Are you looking for advice on how to grow tomatoes in pots? This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about planting, caring for, and harvesting your own delicious tomatoes.
Nothing beats the taste of homegrown tomatoes! The flavour is on another level compared to shop-bought tomatoes, and being able to pick them from the garden and enjoy that wonderful taste straight away is really special. They’re an easy crop to grow, and you don’t need loads of room to do it.
How to grow tomatoes in pots
Whether you’re a beginner who is just getting started with growing your own fruit and vegetables, or an experienced gardener looking for a few extra tips, this guide to growing tomatoes in pots has you covered.
We’ve included advice on growing tomatoes from seed, choosing pots, planting, feeding, watering, harvesting, and dealing with common problems. You’ll also find our top picks of tomato varieties for containers and hanging baskets to help you choose your plants.
Why grow tomatoes in pots?
Growing tomatoes in pots is a great option for lots of reasons.
- If you’re limited on space in the garden, or don’t have a garden at all, you can still enjoy a delicious homegrown tomato harvest.
- If you don’t need a huge tomato harvest, you can avoid a glut by just growing one or two tomato plants in pots.
- If you’re new to gardening, growing edible plants in pots is a great way to get started.
- If you don’t have lots of time to dedicate to gardening, container plants are much lower maintenance than a big vegetable patch.
- Containers can be placed at a range of heights. This is fantastic if gardening at ground level isn’t an option for you, and also allows you to maximise the vertical space you have available.
- Growing in pots and containers is a brilliant way to get kids involved in gardening. The smaller scale is easier for little hands to manage, and less daunting too.
- Growing tomatoes in containers gives you more control over the growing conditions. You can dictate the type of soil and location of your pots, manage pests more easily, and also avoid any soil-borne diseases that are hanging around in your garden soil.
The best tomato varieties for pots
When you’re growing tomatoes in pots and hanging baskets, it’s important to choose the right tomato variety. Some are just too big to be grown in pots.
Here are our top picks for the best tomatoes to grow in pots. If you can’t find them in garden centres or hardware stores, try online plant or seed companies.
- Sungold produces an abundant crop of delicious orange cherry tomatoes. This is one of the larger varieties on our list so it’s best suited to bigger containers.
- Gardener’s Delight is a great option for containers, producing lots of cherry tomatoes with minimal fuss. Like Sungold, it’s a larger variety and suited to bigger pots.
- Minibel is very compact at 30cm and suitable for small pots as well as hanging baskets.
- Micro Tom is a teeny variety that’s ideal for small containers.
- Red Alert reaches around 45cm tall and produces a good crop of cherry tomatoes.
- Glacier is a salad tomato variety which grows to around 120cm high.
- Astro Ibrido is a plum tomato variety which reaches around 90cm tall.
- Marmalade is a beefsteak variety that grows to 60cm and produces impressive heirloom tomatoes with bags of flavour.
The best tomato varieties for hanging baskets
- Tumbling Tom is a cherry tomato with a sweet flavour and a trailing habit.
- Heartbreaker is a dwarf variety that reaches 30cm and produces heart-shaped cherry tomatoes. A cute option for a stylish hanging basket.
- Garten Perle is another great cherry tomato for hanging baskets.
- Micro Tom is well-suited to hanging baskets as well as pots.
- Terenzo will also trail if you want it to, making it a great option for hanging baskets as well.
The best pots for growing tomatoes
The right pot can make all the difference to your success when growing tomatoes. Here’s what you need to think about when choosing containers for tomato plants:
- Material: The majority of plant pots are either plastic or terra cotta, and tomato plants will grow well in either of these. If you’re buying new pots for growing tomatoes, do try to avoid plastic and opt for a more eco-friendly alternative such as bamboo, fabric pots, or terracotta. You can also grow tomatoes in a growbag or tomato bag.
- Size: What size container is best for growing tomatoes? This will depend upon the type of tomato plant you want to grow, and the amount of room you have. As a guide, your tomato pots should be a minimum of 5 gallons (22 litres) capacity. A 5-gallon bucket will have a diameter of around 12 inches (30cm). Some tomato varieties will need bigger pots than others, so bear this in mind when choosing your plants.
