How to Plant a Tomato in a Container

Overview

Juicy tomatoes fresh from the vine are one of the best things about summer, loaded with vitamins and minerals, and as sweet as candy. There's no reason you can't enjoy picking your own homegrown tomatoes, even if you don't have space or time for a garden. As long as you have a sunny spot on a balcony or patio, you can grow tomatoes in a container. Choose dwarf varieties or cherry tomatoes for container gardening.

Step 1

Juicy tomatoes fresh from the vine are one of the best things about summer, loaded with vitamins and minerals, and as sweet as candy. There's no reason you can't enjoy picking your own home-grown tomatoes, even if you don't have space or time for a garden. As long as you have a sunny spot on a balcony or patio, you can grow tomatoes in a container. Choose dwarf varieties or cherry tomatoes for container gardening.

Step 2

Purchase a container that will be large enough to accommodate the tomato plant when it's full grown. A 5-gallon container, or container with a diameter of at least 12-14 inches, is best. Be sure the container has a drainage hole in the bottom.

Step 3

Fill the container with good quality commercial potting soil, and mix in a few scoops of perlite to improve drainage. A mixture of approximately 3 parts potting soil to 1 part perlite will work well.

Step 4

Plant the tomato in the container, and tamp the soil down lightly. Tomatoes grown in containers will require more water, so check the soil often. If the weather is hot and dry, the tomatoes will need to be watered daily. Feed the tomato a water-soluble fertilizer mixed in the water once a week, according to the directions on the label.

Step 5

Stake the tomatoes when they begin to get tall. Push a wooden stick into the soil and tie the tomato loosely to the stake with a torn nylon stocking or fabric strips. Don't invite slugs by letting the plant droop down to the ground.