Growing Tomatoes in Containers
A pot on a sunny step can grow more tomatoes than you would think, as long as you match the plant to the container and stay on top of watering. The wrong pairing, a six-foot vine in a small pot, is where most container tomatoes fail.
Match the variety to the pot
Compact varieties are the whole game. A micro-dwarf like Orange Hat or Red Robin is happy in a one-gallon pot. A compact dwarf or patio type wants three to five gallons. A determinate bush wants five gallons or more.
Skip indeterminate vines unless you have a very large container and a serious stake; they are rarely worth the trouble in a pot.
Water and feed more than you expect
Pots dry out fast, and uneven watering is the main cause of cracking and blossom-end rot. Water deeply and consistently, daily in hot weather, and use a good potting mix rather than garden soil.
Container tomatoes also run through nutrients quickly, so a regular dilute feed helps once fruit sets.
Good container picks
For full flavor on a tiny plant, Rosella Purple and Tasmanian Chocolate carry real heirloom taste on dwarf bushes. Gold Nugget gives an early golden cherry, Patio carries full slicing fruit on a two-foot plant, and the micro-dwarfs fit a windowsill.
Varieties mentioned
Sources
- Growing tomatoes in home gardens · University of Minnesota Extension
- Tiny Tim Cherry Tomato · West Coast Seeds