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Question by janga: What’s the best way to grow tomatoes in potted plants?
We live in CT and want to be grow tomatoes in some potted plants inside a gated area (to keep them away from the deer). Lots of sunshine. How big do the potted plants need to be? Any varieties of tomatoes work better than others?
Best answer:
Answer by weatherman_1965
You would be better using grow bags than pots, but if you do use pots then they need to be at least 8 inches in diameter, and the same in depth.
You will need to ensure they are well watered, especially after the tomatoes start to form, and use a tomato feed regularly.
Even if using pots I would pot them up in the contents of grow bags, as this is the ideal soil mixture for growth, and add a few pieces of stone to the bottom of the pot for drainage.
As for varieties, all of them will grow well and I would suggest you grow a couple of different varieties to get crops at different times.
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Home Grown Tomatoes
Image by dmolsen
Our tomatoes came through the summer! Very good too. It was kind of fun to sneak into the garden while I was mowing and steal a few off the vine for a snack. At least it’s healthy.
I had to do this when I lived in a apartment. I love the Brandywine but plant to your taste must people I know like Beefmaster or try a few & see what you like the best. I would sugest starting out in a small pot untill the plant is 8″ to 12″ tall & then move it to a bigger pot & planting it deeper, all the way up to the first branch or more, at least 80 precent of the plant. Then as it gets biger go to a five gallon bucket & use the cheap $ 1.50 baskets around them. Keep moveing the branches up through the basket every day & cutting off the suckers when thay get about 6″ long. The suckers cut early in the season can be stuck back in the dirt for a late yeald.
Make sure you give them a lot of water ever morning befor the sun comes up & feed them once a week & they will do the best.
Good luck & email me if you need to know anything alse.
kingmt01@yahoo.com
Also mine are usaly 7′ or taller with high yeald so have somewhere th tie them off.
For the pots the bigger the better. I would not use less than 12inch diameter, make sure the pot has drain holes. Use a good potting mix for your soil, a bit of gravel in the bottom doesn’t hurt. I have also used half barrels for planting, these work great, almost the same as ground planting, use 50/50 garden soil and potting mix.
I have had better luck with Cherry tomatoes and Romas, if you are using big enough pots, you can get good results with Better boys. The plants for the Better boys get pretty big and you need a big pot or they get top heavy. Get some good tomato cages and you may have to stake them too.
I have a fairly small area for ground planting so I usually put the larger tomatoes it the ground and the smaller varieties in pots.
My dad actually found a special breed of tomatoes that grow best in pots. You should be able to find these at a local plant nursery.
The pots should be medium sized, and full to partial sun should be fine. Remember to put in Miracle Grow for tomatoes! They will come out huge and juicy!