Tomatoes are one of the most popular crops to grow as they are incredibly versatile and used in many dishes. The taste of homegrown tomatoes is often far superior to those you can purchase in a shop.
There are several ways to grow tomatoes, but the most popular include in containers or grow bags. When you sow tomatoes, it will depend on the variety, but usually, it is late winter. Choosing the right soil and pot is important to give the fruit the best head start.
Gardening expert Calum Maddock from HomeHow.co.uk said: “Tomatoes will need a certain set of conditions to grow well within a pot.”
“Key” rules that must be considered include light, space, water, fertilising, support, and pruning.
1. Light
Tomatoes love heat and thrive in the sunshine, so they will need to be placed somewhere they can receive at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight throughout the growing season.
Well-lit areas such as patios, decks or balconies, if you have them, are all ideal locations.
2. Space
The expert advised avoiding placing pots in cramped areas to ensure there is adequate space around them for the air to circulate freely to prevent common diseases.
3. Water
Calum said: “Tomatoes require plenty of water, especially once they grow bigger and start to develop a root system. Tomatoes growing in pots will dry out more quickly than those growing in the ground, so will need to be watered more often.”
When watering, water slowly and deeply, ensuring that they are hydrated once or twice a day during the summer.
4. Fertilising
Tomatoes will need lots of nutrients to support their growth and produce a “plentiful harvest”. Those in pots will need feeding more frequently.
Add a slow-release feed before planting, and once they begin to flower, supplement with a balanced liquid fertiliser such as compost tea every two weeks.
5. Support
Some varieties of tomatoes can bend or break without support, so it’s important to add a tomato cage or stake in the pot to prevent them from snapping.
6. Pruning
The garden expert continued: “For indeterminate types, remove suckers that are growing between the side branches and the primary stem as they do not produce tomatoes and take energy away from the fruit-bearing branches.
“Avoid pruning determinate bush types, as you may be cutting off fruit-bearing branches, but remove the lower leaves that are touching the soil to prevent soil-borne diseases.”