Growing tomatoes in pots is one of the easiest ways to grow fresh tomatoes when you do not have a large garden. A sunny patio, deck, balcony, or driveway can be enough.
Container tomatoes do have a few needs that are different from tomatoes planted in the ground. The container needs to be large enough, watering has to be consistent, and the plants need enough nutrition to keep growing and producing fruit.
Get those basics right and tomatoes can grow extremely well in pots.
To grow tomatoes successfully in pots, use a container of at least 5 gallons with good drainage, quality potting mix, 6 to 8 hours of direct sun, consistent watering, and regular feeding once the plant is established. Give each full-size tomato its own container and add support while the plant is still small.
Choose the Right Pot for Tomatoes
Tomato plants get bigger than many people expect. A small plant from the garden center can turn into a large, thirsty plant surprisingly quickly.
For most tomatoes, start with a container that holds at least 5 gallons of soil. Larger is usually better. A 10-gallon container or larger gives the roots more room and helps keep the soil from drying out as quickly during hot weather.
The container does not have to be fancy. Plastic pots, fabric grow bags, wooden planters, and other containers can all work.
What matters most is size and drainage.
Make Sure the Pot Has Drainage Holes
Tomato roots need moisture, but they do not want to sit in waterlogged soil.
Use a container with drainage holes that allow extra water to escape. If the container does not drain well, the roots can stay too wet and the plant may begin to struggle even though it appears to be getting plenty of water.
Do not add rocks to the bottom of the pot to improve drainage. Start with a good container mix and allow water to drain naturally through the bottom.
Pick a Tomato Variety That Works in a Container
You can grow many kinds of tomatoes in pots, but some are easier to manage than others.
Determinate tomatoes grow to a more predictable size and tend to produce much of their crop over a shorter period. They are often a good choice when space is limited.
Indeterminate tomatoes continue growing throughout the season. They can produce for a long time, but they usually need a larger container and stronger support.
Cherry tomatoes are also popular for containers because many varieties grow and produce well in relatively small spaces.
Do not worry too much about finding a tomato labeled specifically for containers. If you can give the plant enough root space, sunlight, water, nutrition, and support, you have a lot of options.
Use Potting Mix, Not Garden Soil
Fill your container with a quality potting mix designed for containers.
Garden soil taken directly from the yard can become heavy and compacted inside a pot. That makes it harder for water and air to move through the root zone.
A container potting mix is lighter and is designed to hold moisture while still allowing excess water to drain.
Leave a little room at the top of the container so you can water thoroughly without soil washing over the edge.
Give Potted Tomatoes Plenty of Sun
Tomatoes love sunlight.
Aim for at least 6 hours of direct sun each day. Eight hours or more is even better when possible.
If you are choosing between several spots, pay attention to where the sun actually falls throughout the day. A patio that looks sunny in the morning may be shaded by the house or trees for much of the afternoon.
More sunlight generally means stronger growth and better fruit production, assuming the plant is also getting enough water and nutrition.
In extremely hot weather, container plants can dry out quickly. That does not necessarily mean they need less sun. It usually means you need to pay closer attention to watering.
How Often Should You Water Tomatoes in Pots?
There is no perfect watering schedule for every container tomato.
A plant may need water every few days early in the season and every day during hot summer weather. Large tomato plants growing in relatively small containers may occasionally need even more attention during periods of extreme heat.
Instead of watering strictly by the calendar, check the soil.
If the upper portion of the potting mix is beginning to feel dry, water the plant thoroughly. Apply enough water to moisten the entire root zone and allow some water to drain from the bottom of the container.
Then check it again the next day.
Consistent Watering Matters
Tomatoes respond better to reasonably consistent moisture than to repeated cycles of becoming extremely dry and then soaking wet.
Large swings in soil moisture can stress the plant and may contribute to fruit problems.
This becomes especially important when tomatoes begin flowering and setting fruit.
If your tomato plant seems to wilt every afternoon but recovers later, check the soil before automatically adding more water. Plants can temporarily wilt during very hot conditions even when moisture is still available.
How to Fertilize Tomatoes in Pots
Tomatoes are productive plants, and producing stems, leaves, flowers, and fruit requires nutrients.
Container-grown tomatoes have another challenge. They can only access the nutrients contained in their pot. Regular watering can also carry nutrients out through the drainage holes over time.
That makes feeding an important part of growing tomatoes successfully in containers.
What Nutrients Do Tomato Plants Need?
Tomatoes need the three primary fertilizer nutrients:
Nitrogen supports leaves, stems, and overall plant growth.
Phosphorus plays a role in root development, flowering, and plant energy processes.
Potassium supports many plant functions and becomes particularly important as plants grow and produce fruit.
Tomatoes also use secondary nutrients and micronutrients, including calcium and magnesium.
The goal is not to give the plant as much fertilizer as possible. The goal is to provide balanced nutrition throughout the growing season.
Too much fertilizer can create its own problems. Excessive feeding, especially with nitrogen, can encourage a lot of leafy growth without necessarily improving tomato production.
Feeding Tomatoes With Complete 9-3-6
GrowScripts Complete 9-3-6 Liquid Fertilizer is one option for feeding tomatoes grown in containers.
The formula provides nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in a 3-1-2 ratio along with calcium, magnesium, sulfur, and micronutrients.
Because it is a liquid fertilizer mixed with water, the amount and frequency can be adjusted as the plant grows.
For actively growing and producing tomatoes, follow the heavy-feeder directions on the Complete 9-3-6 label.
When Should You Start Feeding Potted Tomatoes?
A newly transplanted tomato does not need to be pushed immediately with a heavy fertilizer application.
Give the plant time to settle into its new container and begin establishing roots.
