Introduction
So you
would like to grow a garden, but just don’t have the space? Perhaps you
live in an apartment, a townhouse, or just don’t have a suitable place in
your yard. Container vegetable
gardening may be what you are looking for. Just imagine picking ripe and
delicious organic tomatoes from your porch or patio and enjoying them on
salads or hamburgers? Tomatoes are not hard to grow in a large container,
and just one or two plants can keep you supplied with tomatoes all summer
long.
Just find
a spot with enough space for a pot and 6 to 8 hours or more of unshaded
direct sunlight a day, plus it needs to be sheltered from strong wind
gusts. Although tomatoes love heat, you don’t want a location that is over
100 degrees F, or your tomatoes might not fruit as well. If you live in a
hot climate, consider a spot where they have partial shade during the
hottest hours of the day. Perhaps there is suitable space in your yard or
along the sun side of your house, or on a balcony or window sill. Maybe a
doorstep, patio, or even a hanging basket. You have found the space for
your own mini-garden!
Choose the type of container
Almost
any type of container can be used for growing tomatoes, including wooden
boxes, bushel baskets, plastic or fiberglass buckets or drums. A 5 gallon
bucket is usually about right for most varieties of tomatoes. For cherry or
dwarf tomatoes, a 2 gallon container or even a hanging basket or window box
works well, since the fruit is small enough not to break the branches, as
opposed to large tomatoes, which need some support for the branches.
Tomatoes
have a large root structure, which can go down 5’ or more. They require
more root space than most other vegetables. If you use a container that is
solid based, it must have adequate drainage to avoid the plant sitting in
soggy soil all the time and rotting. If no drainage holes are present,
drill four or five ¼” drain holes on the sides about one half inch from the
bottom. One inch of course gravel or rock in the bottom of the container
helps to keep the holes draining. If you are using a container that has
been used for other plants, make sure and scrub it well to remove any
possible soil-born diseases. We prefer plastic over clay containers, since
plastic is less expensive, doesn’t break as readily as clay, and the soil
will not dry out as rapidly.
Choose a tomato variety
Most
varieties of tomatoes are suitable for growing in a container, but it is
generally easiest to begin with seedlings. You may buy your tomato seedling
transplants from a nursery or gardening center, or you can grow them
yourself. Whichever you choose, you need to watch for two things.
1. Match the tomato variety
with your climate. Most varieties require nights of at least 55 degrees F.
If you live in a cooler climate, you will need to choose a cool weather
variety.
2. Look for an indeterminate
variety of tomato. A determinate bushy variety of tomato only grows to a
certain size, then stops, and only bears for a few weeks. An indeterminate
vining variety of tomato grows slower, but can bear for months. However, if
you choose an indeterminate variety, be ready to use a cage or trellis to
support the vine and the ripening fruit.
Provide a nutrient dense soil
For your
soil, choose a good quality organic potting soil. You want a loose soil
with a good amount of organic matter. Don’t just dig up soil from a garden,
since it is generally too compact for a container garden, will not drain
properly, and may be infested with soil pests. Tomatoes need a good supply
of phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium. You can mix nutrients in to your
potting soil to help supply this, such as aged manure and peat moss, or your
own special compost mix. This will provide a steady supply of nutrition
throughout the year. You can add straw or dried grass clippings to supply
organic matter to enhance the soil. This will help to hold moisture, and
add nutrients as it breaks down. Another good mixture is 1 part potting
soil, 1 part per line, 1 part sphagnum peat moss, and 1 part
compost.
Plant your tomato seedlings
Now that
you have your soil ready, we are ready to plant. As mentioned before, start
with 1” of gravel or rocks in the bottom of the container. Place in your
preformed stake, trellis, or homemade cage that fits the container for the
tomato vine to climb on. This will keep the vine off of the ground and
protect branches from breaking under the weight of ripening fruit. Then add
in your soil mix.
