes in Pots
1. Too small of a container. Starting with an itty-bitty pot is probably the most common trap for those new to growing tomatoes in containers. Are your plants wilting too quickly? The container is too small. Do plants look sickly and nutrient-deprived? Most likely the container is too small. Are your plants not setting many tomatoes? Make sure the container isn’t too small. Sure, it’s often a combination of factors, but starting off with a large container is your best chance of success.
2. Not enough water. Containers placed in full sun can dry out quickly. Add a water-hungry plant like a tomato into the container, and you have two forces pulling water from the pot. Planting tomatoes in pots isn’t the time to try out “dry farming” (intentionally starving a plant of water to form flavor-intensive fruit). In containers, aim to keep the plant as healthy as possible. Start with a large container, which will dry out more slowly, and set up a regular watering system to keep plants happy.
3. Not enough sun. Tomatoes like sun, sun and more sun. If your tomato plant looks leggy or isn’t properly setting tomatoes, try moving the container to a spot where it will receive six to eight hours of direct sun.
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10 Easy Edibles to Grow in Containers
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1. Too small of a container. Starting with an itty-bitty pot is probably the most common trap for those new to growing tomatoes in containers. Are your plants wilting too quickly? The container is too small. Do plants look sickly and nutrient-deprived? Most likely the container is too small. Are your plants not setting many tomatoes? Make sure the container isn’t too small. Sure, it’s often a combination of factors, but starting off with a large container is your best chance of success.
2. Not enough water. Containers placed in full sun can dry out quickly. Add a water-hungry plant like a tomato into the container, and you have two forces pulling water from the pot. Planting tomatoes in pots isn’t the time to try out “dry farming” (intentionally starving a plant of water to form flavor-intensive fruit). In containers, aim to keep the plant as healthy as possible. Start with a large container, which will dry out more slowly, and set up a regular watering system to keep plants happy.
3. Not enough sun. Tomatoes like sun, sun and more sun. If your tomato plant looks leggy or isn’t properly setting tomatoes, try moving the container to a spot where it will receive six to eight hours of direct sun.
More on Houzz
10 Easy Edibles to Grow in Containers
Find a landscape designer
Shop for lawn and garden products
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Hiw often do you need to replace the potting mix when you grow tomatoes in a
I wonder if the Irish Spring soap would deter the squirrels in my tomatoes. I am about to give up altogether. Every year I spend a lot of money on tomato plants, soil, and the pots and supports were an investment as well. This year I got 5 cherry tomatoes for myself. Some little brown furry guy must have been momentarily inattentive. I don't mind sharing but I am getting none whatsoever. You can buy such good ones now. I live in the city with a fence and don't have a deer problem. I do have rabbits as well though. Most years they eat the pansies to a nub. This year they have not.So now I'm worried about them.
The critters usually want water, put out a pan of it and see if they leave your tomatoes alone. Also hair from your brush is an option.