No garden? No problem! There’s a solution for you.

Mmmm! Tomatoes! This amazing fruit is the most popular “vegetable” fruit to grow. Summer is not summer without the mouthwatering M-and-M (‘Maters and Mayo) sandwiches! Even if you don’t have garden space growing tomatoes in containers is a viable option so long as you have a sunny spot.

If you don’t have a location that gets sun most of the day, to grow tomatoes in containers might be the solution. You can place your potted tomatoes on a rolling plant caddy with wheels so that you can more easily move the plant around to chase the sun.

And… it will be worth it!

Experiment with Color

You can add visual interest to your container gardening or edible landscape area by growing different colored tomatoes.

We’ve planted  a mixed colored packet of larger tomatoes, purple, yellow, orange, and of course … red tomatoes!  

If you’re interested in how to build your own tomato cages and plant supports we have an article on that.

Grow different colored tomatoes in containers to add visual interest to your patio or edible landscape.

Big Flavor in Little Tomatoes

Little tomatoes do well in containers, and are especially good for folks who don’t have the time or the space for a full-on garden. We hear it all the time, as variations on this theme:

“I don’t have time… or the space… or the knees… or the back… for a garden, but I just want a couple of tomato plants.”

We get it! Tomatoes are the one fruit—typically eaten as a vegetable—that never tastes as good from the store as what you can grow at home. Even the higher priced “vine ripened” varieties of store-bought, while better, still cannot compare to homegrown.

The best tomatoes to grow in containers are the smaller varieties often called cherry or grape tomatoes. These are are perfect for apartment dwellers, or those growing on balconies, decks and patios.

5 Tomatoes Good to Grow in Containers

Excerpted from the GardeningChannel.com^[1]https://www.gardeningchannel.com/best-patio-tomato-varieties/

• Tiny Tim Tomatoes (45 Days)
  • round red 3/4″ diameter
  • 1.5′ tall plant
  • Small pots or window sill garden
    
• Yellow Canary Tomatoes (55 Days), dwarf variety
  • Yellow fruit, 1″ in diameter
  • Can also tolerate lower levels of light
  • Can be grown in pots as small as 7 inches

• Patio Princess Tomatoes, (70 Days) – Hybrid
  • 3-4 oz. red fruits
  • 2′ tall plant, green bushy and productive fruit
  • 12″ (or larger) containers

• Tumbling Tom Tomatoes, (70 Days) – Hybrid
  • 1½” to 2″ red or yellow fruits
  • Great for hanging baskets and containers
  • 12″ pot – can grow 3 pl close together, e.g., 3 plants/12″ pot

• Window Box Roma Tomatoes (70 Days)
  • 2″ red fruits, long shelf life post harvesting
  • Disease-resistant.^[2]https://www.gardeningchannel.com/best-patio-tomato-varieties/

Growing Healthy Tomatoes in Containers

Excerpted from YoutTube Video by Jeff Bernhard, the Executive Gardener

Jeff Bernhard talks about how to care for tomatoes to keep them healthy and prevent disease in the plant.

Common Problems in Container Growing

• SYMPTOM: Leaves turn yellow
  • CAUSE: Magnesium deficiency
    • SOLUTION: Epsom salt – spray the leaves

Blossom End Rot

• SYMPTOM: Blossom end rot – low to no flowers
  • CAUSE: Low calcium
    • SOLUTION: Calcium nitrate sprayed on leaves

• SYMPTOM: Not many flower sets
  • CAUSE: Low phosphorous
    • SOLUTION: Fish bone meal

POTTED TOMATOES NEED:
Magnesium, calcium and phosphorous.

Greenhouse Pollination Tip: Use an electric tooth brush to vibrate the blossom stems to release pollen.

SOURCE: Executive Gardener YouTube

You can find more on container gardening in this article on growing potatoes in bags and containers.

What types of tomatoes are you growing this season and are you growing any in pots? Come share on the GardensAll Facebook Page or send us a note.

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