How to Grow Tomatoes in Containers (2024)

Tomatoes are easily grown in containers—clay pots, plastic nursery pots, and wood boxes

Container-grown tomatoes have the same growing requirements as garden-grown tomatoes: 6 to 8 hours of sunlight each day, nutrient-rich soil, and enough water or soil moisture for steady, even growth.

Best tips on How to Plant, Grow, and Harvest Tomatoes.

You can grow any type of tomato in a container—a miniature currant-sized or small cherry tomato or a tall, vining beefsteak tomato—as long as the container is large enough to hold enough soil to keep the plant upright and support the plant’s nutrient and water needs.

How to Grow Tomatoes in Containers (2)

Table of Contents

Best tomatoes to grow in containers

Small tomato plants that deliver a big flavor are just right for growing in small gardens and on decks, patios, and balconies.

Small tomato plants range in size from 18 inches tall or less to no more than 3 or 4 feet tall. Small tomatoes require no staking or caging—but you can.

Fruits on small tomato plants can range from cherry-size to as large as one pound, about the same size as many large vining plants.

The flavor from small plant fruits can vary just as with larger plants from mild, to acid-sweet, to a full old-fashioned tomato taste.

10 flavorful tomatoes for container growing

You should be able to find seedlings for one or more of these small tomatoes at a nearby garden center. All are readily available from seed growers online or in garden centers.

  • Better Bush: small, compact bush for patio, deck, or balcony containers; fruits to 8 ounces, with old-fashioned tomato flavor; to from 3 to 4 feet tall; requires staking. Indeterminate, hybrid VFN, 68 days to harvest.
  • Bush Beefsteak: a compact plant with good-sized beefsteak-shaped fruit, 6 to 8 ounces. Determinate, open-pollinated, 62 days to harvest.
  • Bush Early Girl: small, compact plants with a top yield of 6- to 7-ounce fruits and very good flavor. Determinate, hybrid VFFNT, 54 days to harvest.
  • Clear Pink Early: a compact plant with trusses of round, smooth pink fruit; sweet and tangy flavor. Russian heirloom, determinate, open-pollinated, 58 days to harvest.
  • Early Wonder: compact plant produces round, dark pink fruit to 6 ounces; full tomato flavor, great taste. Determinate, open-pollinated, 55 days to harvest.
  • New Big Dwarf: compact to 2 feet tall; flavorful fruits from 8 ounces to 1 pound. “New” from 1915, so this is an heirloom; determinate, open-pollinated, 60 days to harvest.
  • Red Rocket: compact, bush with smooth, flavorful, even sugar-acid blend fruits, 8 to 10 ounces. Determinate, open-pollinated, 60 days to harvest.
  • Tiny Tim: small plant for containers growing to about 18 inches tall; use a 6-inch pot; bright red cherry tomatoes to about ¾ inches. Determinate, open-pollinated, 60 days to harvest.
  • Tumbling Tom: small plant for hanging baskets, cascading habit to about 18 inches; 1- to 1-inch cherry tomatoes; can grow in a 6-inch pot. Determinate, hybrid, 70 days to harvest.
  • 506 Bush: small plant to 18 inches tall with medium size, mild-flavored, bright red fruit with a hint of sweetness; good drought tolerance. Determinate, open-pollinated, 62 days to harvest.

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Containers for tomato growing

Simply, the container to grow a tomato should be big enough to hold the plant, which means large enough to contain the soil necessary to deliver nutrients and water for plant growth, and large enough that the plant at maturity does not tip the container.

There are miniature tomato varieties that will grow in an 8-inch pot—roughly the size of a one-gallon container. A 2-gallon or a 5-gallon container can support larger, indeterminate, or vining tomatoes and hold enough soil moisture for three or more days when the weather turns hot in summer. A 5-gallon nursery pot is roughly the size of a 2-by-2-foot redwood box; a 2-gallon container is the size of a 10-inch pot.

