Pot grow tomatoes can be as good as those grown on the ground

I am always trying out new things in my garden and this year it was pot grown tomatoes. I always grow tomatoes in my garden plot but added pots this year. I have always had success with tomatoes grown on the ground. But growing my tomatoes in containers is anew departure for me.

 

 

The comparison between the pot grown tomato and those in the ground.

 

 

I grew 2 varieties this year moneymaker and an Italian cherry tomato variety. I cannot remember the name but they came free with a magazine. I started off the seeds indoors in march and let them grow on in my conservatory. There were far to many plants for me alone so I gave away the surplus. They went into the garden after the frosts had finished and I was picking Tomatoes in July. I have had a succesion of healthy and tasty tomatoes all season. The plants grown in containers have had similar results but I have noticed 2 differences.

 

Firstly the moneymaker tomatoes were slightly smaller than the ones grown on my plot.

 

Secondly there were not quite as many cherry tomatoes in the containers.

 

Other than that the results were very similar. The taste of your own tomatoes is fantastic and you will never eat better. For the container grown tomatoes

 I did treat them differently and with a bit more care.

 

1. Make sure you put tomato plants in a really big pot.

 

I like the root systems to have plenty of room and not become pot bound. Make sure you use a very large pot to allow full root growth. I used standard clay flower pots as I like the look of them but just use any large containers you have.

 

1. Water your tomatoes even if it rains.

 

We have had a dreadful summer in the UK this year and it has rained constantly. I checked the pots grown tomatoes more regularly as they sometimes seem to be underwatered. This is not needed for tomato plants grown on the ground. I think what happens is that the leaves do not let the water get to the pot. They almost protect the pot from getting wet. Not much of the water can get to the roots directly. So I made sure to check them often.

 

1. Be ruthless with pinching out side shoots on the tomato plants.

 

I only pinch out once or twice a season when growing tomatoes in the ground because they seem to do fine. I have tested this over a number of growing seasons. The standard moneymaker tomatoes that were grown on containers needed weekly pinching out to make sure the fruit was good and big. With cherry tomatoes there is no need to pinch them out as they provide plenty of fruit naturally. They do not need such close attention and still give plenty of fruit.

 

1. Remove excess foliage once you have the tomato fruits.

 

I have always done this to tomatoes and do not know where I picked this tip up. I take away all the excess leaves to allow the sun to ripen the fruits better. Some people pick their tomatoes when green and ripen them under glass but I like them to ripen on the vine. Removing the leaves also gives you slightly bigger tomatoes.

 

If you have missed this tomato season then I encourage you to plan ahead for your tomato growing in 2009. Pots and containers are excellent for growing tomatoes so give it a try. You will love the sense of acheivement from finding a sunny spot and growing these tomatoes.