How to Grow Tomatoes in Containers

So you’ve decided to grow a patio garden this year and you want to start with tomatoes. Amazing! I started with tomatoes as well.

When I started growing tomatoes I did absolutely no research and I completely failed. My tomato only grew a little bit and then it turned yellow and no matter how much, or how little, I watered and fertilized it, no matter what I did, the tomato would not thrive.

This was until my aunt dropped by my apartment one day and told me the secret: tomatoes have large roots and need to be planted in a 5 gallon bucket or larger. Since that one simple trick I have been able to grow baskets of tomatoes year after year.

How to Grow Tomatoes

Growing tomatoes in containers is harder than most herbs, but is one of the easier veggies to grow in a container.

When grown in containers:

You can grow them in an apartment setting!
You need a 5 gallon pot or bigger
Determinate or semi-determinate varieties are easier to grow in containers
You can grow them in soil or hydroponically

How to grow in containers:

Sun: Tomatoes thrive in full sun. I’ve found they’re one of the few potted plants that can deal with direct afternoon sun.
Moisture: This plant needs moderate watering. I water my tomatoes every morning during the heat of summer. Tomatoes thrive in bottom-watered systems, drip systems and with slow watering systems like terracotta spikes & ollas. Try not to regularly get the leaves wet if your can help it.
Soil: This plant prefers moist soil. I have found most standard potting mixes will work fine.
Container Size: Tomatoes need a 5 gallon (12-14 inch) pot or larger. I love my 5 gallon pot, but I also use 5 gallon buckets, 4.5 gallon buckets, and a giant DIY pallet planter. You could also use a large plastic storage tote.
Planting/Propagating: You can plant this herb by seed, start or cutting. Depending on how long your growing season is, you can start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last frost or direct seed into the garden. Starts/transplants can be planted outside when your nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Cuttings can be taken from the plant and rooted in water before planting in soil.
Yearly Maintenance: This plant is an annual. It can be planted out in the spring and removed in the fall.
Winterizing: I have successfully brought my plants inside and grown them in soil and hydroponically over the winter. But in general, these plants will die with your first frost. Tomatoes do not overwinter well and I think starting new seeds each spring is easier.
Pruning/Harvesting: Harvest tomatoes when they first “blush” or start to show yellow-red color. You can let them ripen all the way to a vibrant red on the vine (and they’ll taste better), but sometimes letting them ripen inside will keep your friendly neighborhood garden pests from eating them first. Prune the leaves at the bottom of the stem as the plants grow to keep them from getting splashed by water.
Preserving: You can water-bath or pressure can tomatoes depending on the acidity and recipe. That being said, cherry tomatoes never even make it into the kitchen.

Tomatoes also grow great in the ground, hydroponically or even upside down. The most important thing is that you support their branches appropriately with a trellis, stake, tomato cage or other system. Indeterminate tomatoes keep growing forever until they die. A standard tomato cage is not tall enough for indeterminate tomatoes so expect to need a large trellis, balcony railing, or I’ve strung string from the light on my front porch before.

Additional tip: Basil makes a great companion plant for tomatoes! I routinely add 1-2 basil plants in each 5 gallon pot that I plant tomatoes in.

Using Tomatoes

There are so many types of tomatoes and each type has different ways to use them.

Cherry tomatoes taste great as a snack, on a charcuterie board or in a salad. I love cutting them in half and adding to a Greek salad.

Roma tomatoes are a type of paste tomato and are best known for their ability to be easily canned. Though they also taste good fresh!

Beefsteak tomatoes are the perfect addition to a sandwich or burger.

There are other types of tomatoes too! The possibilities are endless.

Learn More:

Online Resources:

Penn State Extension – Container Grown Tomatoes
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach – Growing Tomatoes in Containers
University of Illinoise Extension – Different Types of Tomatoes
Rutgers – Tomato Varieties

Books I Love:

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