Be sure the container has large drainage holes in the bottom. Set the container up off of the patio, deck, or balcony with pot feet or on wood strips; this will allow for adequate drainage and ensure plant roots do not bake on hot days when cement or wooden decking gets hot.

If you are growing tomatoes in a window box planter or hanging container make sure the container is securely fastened and has drainage holes.

Soil for tomato containers

The soil for growing tomatoes in containers should be nutrient-rich and moisture-retentive but well-draining. Use a commercial potting mix or mix your own potting soil.

Here are some quick do-it-yourself potting mixes:

·Compost mix: mix 3 parts (such as a gallon) of garden soil, 3 parts of compost, and 2 parts of builder’s sand.

·Soil mix: 4 parts garden soil (be sure the garden soil is free of stones and debris and disease-free), 1½ parts sphagnum moss, 1½ parts builder’s sand, 1 part aged, dried steer manure.

·Soilless fertilized mix: 1 part horticultural grade vermiculite and 1 part aged compost, add a half spoonful or so of ground dolomite limestone, a half spoonful of superphosphate, and a half spoonful 5-10-5 fertilizer; mix thoroughly. This is a good mix for hanging baskets or window boxes.

Fill the container to about 2 inches below the rim allowing enough room for watering.

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How to Grow Tomatoes in Containers (4)

Small tomato growing tips

  • Like large tomato plants, compact tomatoes require 6 to 8 hours of sunlight each day—especially if you are growing for optimal flavor.
  • Also like large tomato plants, compact tomatoes require consistent moisture for steady, even growth and maximum flavor. Keep the soil in your containers evenly moist—meaning do not let it dry out or get soggy.
  • Feed container growing tomatoes every three weeks with a water-soluble fertilizer high in phosphorus, 5-10-5 is about right.
  • A 2-gallon, 8- to 10-inch pot or box is right for most small tomato plants; some can grow in pots as small as 6 inches across, about the size of a 1-gallon nursery container.

Good Products for Growing Tomato Family Crops:

Planting and staking tomatoes in containers

Plant tomatoes in containers just as you would set transplants in the garden. Pinch off the lower leaves of seedlings and set them vertically in the pots or hanging planters as deep as you can.

Most miniature and dwarf varieties will not need staking, but if you are growing a vining, indeterminate variety, it will require a stake or cage just as it would in the garden. Large, vining tomatoes are likely to grow rapidly and fruit heavily, so be prepared to prune or pinch away leaves and fruit that could cause the container to tip.

How to Grow Tomatoes in Containers (5)

Watering tomatoes in containers

Tomatoes growing in containers, like tomatoes growing in the garden, need a continuous, uninterrupted supply of moisture. Do not let the soil in a container go dry and conversely do not allow the soil to be overly wet or soggy

The smaller the container the more frequently you will need to water it. Keep in mind that frequent watering will likely leach nutrients through the soil mix in the containers. Add a water-soluble fertilizer to your watering can every three weeks or so or renew nutrients that are leached from the soil.

Water whenever the soil becomes dry down to about a half-inch or slightly more below the soil surface; this might mean watering once a week in mild weather or watering up to three times a week in hot, dry weather. When a plant growing in a container begins to wilt towards the end of the day it is time to water; if you find a plant wilted in the morning, it has gone too long without water and needs immediate attention.

When you water, be certain that the water reaches the soil at the bottom of the container. Water the container thoroughly, until the water runs out of the drainage hole at the bottom, or put water in a saucer or tray under the container and allow the soil to wick water up from the saucer into the container. A container should draw all the water it needs from a bottom tray in about 30 minutes. Do not let the container sit in a saucer of water longer than 30 minutes; root rot can be caused by overly wet soil.

You can place a perforated drain pipe in the container—from the soil line to the bottom of the container, fill it with builder’s sand and pour water into the pipe; that way you can be certain water reaches the bottom of the container and all of the soil in between.

Avoid watering late in the evening or watering plant leaves; this encourages disease.

