How to grow tomatoes in pots

I heard from someone that it is easier to grow tomatoes in the ground. Personally, I think they were trying to promote their business, because I can assure this is not true. I have successfully grown tomatoes in pots and so have so many others. It is something that every keen gardener has to do once in a lifetime. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing your very own tomatoes on your patio.

These days, there is such a variety available. You can get so many different colors, sizes and shapes. A lot of them come from different parts of the world so it is really nice to have a cool mix growing.

In saying that it is easy peasy to grow tomatoes in containers, you will always find diseases or you may have sunlight problems. They thrive in the sun, so finding a sunny spot is key – this is the big bonus about containers – because you can always move them around.

Start off with a container that is going to be sufficient for their rooting system. A lot of people use compost bags and simply grow them in there. Others use another type of woven bag or you can find the 5 gallon buckets. These can be plastic or stainless steel.

With less soil to deal with, you can concentrate on getting it just right, adding compost and digging it all in. Once you have mastered that, then you can move onto the watering because this is equally important. You want to be able to keep the soil wet. If it is good soil then it will stay moist and the water won’t run off. Of course, this also depends on how often you water the plant. You don’t want to get the plant so wet that roots rot – so keeping it moist is vital.

Giving your plants extra food is another important point to consider. This comes in a specific fertilizer, which is suitable for tomatoes. Mix this in before you get started with the soil. It should be the slow release type just right for tomatoes.  You can also get a fish emulsion fertilizer, but I really don’t think it’s necessary to do this so often.

Although they like sun, too much is going to kill them. Six hours is going to be enough and on those really dead heat days it may be a good idea to move your pots away from the sun and give them two doses of water every day. Wind is another factor, which they don’t take kindly to.

If you don’t find what you are looking for at the nursery, go for the seeds. You will be surprised just how quickly these come up and if you look around you will find a massive variety, which is really nice. I have grown a lot of veggies from seeds. Some have done extremely well and some have faded, but I can tell you one thing – tomatoes are always a winner! Go ahead and experiment because soon you will be making some seriously creative tomato salads, sauces and pastas – the list goes on!

How to grow tomatoes upside down

Yes, Really!, you heard right – learning how to grow tomatoes upside down can be a whole new adventure and besides that, a simple 5 gallon bucket can be made to look pretty good like this. You will also find that this is a great way of growing tomatoes if you are in an apartment or don’t have the space.

Once you get going, you will start to see the benefits that come along with this method. For starters, there are no weeds that you have to keep pulling out. You don’t need big stakes to keep them up either.

Tomatoes are known for their diseases, but this way, you will find that there is much less chance for anything to go too wrong with your plants. You may even be able to grow these all year round, if you have the proper lighting available, so it is really something to think about.

The best tips

First of all, you will have to make sure that your plants are secured properly. Weight is one of the biggest issues here.

We all know that tomatoes love sun, so obviously you want to find a spot that is going to make them happy in this aspect. You can always add extra warmth with lights, although you have to have the budget for this.

They will also need more watering than your plants on terra firma because of the fact that their soil will get heated more easily.

Grow tomatoes upside down in buckets or containers – DIY

You can spend some money at the nursery on this and get someone to install it, but there is a less expensive way of doing it yourself. All you need are a couple of buckets or containers and your usual mix of soil and compost that you would use for your normal tomato plant.

Make yourself s hole at the bottom of your containers. You can get plants that are just right for growing upside down, but it will also work with other varieties. Cherry tomatoes do very well.

Shred some paper and place it at the bottom of the container, but leave a space for the hole. Insert the plant through the whole and wrap some more newspaper around the roots. Now fill up the bucket with soil and compost mix and get it hung up. Really easy!

It is true, any old bucket can look pretty ugly, but there is a way that you can make this really come to life. You can have a row of these plants hanging from your roof or you can just have one. By the way, just one plant can produce a whole vine. This does take some time, but if you are patient, it will definitely spread. Some people say that this is an ugly plant, but they will soon change their mind.

The topsy turvy planter is only $10 and this looks great. It will save you a lot of effort painting your bucket and drilling holes, so this is also something else to think about. Some people say that this is a fad, but as a gardener trying new things is not considered a trend in my book.