Harvesting tomatoes from your own garden is a real treat in summer! But if you don’t have a garden and still love tomatoes, you can also grow the delicious vegetable on the balcony. You can simply plant tomatoes in tubs and enjoy an equally good harvest. Follow this detailed guide to learn how to grow tomato plants in containers and the care needed for healthy growth.
Advantages of growing tomatoes in pots
Growing tomatoes in pots has several advantages. Growing your tomato plants in containers saves space. You can place the tubs on a terrace, balcony, driveway or in border beds. You can place your containers in different locations to follow the sunlight that tomatoes need to grow healthily. Young plants can be transplanted earlier in the growing season than in soil. Tomato plants in containers are less susceptible to pests and diseases.
What do you have to consider when planting tomatoes in containers?
Choose a location with 8 to 10 hours of sun, because tomatoes love sunny locations to thrive. Tomatoes need a large container to thrive. Plant them in a pot large enough for the tomato plant to receive adequate water and nutrients during the growing season.
It is also important that you choose the right type of tomato. There are varieties that are suitable as tomato plants for container cultivation (called bush, compact or patio plants). Recommended tomato varieties for growing in containers are: Glacier, Red Siberian, Italian Roma, Supremo Roma, Cherry Falls
If you plant tomatoes in pots, they need to be well hardened so that they are ready to develop outside in the sun. Wait until any danger of frost has passed before placing your plants on the balcony or patio.
Which soil to use for tomatoes in the bucket
When growing tomatoes in pots, use high-quality soil. Potting soil is well suited. Use a loose, light potting soil that allows the roots to grow unhindered and helps moisture and air to penetrate well. How to prepare the soil: Spread about 10 cm of potting soil on the bottom of the tub and add the following additives to the soil:
1/2 cup tomato/vegetable fertilizer
1/4 cup fishmeal
1/4 cup bone meal
2 Aspirintabletten
A handful of crushed eggshells
Mix all the ingredients well and then spread another 2 to 3 centimeters of potting soil on top.
How do you plant tomatoes in containers
Plant the tomatoes deep in the ground for better root development. Be sure to dig a hole deep enough to cover two-thirds of the tomato stem to encourage root growth. When planting a tomato seedling, remove the bottom few leaves and dig a hole deep enough – about 12cm – so that most of the plant is buried in the planting hole. Place the plant in the center of the pot and fill the rest of the pot with potting compost until it is full to the brim.
Once the new plant is in the pot, add a support. If you do this later, you could disturb the growing roots. Use a conventional tomato cage or stakes. A cage about 50 cm high and about 25 cm wide works well for container tomato plants. If you’re growing taller strains, choose a cage that’s at least 1m tall and around 36cm wide.
Water the new plant thoroughly. Keep the soil evenly moist. After the first watering, wait 3 days and then water them again. A weekly watering during the summer months will do the plants good.
Proper care for plants in pots
When planting tomatoes in pots, make sure the soil is at least an inch below the edge of the pot. A layer of mulch is recommended to keep the soil moist. You can use straw, shredded bark, chopped leaves, or newspaper (without the glossy circulars).
Gardeners know that tomatoes love water so they can grow healthily. Proper watering is an important key to success when growing tomatoes in pots. The soil must be kept evenly moist, but not too wet. When the top inch of soil is dry when you poke your finger in, it’s time to water the plant. If it’s too hot or if the plants are taller than knee height, they will need watering almost every day during the summer.
A saucer can be placed under each pot to catch the water. Good drainage is also of great importance so that the roots do not stand in water and waterlogging can be prevented. Before you fill the pot with potting soil, make holes in the bottom to allow water to drain.
Like any plant, tomatoes need both a nutritious start and regular feeding throughout the growing season. Feed your plants an organic fertilizer to help them grow vigorously and produce lots of juicy tomatoes.