Feeding tomatoes in containers

Commercial potting mixes contain enough nutrients to sustain containerized tomatoes for about six weeks; after that use add a water-soluble fertilizer to a gallon watering can and feed tomatoes in containers about every two or three weeks. Use a fertilizer high in phosphorus to support fruit growth; a 5-10-5 fertilizer will deliver sufficient nutrients to a heavy-cropping tomato. Follow label instructions, commonly 1 tablespoon of water-soluble fertilizer per gallon of water, feeding every three weeks.

Sunlight for tomatoes in containers

Container-grown tomatoes—like tomatoes in the garden– should receive maximum sunlight, 8 hours– 4 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the afternoon—is optimal. If you are growing on a balcony, turn the container at least once a week so that the plant develops symmetrically. If your containers are too heavy or bulky to turn by hand, set them on wheels or plant dollies so that they are easily rotated and moved.

Tomato pollination

Tomatoes have complete flowers—meaning the male and female parts are in the same flower. Wind and insects aid tomatoes in pollination. If your container-grown plants are sheltered from light breezes or off the beaten path of bees and other insects—growing high on balconies, you can aid pollination and fruiting by gently shaking the plants once a day to ensure pollination.

How to Grow Tomatoes in Containers (6)

Caring for tomatoes in containers

Container-grown tomato plants are subject to the same diseases, insects, and disorders as plants grown in gardens. Keep an eye out for weeds and watch for pests and diseases.

If you are growing small tomatoes in hanging baskets and want to train your plants to cascade—making harvest easier, tie 1-ounce fishing weights to the end of branches early on to train them to grow over the edges of your hanging pots.

Also of interest:

How to Grow Tomatoes

Tomato articles at Harvest to Table:

How to Plant and Grow Tomatoes

How to Choose a Tomato for Your Garden

Heirloom and Hybrid Tomatoes

Tomato Seed Starting Tips

Growing Tomatoes in Containers

Growing Early Season Tomatoes for Great Taste

How to Prune Tomatoes

Grow Tomatoes on Stakes

Epsom Salt, Milk, and Organic Fertilizers for Tomatoes and Peppers

How to Prevent Blossom Drop – Tomatoes and Peppers

How to Harvest and Store Tomatoes

How to Ripen Tomatoes

Nine Ways to Cook and Serve Tomatoes

Tomato Harvest Ketchup Recipe

Garden Tomato Bruschetta

Tomato Sauce–Basic, Herbed, or Vegetables Added

Corn, Herb, and Tomato Relish

How to Make Tomato Juice Simply

Basil and Tomato Soup

Tomato Varieties Harvest Time

Tomato Flavor Explained

How to Home Can Tomatoes for Beginners

How to Sun Dry and Oven Dry Tomatoes

How to Freeze Ripe Tomatoes

Tomato Growing Problems Troubleshooting

How to Prevent Tomato Blossom Drop

How to Identify Early Blight, Late Blight, and Leaf Spot

Tomato Hornworm Organic Pest Control

Garden Planning Books at Amazon:

How to Grow Tomatoes in Containers (2024)

FAQs

How to Grow Tomatoes in Containers? ›

How deep? Tomatoes are vigorous growers that need lots of room for roots to spread out. Containers should be at least 5 gallons or 12 inches wide and deep, though bigger is better. For maximum production, containers that are 10 gallons or larger are ideal, especially for bigger tomato varieties.

How deep do containers need to be for tomatoes? ›

How deep? Tomatoes are vigorous growers that need lots of room for roots to spread out. Containers should be at least 5 gallons or 12 inches wide and deep, though bigger is better. For maximum production, containers that are 10 gallons or larger are ideal, especially for bigger tomato varieties.

How many tomatoes can you plant in a 5 gallon bucket? ›

The standard size of these buckets allows for at least two tomato plants per bucket. This makes them an efficient use of space in small gardens or balcony spaces.

