The nice thing about growing tomatoes in containers is that you can move it around. That being said, you want the plant to be in a spot that will give it at least six hours of sun a day. Tomatoes need the sunlight to grow up strong and healthy, so make sure they get it.
Choose the right size pot in order to get the best tomatoes in a container. Most tomatoes will thrive in a cage that is 18 to 24 inches in diameter. That is roughly 20 gallons for pots that are sold by volume. If you have any questions, feel free to ask the employees at your local nursery; they should be able to help you pick the best size for your plant.
When you first plant your tomato, also insert a tomato cage or a similar structure. When the tomato plant gets bigger, the structure will help it grow vertically. However, if you insert it into the soil later, it can possibly disrupt and even destroy the roots. So put the cage in early so the roots can grow around it.
It may seem like a good idea to skimp on the soil in order to save money, but DON’T DO IT! The soil is absolutely vital for your tomato plant to grow. If you get cheapy stuff, then you’ll get poorly grown tomatoes. Spend a bit more money upfront and buy some premium soil to promote strong and healthy tomatoes.
If the soil you buy doesn’t have fertilizer in it, then make sure to get some. This is an important step that a lot of people forget or ignore. Because the tomatoes will be in a container, they need you to provide all the nutrients. And they’ll get those nutrients from the fertilizer you add. So don’t skip this step.
Make sure to leave at least one inch of space between the top of the soil and the top of the container. This is because you’ll most likely want to add some mulch to the container. The mulch will help the soil retain moisture, which will keep the tomatoes healthy. If you don’t have that space, then it’ll be messy and damaging to remove the soil in order to make room.
Watering your tomato plant regularly is important, but it’s absolutely vital in a container. Too much water can drown the plant and cause it to rot. Not enough water will make it dry up and die. Water regularly to keep it alive and healthy. If you can press your finger into the soil and it’s dry, you need to water. The key for tomatoes is to keep the soil moist but not wet. You may need to water every day, depending on the climate you live in.
