Growing your own tomatoes is one of the most rewarding experiences a gardener can have. Trust me, I have grown a tomato or two! There's nothing quite like the taste of a ripe, juicy tomato right off the vine. But what if you don't have a lot of outdoor space for a traditional garden? That's where container gardening comes in!
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Growing tomatoes in containers is a great way to enjoy fresh, homegrown tomatoes no matter where you live, even if you only have access to a small space. In this blog post, I’ll explore some of the benefits of growing tomatoes in containers, and how to choose the right container and growing medium.
I also include a list of 17 different varieties that are best suited for pots and containers (If you're also looking for pepper and eggplant variety recommendations, check out my Best Pepper Varieties blog post and best eggplant varieties to grow).
Benefits of Growing Tomatoes in Containers
Space Savings
One of the biggest benefits of growing tomatoes in containers is space savings. You can grow a large number of tomatoes in a relatively small space. This is especially important for condo and apartment gardeners.
Containers also make it easy to move your tomatoes around if you need to make room for other plants or if you need to find a better spot for them based on the weather. I personally grow tomatoes both in my raised bed gardens and in my container gardens.
They are my favorite thing to grow and often in the spring I will have so many extra seedlings. Using containers is an excellent way to take advantage of space that you would otherwise not use.
Control Over the Growing Environment
When you grow tomatoes in containers, you have complete control over the growing environment. You can choose the growing medium, fertilizer, and watering schedule that works best for your plants. You can also easily adjust the amount of sunlight your tomatoes receive by moving them around as needed.
Because containers are enclosed vessels, you will need to select the right size container for your tomato. Scroll down to learn more about my container size recommendations.
Disease, Pest and Weed Prevention
Growing tomatoes in containers can help prevent some common tomato diseases. Soil-borne diseases such as Fusarium wilt and Verticillium wilt can build up in the soil over time, making it difficult to grow tomatoes in the same spot year after year. By using fresh container mix in your containers each year, you can avoid these issues.
Container tomatoes tend to be less prone to ground-level pest pressure than their in-ground cousins. In-ground tomatoes can be attacked by mice, voles, groundhogs and other rodents. Container tomatoes don’t usually have this problem.
Growing in containers also helps reduce the chance of weeds taking hold. An established tomato plant will out-compete any weed that tries to establish in a pot.
Choosing the Right Container
When choosing a container for your tomatoes, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, make sure the container is large enough for your plants. A good rule of thumb is to use a large container that’s at least 18 inches in diameter and 24 inches deep. This will give your tomatoes plenty of room to grow.
You can also think of it in terms of gallons. I recommend at least 10 gallons for indeterminate tomatoes. For determinates, you can go as low as 5 gallons (like a 5-gallon bucket) but I would still recommend 7 or 10 gallons.
You should also make sure the container has good drainage. Tomatoes don’t like to sit in water, so it’s important to make sure excess water can drain away from the roots. If your container doesn’t have drainage holes, you can drill some yourself.
Finally, choose a container that’s made of a material that will hold up well over time. Plastic, terra cotta, and ceramic pots are all good options. Grow bags (also known as fabric pots) are an excellent choice too.
Choosing the Right Growing Medium
Choosing the right soil is important for the success of your container-grown tomatoes. Look for a high-quality potting mix that’s specifically designed for container gardening. Do not use garden soil, triple mix, straight-up compost or other product meant to be used for raised beds or garden beds. These products can be too heavy. I encourage you to learn more about compost vs topsoil and garden soil vs topsoil.
For planting and caring tips and advice, you can order my book, Seed to Table.
Choosing the Right Varieties
When selecting tomato varieties to grow in pots, I want you to remember one thing. All tomato varieties will grow in pots; however, some are better suited for containers. Let’s run through a couple of definitions:
- Indeterminate Tomato: Tomatoes evolved as vining plants (indeterminate), meaning they can grow several feet tall and continue to produce off-shoots (a.k.a. suckers), which then, in turn, start producing flowers and fruit.
- Determinate Tomato: Determinate (also referred to as bush or patio) varieties are bred not to vine uncontrollably like indeterminate varieties. They are ideal for container gardens or if you don’t have much space to work with. They’re also ideal for areas where the hot summer growing season is short. They tend to set all their fruit at once and then they are done for the season.
- Dwarf Tomato: Varieties that have been bred to remain very compact, growing no taller than 1 foot (30cm) tall. They tend to exclusively be small-fruited.
The list below includes both heirlooms and hybrids (referenced by the F1 label) as well as both determinate and indeterminate varieties. If you're unfamiliar with these labels, check out my post on the differences between Heirloom and Hybrid seeds.
