By far the foremost popular food plant grown in hobby gardens in America is tomatoes. Tomatoes grow in gardens, on porches, patios, and even flower beds. Growing tomatoes is straightforward, fun, and tasty. Container growing maybe a little different than in-ground growing; however, numerous are confused when their otherwise healthy tomatoes turn bad during a container.
BENEFITS OF GROWING TOMATOES IN CONTAINERS
Container growing has many benefits for the gardener. the primary is that the portability. When the weather turns foul or the sun changes, the containers and their plants are often moved to safety or better light. Container gardens even have the advantage of getting used even when your home doesn’t have a yard or growing area – apartment and condominium dwellers can still enjoy fresh tomatoes, even without a garden plot.
Another benefit is the ability to bring the tomatoes indoors to make a 365-day season. Containers are often utilized on the porch or patio, during a window, or any combination thereof. that creates for year-round growing.
Finally, for the gardener, containers have one distinct advantage over the ground: they will be controlled. The soil’s type and contents, drainage, and even temperature are often controlled easily during a container. These are important for the gardener.
BEST VARIETIES TO GROW IN CONTAINERS
There are many breeds of tomato suited specifically for container growing. Patio, Early Girl, Stateless, et al. are all hybrids meant specifically for container gardeners. Other smaller types like Pixie, Tiny Tim, Toy Boy, Micro-Tom, Floragold, and large Boy tomatoes also can be grown in containers.
When you choose your variety, make certain your pots (and their stands and support hoops) can accommodate the selection. Big Boys will need a bigger pot than will Pixies, so choose accordingly. Nearly all also will require supports – stakes, hoops, trellises, etc. confirm your hoops will slot in or around your container also.
HOW TO PLANT TOMATOES IN CONTAINERS
Whatever your choice of variety, all tomatoes will need similar things to grow well during a container. the dimensions of the container are vital, of course, as is that the soil mix. There are potting soils made specifically for tomatoes, but any container mix (for flowers, potted plants, etc.) will likely be the proper mixture. If you’re making your own soil, use a 1:1 mixture of good compost and well-aerated topsoil.
If using terracotta or clay pots, use a liner specifically made for that sort of pot to stay mold cornered and to stay water from seeping away. Ceramic pots should definitely have a liner for mold. confirm your pot choice has good drainage and you employ a barrier of some kind to stay the soil from draining out with it (pebbles, peat, plastics, etc).
Those who plant from seeds will likely want to start out their seeds separately then choose the healthiest seedlings for transplanting to a pot. Place the plant directly in the middle of the pot and, unless your pots are very large, use just one per container.
Staking or supporting the plants as they grow is another concern. Most can put their hoops or tomato trellises directly into the soil of the pot. Some pots are made specifically for tomatoes and can have “hooks” or built-in trellises for them. Large hoops also can be placed on the surface rim of the pot and tied to the container itself. However, you do it, confirm your supports are strong and on an honest foundation.
GOOD CONTAINERS FOR TOMATO GROWING
There are many containers to settle on from. Traditional choices like terracotta and clay are always a favorite. Ceramics are nice for aesthetics but can cause moldy and diseased plants if not well cared for. Plastic containers have great advantages over others but can deteriorate or crack under root pressure and sunlight.
Woven and wooden containers are fun and work well, but are generally one-season only, as rot and deterioration will usually break them down by the second year. The new fabric pots are an honest choice, usually made up of natural fabrics or from plastics, these provide great drainage and other benefits.
