You’ll Love Growing Tomatoes in Pots!

How I grow bug — and disease-free tomatoes in containers.

I used to have enormous gardens and so could plant row after row of tomatoes. I no longer have space for a large garden, so I grow my tomatoes in containers. Pots! I call them pots.

I learned to grow tomatoes from my husband’s Uncle Red. He was an avid gardener and president of several garden clubs. Sometimes I think men may be the best gardeners. And sometimes I want to kick myself for that thought. Anyway, I learned.

We’re lucky today because there are so many resources to teach us how to grow food. But it can be overwhelming. When I teach at private gardens, I say:

My goal is to inspire you to relax and enjoy the process.

Lessons on growing tomatoes or any food should cost you nothing. Save your money for plants, seeds, and supplies.

You’ll discover what style gardener feels right with you and whose information best meets your needs. It’s an adventure. Let’s make it fun.

If you’ve grown tomatoes in containers and just want my secret planting tips that work skip down a few headings.

Things I Love About Growing Tomatoes in Pots

There are many ways to garden and each has its pros and cons. Just as we all have color preferences, we have gardening preferences. It’s all good.

Even with my limited space, I’ll occasionally pop a tomato plant in the ground. It makes me appreciate containers and here are a few reasons why.

• It’s easier to control the amount of water.
• I can move pots throughout the season.
• It’s easier to do trimming.
• It’s easier to check that they have no stress, diseases, or pests.
• I can use them as a privacy screen!
• They’re pretty plants. I love to watch them grow.

The Containers

When planted in the ground, either in a traditional garden or raised bed, plant roots can stretch out to gain access to water and nutrients. This luxury isn’t available in a pot, so I suggest you use the biggest container you can.

I’ve experimented with different-sized pots and now use whatever is available with confidence.

• If you’re growing on your patio or balcony, self-watering containers are the way to go as they are pretty. You can make your own.
• There are lots of options for self-watering pots. Some are elaborate and some simple. All are okay.
• Large pots will give roots more room, something that holds at least five gallons of soil would be best.
• Small pots will dry out faster and restrict root growth. You’ll also have to take more care with soil nutrients. Dilute the solution of whatever you decide to feed your plants in half. Then divide into seven one-gallon containers and fill with water and water daily with a little of that solution. Finish watering, as usual.
• Other growing systems abound, so have fun exploring. I like inexpensive simple systems. You may like elaborate systems. If I had the money, I’d invest in beautiful pots and arches.

I’ve reviewed what’s on the market and it really doesn’t matter which system you choose. Most of the sites I’ve visited had solid information, but each kinda’ made me nuts. They have a product to sell and I get that. Trust your gut and experiment.

Supports

Contrary to popular garden chat, tomatoes don’t need cages or staking. I stuck mine in the ground and gathered buckets of yummy tomatoes without much ado.

Growing them in containers, you’ll need to support the vines. There are lovely small-sized plants that you can grow in a hanging pot. I do that from time to time.

I like poles and string. It does not look like much at first, but as the plants fill in, it’s a food forest. You can get fancy if growing for a large family or keep it simple as I do. I use three bamboo poles and weave with jute.

Tomato cages come in various sizes and colors. Honestly, I just use the tomato cages for pepper plants.

Potting Soil

I mix my own soil, but starting out, I recommend a commercial mix. I hate saying this, but stick with one of the bigger established companies. Miracle Grow, Scots, and Happy Frog are some I’m familiar with. No links. Garden centers are helpful, so check out your local one. Smaller centers often have the most knowledgeable staff.

Self-watering pots may recommend a special potting mix. The key thing is the soil needs to draw up water from the bottom.

Don’t use garden soil or raised bed soil until you have some success behind you.

Planting Basics

Do your searches and enjoy. If some technique appeals to you, go with it. If someone tells you their way is the best or only way and buy my stuff, laugh and look elsewhere. There are lots of ways to grow food.

Depth

Tomatoes root all along the stem so trim off leaves and stems and plant deeply leaving the top leaves.

You’ll see videos of people laying them in a trench. That’s okay too, I just prefer my roots deep underground to start. Each year you grow food, you will find your own ways.

Distance

Plants will come with recommended planting distances, as will seed packets. The main thing is to keep good airflow between plants and plan how you will access the plant.

When I plant in the ground, I plant close so they can hold each other up. You’ll hear screaming from some gardeners.

When

Follow planting times in your area. If you know a gardener, visit them and find out what they do.

My Secret Planting Trick That Works #1

I always have the first tomatoes in town and enough for all the locals to have their first BLT.

For the earliest tomatoes in town, I double-pot one or two plants. Let’s use the five-gallon bucket as an example. I put the five-gallon pail in a large tote and then put leaves, straw, or even sticks between the two. This insulates the bucket.

I also double pot in clay pots with smaller-sized tomatoes. When I do, I use a pretty clay pot for the exterior pot and a lighter-weight plastic pot inside. I can remove the planting pot if needed.

After planting the tomato plant, I cover it with cut-off plastic milk jugs. I don’t drink milk, so I use vinegar jugs. I’ve also made strange tents with a tomato cage and plastic wrap. Point it — warm up the soil and plant.

My Secret Planting Trick That Works #2

My secret is to bury a plastic water bottle, plastic flower pot, or small clay pot into the planting soil at the edge of the growing pot. Select this second pot to fit into the edge of the planting container. The photo below shows my technique.

Leave about an inch of the plastic pot on the surface of the soil.

If using a 5-gallon bucket, you need a tall narrow insert. I insert the tip end of water bottles with the bottom cut out.

Fill the submerged pot 1/3 full of worm castings. Water through this pot once a day. Each watering will give the plant a mild tea. Refill the worm castings about once a month. I also add any other nutrients through the worm casting.

My Secret Planting Trick That Works #3

I always plant basil with tomatoes. Red told me it repels insects and tomato hornworms. The experts say there is no proof. Fine, but I’ve never had a hornworm or any other bug. Red also said basil improves the flavor of the tomato. I’ve no opinion on that.

I always plant either garlic, chives, shallots, or onions with my tomatoes. Red said these deter pests and improve soil activity. When planting onions, I use them as green onions and keep replanting throughout the season.

If the pot is as large as the one in the photo, I might stick in a marigold or two. These also repel pests. Plus, they look pretty late in the season.

Borage is a wonderful flower to plant in the garden because it attracts pollinators. It also deters tomato hornworm. You can see borage plants coming up along the edge of the sidewalk in the photo. These reseed themselves, and I let them do their thing.

With each vegetable plant, I have a flower and an herb alongside.

I did this in my enormous gardens and continue this technique in my container.

I call it bouquet planting. Everyone else calls it companion planting.

Watering

As I mentioned above, it’s easier to manage moisture in a container. Tomatoes don’t like to dry out. Plan on watering very well once a day. Two or three times if the weather is hot and dry.

It’s a kind of art form. When you water, you want to water thoroughly. Begin by watering slightly and moving on to other plants. Then come back, and finish watering. That first drink prepares the soil to accept the water. If you rush it, the water can run right through and not saturate the soil completely.

Tomatoes like consistency. They don’t like dry soil, and they don’t like being soggy.

Fertilizing

I use fish emulsion diluted half strength about once every two weeks. I pour milk and molasses on the soil once every six weeks. One-half cup milk and one teaspoon molasses. I really don’t measure. About three times a season, I add Epsom salts.

My son grows the most beautiful tomatoes. His secret formula is Miracle Grow for Tomatoes at half-strength mixed with fish-emulsion at half strength applied every seven to ten days. He gets huge crops of magnificent, perfect tomatoes with excellent flavor.

I have adapted this some years to containers by diluting farther and watering with it more often.

Tending Your Plants

1. After they're established pick off stems a good six inches near the soil. This keeps soil off the plant.
2. Prune regularly according to the method you select.
3. Pick off the first blossoms. You want green growth early and fruit growth later. Picking off the first blooms directs energy to strengthen the plant.
4. Visit your tomato every day.
5. You’ll see videos of tomato plants loaded with fruit and no leaves. This is a form of forcing fruit. I think it’s mean and ugly. But it’s up to you. I’ve not noticed they warn viewers about sun-scald. This is a sunburn for the tomato and occurs in sunny weather when no leaves are protecting the fruit.
6. Storms happen. Just trim your plant and it will recover.
7. Tomatoes don’t like rainy cold weather. I have old sheets I toss over them sometimes. Usually, I just let them be and they recover. Just expect growth to slow if the temperature drops.
8. In hot dry weather, give them a misting or shower early in the morning.

I’ve learned a lot since my first tomato growing lessons from my husband’s Uncle Red. I will continue to experiment and learn from other gardeners.

Limited space doesn’t need to prevent you from growing food, even tomatoes. A friend who is nuts about tomatoes recommended I get the catalog from Totally Tomatoes. Not an affiliate, just passing information along.

I’m delighted to think I may help you discover the joys of gardening. Thank you for reading and I hope you fall in love with growing your own tomatoes in pots.