If the potting mix already contains fertilizer, take that into account before adding more.
As the tomato begins actively growing, you can start a regular feeding routine based on the fertilizer directions and the condition of the plant.
Continue watching the plant throughout the season.
A tomato growing rapidly and producing fruit in midsummer has different needs from a small plant that was just transplanted or a plant whose growth is slowing late in the season.
Give Tomato Plants Support Early
Do not wait until the tomato plant is falling over before thinking about support.
Add a tomato cage, stake, trellis, or other support while the plant is still relatively small.
This is especially important for indeterminate tomatoes, which can become large vines.
Putting the support in place early is easier and reduces the chance of damaging roots or branches later.
As the plant grows, gently guide or secure stems to the support when needed.
Should You Prune Tomatoes Grown in Pots?
It depends on the tomato.
Indeterminate tomatoes can often benefit from some pruning to control excessive growth and improve airflow. You do not need to remove every sucker or constantly cut the plant back.
Determinate tomatoes generally need less pruning because their growth pattern is naturally more limited.
For either type, remove damaged or badly diseased leaves when necessary.
Avoid aggressive pruning just for the sake of making the plant look neat. Healthy leaves are what capture sunlight and help power fruit production.
Tomato Flowers but No Fruit
Seeing flowers without tomatoes can be frustrating, but it does not always mean something is wrong with the plant.
Very high temperatures can interfere with fruit set. Cool temperatures can also slow things down.
Pollination may occasionally be an issue, especially when plants are growing in protected areas with little air movement.
You can gently shake the flowering branches or tap the support to help move pollen within the flowers.
Give the plant time as well. Flowers do not become visible tomatoes overnight.
If the plant has become extremely leafy with very little flowering, take a look at your fertilizer routine. Heavy nitrogen feeding can sometimes favor vegetative growth over flowering and fruit production.
Yellow Leaves on Potted Tomato Plants
A few older yellow leaves near the bottom of a mature tomato plant are not always a reason to panic.
If yellowing is spreading through the plant, however, look at the whole growing environment.
Check:
- Soil moisture
- Drainage
- Fertilizer routine
- Sunlight
- Signs of pests
- Spots or damage that could indicate disease
Do not assume every yellow leaf means the plant needs more fertilizer.
Too much water, too little water, root stress, disease, nutrient problems, and normal aging can all cause leaves to yellow.
The pattern of yellowing matters more than the presence of one yellow leaf.
If you suspect a nutrient issue, use our Plant Nutrient Deficiencies guide to compare common deficiency symptoms.
What Causes Blossom End Rot?
Blossom end rot appears as damaged tissue on the bottom end of developing tomatoes.
Calcium is involved, but the solution is not always simply adding more calcium fertilizer.
Tomato plants need to be able to move calcium from the root zone into developing fruit. Large swings in soil moisture can interfere with that process.
This is one reason consistent watering is so important for tomatoes grown in containers.
Keep the root zone reasonably even, avoid letting the container repeatedly become extremely dry, and make sure the plant is receiving balanced nutrition.
Tomatoes Growing Lots of Leaves but No Tomatoes
A huge green tomato plant can look impressive, but you probably planted it because you wanted tomatoes.
If you have plenty of leaves but very few flowers or fruit, look at a few things.
First, check sunlight. Tomatoes growing in too much shade may produce disappointing results.
Next, consider the fertilizer. Too much nitrogen can encourage the plant to keep producing stems and leaves.
Temperature can also affect flowering and fruit set, particularly during very hot weather.
Finally, give it some time. A healthy plant may simply still be in an active growth stage before heavier flowering and fruit production begin.
Can You Grow More Than One Tomato Plant in a Pot?
Usually, give each full-size tomato plant its own container.
Two tomato plants sharing a small pot have to compete for the same water, nutrients, and root space.
You may technically fit more plants into a large planter, but crowding them rarely makes container growing easier.
One healthy tomato with enough room usually performs better than several stressed plants squeezed together.
Growing Tomatoes in Pots: The Simple Version
If you want to keep it simple, focus on these basics:
- Choose a large container with drainage holes.
- Fill it with quality potting mix.
- Plant one tomato per container.
- Put it somewhere that receives plenty of direct sunlight.
- Add support while the plant is still small.
- Water thoroughly whenever the soil begins drying.
- Feed regularly during active growth and fruit production.
- Watch the plant and adjust instead of following the calendar blindly.
You do not need a complicated system to grow good tomatoes in pots.
Give the roots enough room. Keep the plant watered. Provide plenty of sunlight. Feed it consistently.
Then let the tomato plant do what tomato plants are very good at doing.
Growing Tomatoes in Pots: The Simple Version
If you want to keep it simple, focus on these basics:
- Choose a large container with drainage holes.
- Fill it with quality potting mix.
- Plant one tomato per container.
- Put it somewhere that receives plenty of direct sunlight.
- Add support while the plant is still small.
- Water thoroughly whenever the soil begins drying.
- Feed regularly during active growth and fruit production.
- Watch the plant and adjust instead of following the calendar blindly.
You do not need a complicated system to grow good tomatoes in pots.
Give the roots enough room. Keep the plant watered. Provide plenty of sunlight. Feed it consistently.
Then let the tomato plant do what tomato plants are very good at doing.
A Complete Fertilizer for Container-Grown Tomatoes
Container gardening is supposed to make growing food easier, not turn it into a chemistry project.
GrowScripts Complete 9-3-6 Liquid Fertilizer combines nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, and micronutrients in one liquid formula.
Mix it with water according to the label directions and use the appropriate rate for your plants.
One bottle. One feeding routine.
MIX. WATER. GROW.