Tomatoes are easily grown in containers and can yield a large crop from just one or two plants. It is so satisfying to pick your own tomatoes from your porch or patio and eat them fresh in your salads and sauces. Tomatoes can be grown from hanging baskets, window or deck railing boxes, and planters, and can be decorative as well as functional. There are some basics you must consider, however, to have a successful tomato harvest: matching tomato variety to your climate, appropriate size of container, feeding and water, pest removal, and disease eradication.

Tomato Variety and Climate
There are many varieties of tomatoes available, both as seed and as young plants from nurseries. It is important to match the variety of tomato you grow to your climate, and even the microclimate of your container garden. Most varieties need warm night temperatures in order to flower and set fruit (55 degrees F or higher). If you live in a cooler climate, choose an early or cool-weather variety for your garden – 'Early Girl', 'First Early', 'Seattle Best of All', and 'Frisco Fogger' are all good choices.

You may have trouble getting you plants to set fruit in very hot areas, as well (over 100 degrees F). In these areas, move your plants to a cooler section of your garden or give them partial shade during the hottest part of the afternoon.

Appropriate Container Size
Tomatoes can be grown in anything from a medium-sized hanging basket to a 25 gallon ˝ wine barrel. Just be sure to match the eventual size of your plant to the size of your container. Smaller tomato varieties, such as grape, cherry, or even roma, can be successfully grown in hanging baskets or window boxes, as the fruit is small enough that it won't break the branches as it ripens. Large tomatoes will need to be caged, trellised, or staked, however. Bear in mind also that tomatoes are heavy rooters – in the ground they will send down roots five feet deep or more. Tomatoes will need a great deal more root space in their containers than most other home-grown vegetables. This restriction can be overcome, to a point, if you feed you tomatoes regularly with a good, well-balanced fertilizer, but adequate container size is a better solution. In general, plan on a container at least ˝ the diameter and ˝ the height to which your tomato will grow – an 18” diameter by 14” high or larger pot is best for large tomato plants.

You will also note that some tomatoes are denoted “determinate” and others “indeterminate”. Determinate tomatoes are bushy and easily supported with a simple cage or pole. These tend to grow to a certain size and produce all their fruit over a period of a few weeks. Indeterminate tomatoes are more vining and will grow and produce throughout the season. These varieties require caging or trellising to keep the fruit off the ground and protect branches from breaking.

Plant your seedlings or nursery plants deep in your containers – up to the first set of leaves or deeper. New roots will develop along the stems under the soil, leading to a stronger and healthier plant.

Feed and Water
Because the roots of tomatoes grow deep you will also need to water deeply. If your containers are large enough, watering weekly should be sufficient, but never allow your tomatoes to completely dry out. If they do wilt from lack of water, however, water thoroughly, placing the entire container in a bucket for an hour or so, if possible. If you water soon enough and do not allow your plants to dry out often, you should still reap a good harvest. Water your plants less as the fruit ripens – tomatoes watered too much taste watery.

Tomatoes are also heavy feeders. Give them a good, well balanced fertilizer every two weeks throughout the growing season – compost tea or manure tea are wonderful for tomatoes.

Pest Removal
Tomatoes are not terribly prone to pests, though you may see some aphids, white flys, or other sucking insects, especially on the young branches and leaves. Use ladybugs, green lacewings, or other pest-eating insects to control pests, or a vegetable-safe spray such as insecticidal soap or neem oil. The most damaging pest is the tomato hornworm. Watch for whole areas of your plants to cleaned free of leaves, then check for these large caterpillars. You may have to look very closely – these pests can look just like a branch or leaf. Once found, remove and crush so they won't ravage your tomatoes again. And be diligent – where there is one worm there are usually others.

Diseases and Plant Care
You have probably seen a series of initials after various tomato names in seed catalogs and nurseries – these refer to various pests or diseases to which the particular variety is resistant. If you have ever grown a strong, healthy tomato plant only to have it wither and die just as the fruit starts to ripen, you may wish to choose a variety with as many of these in initials as you can find.
V - Verticillium Wilt This is caused by a fungus which can lie dormant in soil for years. This is why potting soil should not be re-used, especially if it was host to diseased plants. If you see this brown, dry discoloration on your tomato stems or branches, with yellowing leaves turning to brown and dying, it is best to remove the whole plant and destroy it – never put it in your compost pile! I have tried many ways to save diseased plants, none have ever been successful. Best to remove diseased plants before they can infect others. Verticillium wilt develops best at relatively cool (55-75 degrees F) soil temperatures, so you'll see this in cooler areas or early in the growing season.

F - Fusarium Wilt This looks and acts much like Verticillium Wilt, and with the same disastrous consequences. Fusarium wilt does best (or does its worst) when soil temperatures are warm and soil is relatively dry – the conditions also favored most by tomatoes.

N – Nematodes Neamtodes are not a disease but a small roundworm which lives in the soil. Some are beneficial – feeding on and killing other creatures which damage crops – while others are parasitic. The best defense is to use clean potting soil not contaminated with parasitic nematodes.

T - Tobacco Mosaic Virus This virus will not usually kill your plants, but will result in stunted growth and low yield. The symptoms are spotted splotches and blisters on leaves and discolored and misshapen fruit. There is no known cure – removal of diseased plants and potting soil being the best prevention.

A - Alternaria Leaf Spot This brown to black spot develops on the leaves and can result in sickly plants. Control with neem oil or other safe fungicide.

L - Septoria Leaf Spot If many small, watersoaked spots appear on the lower leaves of you tomatoes after fruit set, they may be infected with septoria leaf spot. The dark-brown edged spots with lighter centers can grow as large as 1/4” diameter, and spread upward through the plant. Severely infected leaves dry and drop off. Control with neem oil or other safe fungicide.

Leaf roll, blossom-end rot, cracked fruit – These are usually symptoms of irregular, too much, or too little watering. Be sure to plant your tomatoes in a loose, rich, well-draining potting soil, and do not allow your container soil to become too dry or remain damp for too long.

Gardener's Supply has a wide range of containers, potting soils, tomato cages, and fertilizers for your gardening success:


Park Seed has some of the best selections of tomato seeds and plants for your garden: