Do you lack enough space for a big vegetable garden? Don’t worry; here is the good news! You can still grow your tomatoes in pots successfully. Although the practice can be challenging, various ways of growing healthy and delicious tomatoes in containers exist. Do you want to learn more? Here are the four tips for growing tomatoes in pots.
The tips for growing tomatoes in pots include choosing the suitable tomato variety and planting them in huge containers and deep holes.
Other tips for growing healthy fruits are watering and feeding your tomato plants with essential nutrients daily.
Also, place your pots in spaces that receive full sunlight for perfectly ripe potted tomatoes. Remember to give them some extra care for the best results.
4 Tips for Growing Tomatoes in Pots
A full vegetable garden is optional to yield tens or hundreds of tomato pounds. Read the following tips to help you learn how to successfully grow healthy and delicious tomatoes in pots.
1. Choose the suitable tomato variety
Although growing tomatoes in pots is now a common practice, not all tomato plant varieties thrive in containers. Therefore, choose the patio or the bush potato type, which produces loads of tomato fruits in pots. It’s among the smallest tomato plant and usually grows 1-3 feet tall before it starts fruiting.
So, if you want healthy tomatoes for your container vegetable garden, plant the following pot-friendly patio varieties;
- Small Fry
- Patio Choice Yellow
- Pixie
- Bush Early girl
- Tiny Tim
- Tumbler
2. Grow your tomatoes in huge pots
Tomato plants have wide roots and require enough room for root development. So, it would be best to choose large containers that can hold over 5 gallons of soil for them to flourish. These huge pots will also give your tomatoes enough nutrients and moisture.
The best one for a single tomato seedling is the 2 square feet or 5-gallon bucket. However, you can still use the one-square-foot container. Remember to make good drainage and ensure the roots remain moist.
3. Make deep holes for your tomato plants
The aim of growing tomatoes in pots is for them to flourish, so you must plant them deeply. Therefore, dig deep holes and ensure you bury most of the seedlings in them. This will enable your tomato plant to develop deep, strong, and wide roots for Attractive results.
4. Water and feed your plants regularly
Feed your tomato plants after every two weeks with essential nutrients like Nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous. Apply a slow-release fertilizer that is tomato-specific.
Additionally, remember to water them at least once daily for healthy fruits. However, irrigate each morning and afternoon when the weather is windy or hot.
Things to remember:
- Do not water late in the evening to avoid making the soil soggy
- Irrigate deeply during each watering session
- Water consistently to prevent cracking and splitting of fruits
- Never leave the plants dry, as they might weaken and wilt
Also read: Dos and Dont’s of Growing Tomatoes
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes in pots?
A: For your newly planted tomato plants, apply fertilizer with a balanced ratio of Nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. The best one with a 1-1-1 ratio is 20-20-20. Once the tomatoes begin flowering, start applying a high-potassium fertilizer.
Q: Do tomatoes need a lot of direct sunlight?
A: Tomatoes require at least 8 hours of direct sunlight daily to grow healthy. For this reason, place your potted tomato plants in direct sunlight unless your place receives high temperatures throughout the season. In this case, make a dappled shade for your plants.
Conclusion
Growing potatoes in pots can be challenging. However, there are things you can do to get hundreds of pounds of healthy and delicious tomato fruits.
The tips for growing tomatoes in pots include; choosing the suitable variety, planting in huge pots and deep holes, and watering and feeding the plants regularly. Placing the pots in direct sun is also necessary, as tomatoes love the full sunlight.