What is the secret to growing tomatoes? ›

Like many vegetables, tomatoes prefer a goldilocks soil that is moisture retentive yet well drained and, of course, rich in nutrients. The very best way to achieve that is simply to add plenty of well-rotted organic matter to the surface of your soil in the weeks or months before planting.

How many bags of potting soil do I need for a 5 gallon bucket? ›

1.6 Pots

Is a 5 gallon bucket big enough for a tomato plant? ›

Tomatoes grow nicely in 5-gallon buckets (both Determinate and semi-Determinate tomato cultivars.) This way of growing tomatoes is ideal for DIY garden containers and small spaces. Fill your drilled bucket with potting soil, add your fertilizer, and plant the tomato half the height of their main stem.

Do tomatoes grow better in pots or in the ground? ›

In general, determinate tomatoes tend to do better in pots, so look for those. It's also possible to grow indeterminate tomatoes in containers, of course, as long as you provide enough support and soil volume.

Can I plant two tomato plants in a 10 gallon bucket? ›

Planting several plants in one pot might seem like a good idea, but it usually is counterproductive. 2 Unless the pot is tremendous in size (like the size of a raised bed), plant only one tomato plant per pot.

Do tomatoes plants like coffee grounds? ›

Coffee grounds contain around 2% nitrogen as well as varying amounts of phosphorus and potassium which are all very important for the growth of tomato plants. By mixing some coffee grounds into the soil below your tomato plants you're introducing these nutrients that the plants need to thrive.

What does Epsom salt do for growing tomatoes? ›

Epsom salt spray can be used late in the growing season to increase tomato and pepper yield and keep plants green and bushy. Early in the season, you can add Epsom salt to the soil to aid germination, early root and cell development, photosynthesis, and plant growth, and prevent blossom-end rot.

Does Epsom salt help tomatoes grow better? ›

Adding Epsom salts to your plant either through foliar spray or direct watering is a great way of boosting micronutrient absorption. This helps your tomato plant produce large, juicy, and very sweet fruits. Remember that a little bit goes a long way and too much can cause more problem than it fixes.

Do marigolds help tomato plants? ›

Marigolds help attract bees and other beneficial insects to tomato plants. Although tomato plants are self-pollinating plants, they do benefit from insect pollination to increase the fruit production of each plant. Marigolds also attract beneficial insects that will eat pests that would otherwise harm tomato plants.

What flower keeps bugs off tomatoes? ›

Marigolds: Did you know that the strong scent of marigolds can repel a variety of pests such tomato hornworms, aphids, whiteflies and thrips? It's true!

Can I plant peppers next to tomatoes? ›

Tomatoes. Although it's usually recommended to not plant tomatoes and peppers right after each other in the same bed every year, they can be grown together in the same garden bed (and then rotated to another bed next season).

Can tomatoes grow in 12 inches of soil? ›

My rule of thumb is 18 inches. You could get by with twelve, but 18 is my personal preference. Also, the soil needs to be well drained and needs to have a good bit of organic matter as well as a ph of 5 to 6 as tomatoes prefer acid conditions.

Can tomatoes grow in shallow pots? ›

In a container that is too small, the tomatoes won't have enough space, water, and nutrients to grow to their proper size, limiting your harvest capabilities. The appropriate container size depends on the variety of tomato, but as a general rule of thumb, an average tomato plant needs a 10- or 20-gallon container.

Can tomatoes grow in 6 inches of soil? ›

Eighteen inches is the minimum height needed for plants like tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, and kale—plants that have a bigger root base and need more nutrients and space to spread out. This height also allows for better drainage. Most edible plants hate having their roots stay wet.

Can tomatoes grow in 4 inches of soil? ›

Each Bonnie tomato label urges you to plant tomatoes deep, so that a full 2/3 of the plant is underground. That means that if you buy a 10-inch tall plant, all but the top 3 to 4 inches is buried. Why? Because the plant will have a better, stronger root system.

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