If you crave the taste of luscious, homegrown tomatoes but don’t have the space or time to manage a garden, then container gardening might be just the thing for you.
Tomatoes are the home gardener’s most beloved veggie (actually, a fruit) — but other vegetables can be grown in containers as well.
Here’s what you need to get started:
A sunny location. Tomatoes need six to eight hours of sun a day, and plants should be protected from wind. So scout around for the best spot, whether that’s your front porch, back deck or apartment patio ledge.
Pots. You’ll need flower pots or other containers 14 inches or bigger. (Larger pots hold more root mass and water, which plants will need to get through summer days.) Just a few pots will do, because you’ll need only a few plants to keep your family eating tomatoes all summer. Make sure the bottom of the container has drainage holes; otherwise roots could rot.
Soil. Buy an all-purpose potting mix containing peat moss, vermiculite and/or perlite. Don’t just scoop up soil from your garden, which is typically too dense to allow for adequate aeration and drainage.
Seeds or transplants: Midget, patio or dwarf varieties have compact vines and are best for container gardening. Or look for labels that say “compact” or “for containers.” Other varieties will get tall and may be difficult to support.
Fertilizer. Tomatoes are heavy feeders, though too much nitrogen can promote leaves at the expense of flowers and fruit. Your plants will benefit from a time-released fertilizer to mix with your potting soil before planting, and later, a water-soluble fertilizer applied according to label directions to replace nutrients that are lost as you water. (Garden centers sell fertilizer blended especially for tomatoes, but any well-balanced fertilizer will do.)
Support structures. Conical wire trellises with two rings should be adequate. Put them in place shortly after planting; if you wait, you could injure larger plants.
Critter-proofing. Consider draping your containers with plastic netting or putting them in a wire cage if your property has woodchucks or other animals. They’ll hop up on a porch for a tasty snack.
Planting your tomatoes
If you’re buying transplants, look for short, stocky plants that are as wide as they are tall, with stems as thick as a pencil, and dark green foliage. Try to find those without blossoms or fruit; if they have blossoms or fruit, pinch them off. (Blossoms or fruit on plants at this stage can delay growth and flowering later on.)
Over a period of a week or so, acclimate your plants to outdoor conditions and transplant them into outdoor pots after all danger of frost is past and when the soil has warmed. In our area, this is typically around Memorial Day.
When transferring plants to your flower pots, bury stems deeply, up to within three or four leaves from its top (remove leaves that would be buried). The buried portion of stem will then send out roots. Firm up the soil around the plant and water.
Plants are mature 65 to 90 days from the time of transplant.
Maintaining your plants
Container plants require more water than those planted in the ground. Water every day if needed until the water flows freely though the bottom of the pot. On the hottest days, you might need to water a second time should the soil feel dry an inch below the surface. Water the soil, not the plant.
Container-grown vegetables are susceptible to the same pests found in any vegetable garden. Untreated spider mites could become a big problem with tomatoes, as could certain diseases, such as blossom end rot and late blight. Inspect your plants daily and contact your local Cooperative Extension for advice on managing problems that arise.
Pick tomatoes when they’re ripe. For best flavor, don’t refrigerate them. And don’t let overripe fruit to stay on the plant; rot from one fruit can spread to degrade others.
Kim Kleman is a Master Gardener volunteer intern with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Westchester.