How to Grow Tomatoes in Containers

Tomatoes are not typically grown in containers, but it is possible to do it! In this blog post, we’re going to learn how to grow tomatoes—no matter what kind they are. This way, you’ll have plenty of home grown, organic tomatoes for salads, sauces, sandwiches, and so much more! Before we get into how to grow tomatoes, let’s cover some general tips all tomatoes need to grow healthy and delicious… 

Tomato Growing Tips

Tomatoes can be very easy to grow as long as you take proper care of them. Here are some ways to keep your tomatoes happy no matter what variety they are… 

Water

All tomatoes need to be very well watered. If you stick your finger in the soil at about 2 inches deep, you’ll be able to tell if they need water. If the soil is just moist (not soaked), you don’t need to water them. If it feels dry, get some water in there! This is even more important to be sure of when you plant tomatoes in containers; because water and nutrients will often leach into the container itself, or drain out of the bottom. Making sure to water your tomatoes consistently will keep them from cracking as they mature. Underwatering can also make it harder for your tomatoes to absorb calcium, which can lead to blossom end rot. 

Nutrients

Nutrients are another thing that you’ll need to give some extra oomph when container gardening with tomatoes.

Start with a really good potting soil—not garden soil. Garden soil is too heavy and will choke out the tomato plant’s roots. You can also do equal parts potting soil and compost. Mushroom compost, homemade compost, and even vermicompost are great options. If you are using only compost instead of soil, make sure you mix in some perlite to help with drainage. 

Next, you’ll need to add in some extra nutrients to make up for the fact that your tomatoes are going to be growing in containers instead of open soil. You can add calcium from gypsum; magnesium from epsom salts; and add nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus with organic fertilizer made from crab, lobster, and kelp meal. 

Every 1-2 weeks, you should also add some fertilizer to the soil your tomatoes are growing in. 

Containers

Lastly, you want to pick the right containers for growing your tomatoes. Since tomatoes can grow so many roots as far down as the stem can be in the soil, fabric containers are perfect. Fabric planters are great because they encourage the roots to stop growing when they touch the sides. Instead of feeling resistance, the roots will feel the air coming through the sides and stop growing. This can help prevent your tomato plants from becoming root bound. You can also get fabric containers with waterproof liners if you live in a very dry climate to slow down evaporation. 

The size of your containers are very important as well. A single tomato plant will need at least a 5 gallon container, so make sure your containers are the right size if you want to plant more than one inside. (10 gallons for 2 plants, 15 gallons for 3, and so on)

Planting

When starting seeds/cuttings, plant in a solo cup sized container a third of the way full, and add soil as it grows to make lots of roots grow up along the stem.

Once your sprout is well-rooted, it’s time to transfer it to your container. Prepare your soil/compost with the extra nutrients, fill your permanent container about a third of the way full, plant your sprout down to the same level as it was in the cup, and make sure you water it. 

As it starts to grow, you can start adding more and more soil (leaving a nice handful of leaves at the top for photosynthesis) until your sprout is about 2 inches above the rim of the container. 

Keep your tomato plants in full sun, (6 hours of sunlight every day) unless your temperatures get above 80 degrees. If tomatoes get too hot, they will drop their blossoms before they produce; so make sure you give them some shade in the hottest parts of the day if needed. 

Now that we know the basics of tomato care, let’s go over how to make sure the three main varieties are getting the right support they need for a good yield. All tomatoes are climbers, so having the right things for them to climb onto is important for their overall health…  

Determinate Tomatoes

“Determinate” is just a fancy way of saying these kinds of tomato plants have an average size where they stop growing. They are usually about 4 feet tall, so keep this in mind when choosing where to keep your container. 

Determinate tomato plants need a sturdy tomato cage that won’t break or fall apart over a short time. 

Once you’ve chosen your tomato cage, place the widest end into your container so the sprouts are centered underneath, and then zip tie the top together. (It will look somewhat like a teepee when you’re done.)

Cherry Tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes are pretty self-explanatory, even if you’ve never seen one. These are the cuties of the tomatoes, and are perfectly bite sized for salads and snacks. 

Creating a support system for them is super easy. Just like you did for the determinate tomatoes, start with a tomato cage centered over your sprout(s). Then, instead of securing the top, place another tomato cage upside down through the top of it. Once you have it as far as it goes, zip tie them together in the middle. (The finished product should look almost like an hourglass.)

Indeterminate Tomatoes

“Indeterminate” means that these kinds of tomatoes will continue to grow until they die. Luckily, these tend to be in vines, so with a little creativity, you can make a really awesome string/pulley system to keep them nice and neat…

First, you’ll need four wooden stakes. 

Once the soil is all filled in and your sprout is about 2 inches above the rim, stick them into the soil as deep as they go in a teepee kind of setup. 

Wrap the tops together with wire gauge, weaving in and out of each stake as you wrap so they are nice and sturdy. 

Next, you’ll need a tomato hook that has string on it. It will look kind of like a skein of thread with two hooks on each end. 

Tie a rock or something with a little weight to it to one end of the string and bury it in the soil as close to your sprout as possible—and as deep as possible. 

Wrap the string loosely but securely around your sprout, and hang the hook up on the wire. Your string should reach from the soil to the top of your teepee.

As the vine grows, keep wrapping it around the string so that it starts to climb up on its own.

When the vine reaches the top, take your hook down, unwind some more string, then hang it back up. This lowers the vine while still allowing it to keep growing neatly in your container. 

You can also wind up the bottom of the vine around the inside of the pot like a little hose if you really want to keep it tidy. 

It can also help to prune off any “elbow sprouts” that pop up next to the leaves. This can improve your yield since these sprouts tend to not produce as much as main stems. 

There you have it! You can now grow your very own tomatoes in containers! Let me know if you give it a try in the comments below, or if you have any tips from your experiences growing tomatoes.

LOVE THIS STUFF? Get my free self care guide