Tomato seedlings can be purchased from reputable garden centers or started from seed at home. When selecting varieties for containers, I recommend focusing on determinate (bush or patio) varieties only.
That being said, it is possible to grow indeterminate varieties in containers as well (though they require more sturdy supports). Check out my Best Tomato Varieties post to see which indeterminate varieties I love to grow, including heirloom tomatoes.
If you are interested in learning more about the seed starting process, my book, Seed to Table, has an entire chapter dedicated to it.
Grape and Cherry Tomatoes
- Washington Cherry: Washington Cherry is a cherry tomato variety that produces small, round, red fruit with a sweet flavor. It is known for its high yields and disease resistance.
- Gold Nugget: Gold Nugget is a determinate tomato variety that produces bright yellow, bite-sized fruit with a slightly tangy flavor. It is a popular choice for container gardening due to its compact size.
- Glacier: Glacier is a determinate tomato variety that is known for its early ripening and cold tolerance. It produces small, red fruit with a tangy flavor and is a good choice for home gardeners in cooler climates.
Slicer tomatoes
- Purple Reign: Purple Reign is a determinate tomato variety that produces large, deep purple flavorful fruit. It is known for its high yields and disease resistance.
- Better Bush F1: Better Bush is a determinate tomato variety that produces medium-sized fruit with a sweet flavor. It is a good choice for container gardening due to its compact size and disease resistance.
- Bush Beefsteak: Bush Beefsteak is a determinate tomato variety that produces large, meaty fruit with a sweet and slightly tangy flavor. It is a good choice for gardeners with limited space.
- Bush Early Girl F1: Bush Early Girl is a determinate tomato variety that produces medium-sized fruit with a sweet and slightly tangy flavor. It is known for its early ripening and disease resistance.
- Tasmanian Chocolate: Tasmanian Chocolate is a semi-determinate tomato variety that produces medium-sized fruit with a rich, chocolaty flavor. It is known for its high yields and disease resistance.
- Celebrity F1: Celebrity is a determinate tomato variety that produces medium-sized fruit with a sweet and slightly tangy flavor. It is known for its disease resistance and high yields.
Paste Tomatoes
- Paisano F1: Paisano is a determinate tomato variety that produces medium-sized fruit with a slightly sweet flavor. It is known for its disease resistance and high yields.
- Roma: Roma is a determinate tomato variety that produces medium-sized, meaty fruit with a mild flavor. It is a popular choice for making sauces and canning.
- San Marzano: San Marzano is an indeterminate tomato variety that produces long, meaty fruit with a sweet and slightly tangy flavor. It is a popular choice for making sauces and canning.
- Plum Regal: Plum Regal is a determinate tomato variety that produces medium-sized, plum-shaped fruit with a sweet and slightly tangy flavor. It is a good choice for making sauces and canning.
- Midnight Roma: A beautiful anthocyanin-rich paste tomato developed by Row7 seeds. I have been growing it for several years now and it’s on my must-grow list. The flavor is incredibly sweet. The flesh is deep red. For a Roma type, it’s quite juicy.
Dwarf Tomatoes
- Tumbler F1: Tumbler is a determinate cherry tomato variety that is known for its trailing habit and ability to grow well in hanging baskets. It produces small, red fruit with a sweet flavor on a compact plant.
- Tiny Tim: Tiny Tim is a determinate cherry tomato variety that is known for its small size and high yields. It produces small, red fruit with a sweet flavor and is a popular choice for container gardening.
- Red Robin: Red Robin is a determinate cherry tomato variety that produces small, round fruit with a sweet flavor. It is a popular choice for container gardening due to its compact size and high yields.
Tomato Recipes
Now that you've grown all these beautiful tomatoes, it's time to prepare them in some delicious recipes! Here are some ideas:
- Bruschetta Pizza with Burrata and Cherry Tomatoes
- Tomato Galette with Herbed Cream Cheese and Za'atar
- Burrata Caprese
- Roasted Tomato Sauce
- Pickled Cherry Tomatoes
- Galayet Bandora (Levantine fried tomatoes)
- Hogao (Colombian Creole Sauce)
- Fermented Tomatoes
FAQs
Tomatoes evolved as vining plants (indeterminate), meaning they can grow several feet tall and continue to produce off-shoots (a.k.a. suckers), which then, in turn, start producing flowers and fruit. Determinate (also referred to as bush or patio) varieties are bred not to vine uncontrollably like indeterminate varieties. They are ideal for container gardens or if you don’t have much space to work with.
Varieties that have been bred to remain very compact, growing no taller than 1 foot (30cm) tall. They tend to exclusively be small-fruited and work well in hanging baskets.
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