How to Grow Tomatoes in Pots

Growing tomatoes in pots is one way to enjoy fresh tomatoes, even if you’ve never gardened before! Fresh tomatoes are becoming more expensive in stores, at farmer’s markets, and vegetable stands. But you don’t need to pay high prices for tomatoes, even if you don’t have room for a garden plot. Tomatoes are one of the easiest crops to grow.

Select a Sunny Spot

Choose a spot with easy access so you can monitor containers regularly, water plants and check for pests. Keep in mind that tomatoes need 6-8 hours of full sun a day.

Choosing containers for tomatoes

Use large pots to grow tomatoes. You can use a 5-gallon pot that is 12 inches wide and deep for a single plant of determinate variety, for an indeterminate type choose minimum 15-gallon size container.

Choosing a potting mix
Tomatoes grown in containers need a loose, well-drained soil with lots of organic matter. Successful gardeners recommend using a good potting mix rather than potting soil or garden soil. Potting soil can be too heavy for containers. Soil harvested straight from the garden is most likely infested with fungi, weed seeds, and pests.

Water Frequently
Containers dry out more quickly than an in-ground garden, so it’s important to check them daily. During hot, dry weather, expect to water tomatoes daily. When watering, add enough water to allow a small amount to drain out the bottom of the container. To reduce diseases, avoid spraying the foliage.

There are 6 easy steps to growing high-yield tomatoes!

Get the right types of tomatoes to grow in your climate. If you need tips, talk to a local expert.
2. Plant them in a trench with the top three inches uncovered.

3. Add a fourth to a half a cup of slow release fertilizer.

4. Wait until tomatoes are 30% ripe, and then pick them. Otherwise the birds will get them.

5. Erect a cage around each individual plant. It should be about five feet tall with a two foot diameter.

6. Side dress the tomatoes with two to three teaspoons of ammonium sulfate after they produce their first yield. Water afterward.