Container Gardening: Plant and Grow Tomatoes in a Small Space for Healthy, Nutritious Meals
Ever wanted to be the master of your own life? Want to be able to create? Ok, so it won’t make you the master of the universe, but growing tomatoes in containers will be lots of fun and give you a feeling of accomplishment, while being quite yummy! You don’t need to have a big yard. Whether you are in a house or an apartment, you can still have success with container gardening. The key ingredient is sun.
Your success will actually depend on 2 very important things: sun and water. Pick a place where your plant will get at least a half-day of sun. Check it this weekend- take a look at the spots you are considering at 9am, noon and 3pm. If there is sun 2 out of 3, you have a winner. Note that there can be a very big change when the leaves come in, creating shade in an area that is sunny now.
There are many advantages to growing in containers. With containers, you can tuck them into even a small sunny spot. We’ve grown enough basil in one apartment pot to provide an ongoing supply of pesto for 4. We’ve found enough sunny spots on a shady piece of property for a nice supply of tomatoes. Be creative! You only need about 2 square feet of sun per pot. If there is not much sun, you get not much tomatoes!
Once you’ve found out how much sunny area you have, its time to decide what to plant. Tomatoes are a great choice because they grow well in containers, and produce enough in a small area to make it worth the effort. If you’ve got the space, you may want to try more than one type of tomato. Cherry tomatoes produce an amazing yield in a pot, and can be popped off and eaten fresh from the plant. The first one is a very exciting feeling, kind of like Tom Hanks in Castaway’s “I, have made fire!” The time from planting to edible cherry tomatoes is about 65 days, so you’ll be enjoying these by mid summer.
Plum tomatoes are also a great choice. They are meatier than the larger varieties, and you can use them for slicing or cooking. They are great for cooking since the seeds come out easily and you are left with lots of tomato!
For full size tomatoes, Burpee has an Early Girl that promises fruit in 49 days! These are nice, standard tomatoes in a medium size. Growing times will be up to 70 days depending on the variety. The tags on the plants usually give you the scoop on how long they take to yield tomatoes.
One note of cautio:- the leaves may be poisonous if eaten in certain amounts, so don’t use the pots indoors if you have children or or pets who may eat the leaves.
Planting questions answered:
Should you start from seed? For some reason, seeds can be difficult. For the small price of the plants, it is well worth purchasing plants from a garden center or online. Look for healthy plants- nice green color. Leaves should not be wilted or yellow. Look for sturdy stems, and multiple stems- thing short and stocky rather than tall and thin. Avoid plants with spotty leaves or bugs. Do check carefully for bugs by looking at the undersides of the leaves.
When to plant? You must wait until you are sure there will be no frost at night. Even if the plants don’t freeze, it will stunt their growth and they really won’t recover, so be patient. The rule of thumb I’ve used in the New York metro area is May 15, and it’s always been safe. Adjust accordingly for your location.
What kind of pot? Just about any container will work if it is large enough. Clay is always a good choice, and it’s earthy look works with any style house. Anything with drainage can be used as a pot, but if you are gardening indoors, make sure to put some type of saucer underneath to catch the excess water. Also, make sure that the pot is off the ground so the drainage hole can let the water out easily.
We’ve got 30 aluminum tubs- the kind you would put beer in at a party, and they look great and they have done the job. Metal is supposed to be a bad choice, so only use metal in a more northern climate. It conducts heat and will cook the roots in warmer areas. The absolute minimum size should be 12 inches across the top. For tomatoes, 24 inches is better. The minimum depth should be 16″. Something the size of a kitty litter container or spackle bucket works well.
How do I set up drainage? If there are no drainage holes in your container you’ll have to make them. Make life easier and buy a pot with a drainage hole if you can. If you fall in love with a container without a hole, you’ll have to either drill a few holes, (which requires the right kind of drill bit for the material the container is made of) or hammer a substantial size nail through in a few spots to make the holes. If you are making holes, put the pot upside down and drill or hammer into the pot. Be very careful about what you make the hole with or you’ll crack- and ruin, the pot.
You’ll need a drainage material in the pot. I love foam or soy packing peanuts, and save them when I get packages so I can use them in my pots. Since I have about 40 containers, I also buy the peanuts in bags from Staples. You can also use gravel or small rocks if you don’t have to move the pot once it’s filled. Put a few inches of the drainage material in the bottom of the pot to keep your plants roots from sitting in water, and to lighten the pot in case you need to move it. If you are using a very large container, place a small, inexpensive plastic pot upside down in the bottom of the container to reduce the amount of soil you’ll need. This will also keep down the weight of the container, and aid drainage.
What kind of soil? Purchase potting mix. It is more expensive than just digging up some outside soil, but it is well worth the price. First, it will have the right soil makeup for your plants. Second it will drain better. Third, you will have less of a problem with bugs if you start with a sterilized mix. Any bugs will have to make their way to your plants- they won’t hatch out of the soil! Forth, and most exciting, you will have less weeds to remove later.
How to plant? Once you’ve put in the drainage material, add the soil. Fill the pot up to the top, making a hole the depth of the pot your plant is. Once you water the plant, the soil is going to pack down, so start with the soil high.
I’m a huge fan of adding dehydrated cow manure to the pot to provide nutrition (don’t say yuck, its just grass that has been chewed up by cows!) If you are doing a large number of pots, it’s worth picking up a small bag- but NOT if you are keeping the containers indoors!
Once the soil is in the pot, dig a hole in the center and plant the tomato plant pretty deep- bury the stem and just leave the leaves above the soil. This will give you a sturdier plant. If you had to buy a tall, stringy plant, lay it down and bury the long parts along with the roots, leaving the leaves above ground. After tucking the soil in firmly around the plant, give the pot a thorough watering. Make sure you have something under the pot to catch the drainage if you are indoors.
Next, you wait. Water every few days, but be careful not to over-water. Consistent watering is the key- never wait until the plan wilts.
Once the plants are a foot tall, fertilize once every 2 weeks. You can add a scoop of dehydrated cow manure and sort of stir it into the soil. Or buy a commercial food- either organic or inorganic, as you prefer. Water about every other day. You should water well, but water shouldn’t come pouring out the bottom of the pot. Water, wait few minutes, and add more if it doesn’t look like it’s moist enough. Consistent watering is the key to successful container gardening.
Once you see little yellow flowers, eureka! You are going to have tomatoes. Don’t touch them, don’t bother them- each flower will become a tomato. Go ahead, count the flowers- you’ll be amazed. The flowers signal that it’s time to fertilize every week.
Now, keep watering and fertilizing and one day you will see tiny green tomatoes where the flowers were. Then they will grow to their full size, and then turn red. To pick them, how the stem with one hand, grasp the tomato with the other hand and twist. If you are holding both and twisting firmly and the tomato doesn’t come off you may need to leave it on the plant another day or two.
Once picked, don’t refrigerate, or you’ll spoil the flavor. Use them a day or two after picking. They will not keep as well as store bought because they are bred for flavor, not for storage.