- Depth: Aim for pots that are at least 12 inches (30cm) deep for your tomatoes.
- Drainage: Make sure there are good drainage holes in the bottom of the container. Tomato plants won’t thrive if their roots are waterlogged.
- Shape: This is pretty much up to you! Traditional plant pots are round, but there’s no reason why you can’t use a different shape or an attractive planter to grow your tomatoes. You can even use a hanging basket to grow tomatoes – more about that option later. Whatever you choose, just make sure those drainage holes are present in the bottom of the pot.
Pots for tomato plants: our top picks
*Fabric grow bags have carry handles and are easy to store when not in use. They also allow you to avoid plastic and garden more sustainably.
*A pot with built in support that extends as your plant grows is ideal for larger tomato varieties.
*Self-watering pots have a reservoir in the bottom to provide your plant with a more consistent supply of water.
*Metal hanging baskets with coir liners allow you to grow tumbling tomatoes around the sides and an upright variety on the top.
*Hanging bags are great for tumbling tomato varieties.
Is it better to grow tomatoes in pots or grow bags?
Grow bags are a popular choice when it comes to growing tomatoes, but there are some disadvantages to using them instead of pots.
Pots are available in a range of sizes, allowing you to provide enough compost for your hungry tomato plants. Grow bags, on the other hand, are only usually sold in one or two sizes, which makes them less flexible when it comes to the volume of compost used.
Traditional grow bags also inevitably involve plastic, whereas with pots you can avoid this environmental impact.
The other thing to bear in mind about grow bags is the quality of the compost they are filled with. Some are less than great. With pots you can dictate the quality of the compost used.
Can I grow tomatoes in a compost bag?
Yes, you can use a bag of multipurpose compost instead of a grow bag to grow tomatoes. The compost will be pretty similar in both.
Do tomatoes prefer deep or wide pots?
The extensive root system on tomato plants is usually more wide than it is deep. For this reason, it’s important to use a pot that provides as much width as possible.
How to grow tomatoes in pots from seed
While you can buy small tomato plants and pot them on, it’s fun (and cheaper!) to grow them from seed. You will also have access to a wider range of tomato varieties if you grow from seed.
Here’s how to grow tomatoes from seed.
Planting tomato seeds
You will need:
- *Small plant pots or *seed trays
- *Potting compost
- Tomato seeds
- *Plant labels
- *Watering can with a rose attachment
- A warm spot to place your seeds while they germinate (or you can use a *heated propagator)
- Fill your pots or trays with compost, and tap it down lightly.
- Sow your tomato seeds onto the top of the compost. One or two seeds per pot or module should be enough.
- Sprinkle a small amount of compost over the top of the pots to cover the seeds.
- Water your pots or trays carefully. Heavy watering can wash away your seeds.
- Add a plant label to each pot or tray.
- Put your pots or trays in a warm place; a sunny windowsill is great. You can also place a clear lid over them to help the seeds germinate quicker.
- Check your pots every couple of days, and water if necessary.
Potting on tomato seedlings
As you tomato seeds grow, they will need to be moved into larger pots. Doing this will ensure they continue to have access to plenty of nutrients until it’s time to plant them out.
- Add compost to the bottom of your large pot.
- Carefully remove the tomato seedling from its pot or tray.
- Remove the first set of leaves at the base of the stem.
- Place the tomato plant in the larger pot, and add more compost to firm it in. The first set of leaves needs to be slightly above the top of the compost.
- Add a plant label to each pot.
- Water your plant.
How to plant tomatoes in pots
The best time to plant tomatoes out in the garden is after the last frost date. In the UK this planting time is usually in May.
Follow these planting tips to give your young plants the best chance of thriving:
You will need:
- Pots
- *Potting compost (also called potting soil)
- *Hand trowel
- Tomato plants
- *Plant labels
- *Watering can with a rose attachment
- Fill your container with compost.
