Harvesting tomatoes from your own garden is a real summer treat! But if you don't have a garden and still love tomatoes, you can also grow the delicious vegetable on the balcony. You can simply plant tomatoes in containers and enjoy an equally good harvest. Follow this detailed guide to learn how to grow tomato plants in containers and what care is needed for healthy growth.
Benefits of Growing Tomatoes in Pots
Growing tomatoes in pots has several advantages. Growing your tomato plants in containers will save you space. You can place the pots on a terrace, balcony, driveway or in border beds. You can place your containers in different locations to follow the sunlight that tomatoes need for healthy growth. Young plants can be transplanted earlier in the growing season than in the ground. Tomato plants in containers are not as susceptible to pests and diseases.
What should you consider when planting tomatoes in containers?
Choose a location with 8 to 10 hours of sun, because tomatoes love sunny locations to thrive. Tomatoes require a large container to thrive. PlantPut them in a pot, which is large enough for the tomato plant to receive sufficient water and nutrients during the growing season.
It is also important that you choose the right type of tomato. There are varieties that are suitable as tomato plants for container cultivation (called bush, compact or patio plants). Recommended tomato varieties for growing in containers are: Glacier, Red Siberian, Italian Roma, Supremo Roma, Cherry Falls
If you plant tomatoes in pots, they must be well hardened so that they are ready to develop outside in the sun. Wait until all danger of frost has passed before placing your plants on the balcony or patio.
Which soil to use for tomatoes in the pot
If you plant tomatoes in pots, use high-quality soil. Potting soil works well. Use a loose, light potting mix that allows roots to grow freely and helps moisture and air penetrate well. To prepare the soil: Spread about 10 cm of potting soil at the bottom of the pot and add the following additives to the soil:
1/2 cup tomato/vegetable fertilizer
1/4 cup fish meal
1/4 cup bone meal
2 Aspirintabletten
A handful of crushed eggshells
Mix all the ingredients well and then spread another 2 to 3 centimeters of potting soil on top.
How to plant tomatoes in containers
Plant the tomatoes deep in the soil so that the roots develop better. Be sure to dig a hole deep enough to cover two-thirds of the tomato stem to encourage root growth. When planting a tomato seedling, remove the bottom few leaves and dig a hole deep enough - about 12cm - so that most of the plant is buried in the planting hole.Plant the plantin the middle of the pot and fill the rest of the pot with potting soil until it is filled to the brim.
Once the new plant is in the pot, add a support. If you do this later, you could disturb the growing roots. Use a standard tomato cage or stakes. A cage with a height of around 50 cm and a width of around 25 cm is well suited for container tomato plants. If you are growing larger varieties, choose a cage that is at least 1 m high and about 36 cm wide.
Water the new plant thoroughly. Keep the soil evenly moist. After the first watering, wait 3 days and then water again. Weekly watering in the summer months will benefit the plants.
Proper care for plants in pots
When planting tomatoes in pots, make sure the soil is at least an inch below the edge of the pot. A layer of mulch is recommended so that the soil can be kept moist. You can use straw, shredded bark, chopped leaves, or newspaper (without the shiny circular ones).
Gardeners know that tomatoes love water to grow healthily. Proper watering is an important key to success when growing tomatoes in pots. The soil must be kept evenly moist, but not too wet. If the top inch of soil is dry when you stick your finger in, it's time toto water the plant. If it is too hot or if the plants are taller than knee high, they will need to be watered almost daily in the summer.
You can place a saucer under each pot to catch the water. Good drainage is also very important so that the roots do not stand in water and waterlogging can be prevented. Drill holes in the bottom before filling the pot with potting soil to allow water to drain.
Like any plant, tomatoes need both a nutritious start andregular feeding during the growing season. Feed your plants an organic fertilizer to help them grow vigorously and produce lots of juicy tomatoes.