Next,
bury a tomato plant seedling so that the soil comes up just below the first
set of leaves. This will help the plant develop a strong root structure
that potted plants need, as new roots will shoot out from the stem that has
been buried. Plant the seedling close to your stake, cage or trellis. When
done, you want the soil within about an inch of the rim of your container,
to allow for watering. Now go ahead and give it a good watering. If the
soil settles, add more soil to bring it up to 1” below the rim. You might
want to add a mulch, such as pebbles, shredded bark, grass clippings, or
straw, to help the soil to retain moisture.
Growing your own seedling transplants
For most
people, it is just easier to get it right by buying seedlings from a nursery
or garden center than to grow them. However, if you want to germinate your
own seeds, you can use a cardboard milk carton, a pot or a baking pan. Six
to eight weeks before you want to transplant them, fill your chosen
container with your soil mix, add your seeds, then cover with a quarter to
half inch of soil mix. Place the container in a warm area that receives
good sunlight. When they have 2 or 3 true leaves, you can transplant them
into your waiting container, being careful not to injure the root system.
Fertilizers
Tomatoes
require a lot of nutrition, and need foliar feedings about once every week
or two throughout the growing season. First, make sure the plants are well
watered. Then use a mixture of tea or manure tea, and add one teaspoon of
low sodium sea
mineral concentrate
per gallon of tea. The sea mineral concentrate gives your tomato plants the
full spectrum of nutrients from the ocean, improving taste, shelf life and
insect resistance. Put your tea mixture into a spray bottle and wet the
leaves, then wet the surface of the soil.
If you
don’t have a tea available to you, you may use 15-30-15 Miracle Gro®, or
Peters® 20-20-20. Always follow the directions on the label. In general,
add one teaspoon of the fertilizer and one teaspoon of sea mineral
concentrate to a gallon of water. Shake well, then put in your spray
bottle, wet the leaves, and wet the surface of the soil.
In
addition to foliar applications, every 2 to 4 weeks you can apply fish
emulsion or seaweed extract (or a slow-release fertilizer) to the soil to
keep your plants thriving and to keep the tomatoes coming.
Watering and care
Generally, when grown in a container, tomato plants need one to two inches
of water per week. A good way to tell if your tomatoes need water is to
stick your finger into the soil. If the top 2” are dry, it is time to
water. Never let your tomatoes completely dry out. As your tomatoes ripen,
water less, so that they don’t taste too watery.
If the
soil is too heavy and you don’t get good drainage, your soil may become
water-logged. When this happens, water displaces air in the soil, and your
plants suffocate. Also, when you water, don’t water the leaves, just the
soil. This will make for a healthier plant, and allow your foliar
applications of fertilizer to be more effective.
Avoiding
insect damage and disease
When you meet the nutritional
needs of your tomato plants, especially the full spectrum of nutrients
supplied by a
sea
mineral concentrate,
pests and disease become much less of a problem. However, check for foliage
and fruit-feeding insects every time you fertilize. If you see any, pest
eaters like lady bugs or green lacewings can be placed on the plant, or you
may use a natural plant derived insecticide like neem oil to kill the
pests. If you find a caterpillar, crush it so it won’t return, then look to
make sure there aren’t any more.
Harvesting
Vine-ripened tomatoes are at their peak of maturity and flavor. When
tomatoes are fully ripe, pick them. This will help to induce continued
fruit formation. By growing tomatoes in a container, you can enjoy their
delicious taste all summer long.
Common problems for container grown tomatoes
Plants are tall, spindly and
don’t produce many tomatoes.
-- Too little sunlight.
Plants yellow from the bottom
and lack good color.
-- Too much water, too
little nutrition.
Plants wilt even though there
is enough water.
-- Poor drainage
resulting in drowning of the roots.
Browning of leaf edges.
-- Foliar fertilizer is
too concentrated.
Plants grow too slowly, look
sick and have a purplish color.
-- Temperatures are too
cool.
Leaves have holes, or are
distorted.
-- A sign of Insect
damage.
Leaves are spotted, have dead
areas, or have powdery or rusty areas.
-- A sign of a plant
disease.