- Carefully remove the tomato plant from its pot.
- Place the tomato plant in the container, and add more compost to firm it in. The first set of leaves needs to be slightly above the top of the compost.
- Add a plant label to each pot.
- Add a *garden cane or *tomato cage to support the plant as it grows.
- Water your plant thoroughly, then move it to its growing location.
How to plant tomatoes in hanging baskets
The process of planting tomatoes in hanging baskets is similar to planting them in pots, but there are a couple of extra steps that you can take to really help your plants.
You will need:
- Hanging baskets
- *Potting compost
- *Water retaining crystals
- *Slow-release plant food
- *Hand trowel
- Tomato plants
- *Watering can with a rose attachment
- Mix some slow-release fertiliser and water retaining crystals into your compost. The plant food will help to keep nutrient levels up, while the water retaining crystals will prevent the basket drying out as quickly.
- Fill your basket with potting mix.
- If you’re growing trailing tomato varieties, make holes in the side of the basket liner where you want to plant them.
- Carefully remove each tomato plant from its pot, and firm it into the basket. The first set of leaves needs to be slightly above the top of the compost.
- Water your basket thoroughly, then move it to its growing location.
Is multi purpose compost OK for tomatoes?
Tomato plants will grow happily in multi-purpose compost. However, they are hungry plants, and will eventually use up the nutrients in the compost. For this reason, you need to feed container-grown tomatoes regularly with a plant food designed for edible crops.
Where to grow tomatoes in pots
Tomato plants like direct sunlight and warm temperatures. Choose a location that’s in full sun and quite sheltered for your container tomatoes. A minimum of six hours of sun a day is ideal.
Providing support for tomatoes in pots
Some varieties of potted tomato plants are small enough to not need any support, and obviously the trailing varieties don’t need any either. But if you’ve chosen a larger variety you will need to add some form of support structure to your pots in order to keep the plant healthy and avoid damage.
Here are a few options to consider:
- A *garden cane secured with *garden twine is a simple and low-cost way to keep your plant upright.
- A *tomato cage can be pushed into the soil and will provide sturdy support for taller plants.
- *Semicircular stakes are great for compact plants.
Watering container grown tomatoes
Any plant that is grown in a pot is much more reliant on you when it comes to water. The plant will have limited access to water from the soil, plus pots dry out quicker than a garden bed. All of this means your container grown tomatoes need regular, frequent watering.
They key here is consistency; try to avoid irregular watering, big gaps between watering, and just drowning your plants every now and then.
Inconsistent watering can cause all sort of problems, including poor growth, diseases, and a small harvest.
If you struggle to maintain a regular watering schedule, you might want to consider a *drip watering kit or a *container with a water reservoir to cut down on watering time.
Should you water tomatoes from the top or bottom?
Always water tomatoes from the bottom. Water the soil, not the plant. Watering from above increases the risk of diseases.
Can you overwater tomatoes?
Yes, you can. While tomatoes are thirsty plants – especially in warm weather – it’s possible to overwater them.
What does an overwatered tomato plant look like?
Signs that a tomato plant is dealing with excess water include:
- Wilting leaves
- Yellow stems and/or leaves
- Saturated compost
- A green or white crust on the soil surface
- Root rot
What does an underwatered tomato plant look like?
Signs that a tomato plant isn’t getting enough water include:
- Curling leaves
- Wilting leaves in the morning
- Yellow leaves
- Dry compost
- Poor growth
Feeding tomatoes in pots
As we’ve already mentioned, plants that are grown in containers will eventually exhaust the nutrients in their compost. Add in the fact that tomatoes are heavy feeders, and that means you should definitely feed your plants if you want to maximise your harvest.
When should I start feeding tomato plants?
As a rough guide, your potted tomato plants will exhaust the compost in around six weeks. After this point, you should start feeding them. If you see flowers forming, it’s definitely a good time to feed your plants.
Choosing tomato fertiliser
For best results, it’s a good idea to use a *tomato feed that’s specifically designed for tomato plants. These will have the right ratios of nutrients to support optimum growth and fruiting.
You can however also use a *balanced organic fertiliser designed for edible crops on tomato plants.
Tomato feed is available as concentrated liquid fertiliser, granules, and ready to pour liquid.
How often should you feed tomatoes in pots?
Always follow the instructions on your plant food when feeding tomato plants. Usually the recommendation is every two weeks, but do check the label.
How to maximise your tomato harvest
Having invested time and effort into growing tomatoes in pots, you will naturally want to get the best harvest!
Here’s a quick checklist of easy ways to help your plants produce a bumper crop.
- Use good quality compost.
- Grow your tomatoes in a sheltered, sunny spot.
- Support the main stem of your plant to prevent damage.
- Water regularly from the bottom of the plant.
- Feed your plants regularly.
- Pinch out side shoots as the plant grows – this makes the plant focus on fruit, not extra growth.
- Harvest ripe fruit regularly – this can speed up ripening on the remaining fruits.
Tips for harvesting tomatoes
When it’s time to harvest your juicy tomatoes, here are some tips to help you get it right.
- To pick your tomato from the plant, either gently twist it until it comes away from the stem, or snip off the stem close to the fruit.
- Pick ripe tomatoes as soon as possible. Leave them too long and you risk splitting (or having them pinched by birds and squirrels!)
- It’s fine to harvest tomatoes that aren’t fully ripe and finish off the ripening process on a sunny windowsill indoors.
- If you’ve got a bit of a glut and want to slow down ripening, pick your semi-ripe fruit and store it somewhere cool. You can also try freezing whole tomatoes, or turning them into sauce and freezing that. And if all else fails, you can always share your harvest with friends and family!
Common issues with container tomatoes
Like all plants, tomatoes are prone to a few issues. Here’s a quick guide to problems you might encounter, and what to do about them:
- Flower drop: flowers form, but fall off and fruit do not develop. Pests, low nutrients, lack of water and fluctuating temperatures can all cause blossom drop. Make sure your plant is fed and watered regularly, inspect it for pests, and consider moving the pot to a location that has more stable temperatures.
- Blossom end rot: black patches on the bottom of the fruit, caused by lack of calcium in the soil or a soil pH that is too low. This isn’t often an issue for container grown tomatoes.
- Powdery mildew: white, powdery substance on leaves, caused by lack of air flow. This commonly affects tomatoes grown in a greenhouse. Improve air circulation to deal with it.
- Blight: leaves turn shrivelled and brown, stems may develop brown patches, fruit develops soggy patches. Common in warm, damp conditions. Do not reuse compost from plants affected by blight.
- Viral diseases: spots or stripes on the fruit. Inconsistent watering, lack of nutrients, and high temperatures can encourage viral disease to spread.
- Sunscald: yellowish or white areas on the fruit, caused by the sun. Don’t remove lots of the plant’s foliage as this will provide natural shade.
- Wilted and/or yellow leaves: usually caused by over or under watering.
- Cracked fruit: caused by inconsistent watering. Water your plants regularly.
- Aphids: damage to leaves and flowers. Deter aphids by encouraging their natural predators, which include ladybirds and lacewings.
Great companion plants for tomatoes
There are some plants that you can grow alongside tomatoes that will help them to thrive. Doing this is known as companion planting.
Companion planting works by taking advantage of synergies between plant species. Put simply, growing certain plants alongside each other can help to deter pests, provide nutrients, aid pollination, suppress weeds, and prevent diseases. In the case of edible crops, all of this can also increase your harvest.
In addition to all these benefits, companion planting can also help you to garden more sustainably and make your garden more wildlife friendly.
Here’s a list of great plants to grow with tomatoes:
- To repel pests: nasturtiums, french marigolds, calendula, sage, thyme, radishes, garlic, chives, basil.
- To attract beneficial insects: oregano, parsley, coriander, dill, sunflowers, borage, zinnias, lavender.
- To control diseases: garlic, asparagus.
- To encourage growth: basil, borage, carrots, celery.
We hope this guide helps you grow tomatoes in pots with lots of success!
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