I love growing cherry tomato plants in my garden over the summer. Over the years, I’ve grown different varieties of cherry tomatoes in my veggie beds. I’ve even had odd ones pop up in other areas of the garden which is great for a bountiful harvest. But, if you have limited outdoor growing space or you don’t have access to a garden, you can plant cherry tomatoes in a pot and enjoy those sweet delicious morsels of goodness all through summer.
You just have to understand what tomatoes need the most and to choose the right size container to accommodate your plant. Plus, you’ll need to provide some sort of support structure. This is necessary because cherry tomato varieties are usually indeterminate tomatoes and will grow quite large. Here’s everything you need to know about growing cherry tomatoes in a pot.
Choosing The Right Container
The type of container and the container size are very important when you want to grow cherry tomatoes in a pot because these plants do have quite a vigorous root system. At a bare minimum, it’s a good idea to select a container that is at least 30 cm (12 inches) in diameter and equally as deep. Many gardeners choose to grow their cherry tomatoes in a 5-gallon bucket which is a good size for healthy growth.
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The pot can be made from a range of materials such as terra cotta, fibreglass, stone or plastic. Ideally, fibreglass or plastic pots would be best because these are non-porous and the soil won’t dry out as quickly as it would if you were using a porous pot like a terra cotta one.
You could even use a grow bag as these are usually large enough for tomato plants and can be used over and over again. I also really like these tomato planter boxes that include a sturdy trellis and a water meter.
Most importantly, you want to ensure that the pot has good drain holes in the bottom of the container because you don’t want the roots of your tomato plants sitting in water. As they’re Mediterranean plants, they do need good drainage, otherwise they might succumb to root rot.
If you’re planning to grow your potted cherry tomato on a balcony or patio, a great option is to invest in a stand that has wheels or castors. This means that you can easily move the pot around so your plants get sunlight all day long.
Fill Your Pot With Good Quality Potting Mix
In order to grow healthy cherry tomatoes, you want to ensure that your plants get the best quality potting mix that you can afford. Never ever use garden soil because it’s just too heavy for plants grown in pots. If your budget allows, try to go for a mix that’s designed for growing vegetables as this will also have some fertiliser included.
Or, if you have your own homemade compost, you can use this and just mix it with some vermiculite and perlite to improve the drainage and water retention capabilities of the mix. A good mixture would consist of three parts compost to one part vermiculite and one part perlite. You could even add a little slow-release fertilizer into the mix but make sure that it’s fairly balanced and not too heavy on the nitrogen.
Tomatoes do need a good dose of potassium for fruit production and phosphorus for excellent root growth. Plus, too much nitrogen can inhibit your plants from taking up the calcium that’s so important to prevent blossom end rot.
Add Your Supports Before Planting Your Seeds Or Seedlings
You want to add the support structure for your tomato plants before you plant the seeds or seedlings so that you don’t disturb the roots. Commercially available tomato cages work quite well in large pots and are usually strong enough to support cherry tomato plants.
Or, you can easily make your own support by inserting a few tall bamboo stakes and then tying them together at the top to make a teepee frame.
Planting Your Container Tomatoes
You can either use seeds or seedlings that you purchase from nurseries or garden centers. Ideally, you only want one cherry tomato plant per pot. So, if you’re using seeds, sow two or three seeds in the centre of the pot. If more than one seed germinates, you can gently remove the extra seedlings and plant them into another pot.
If you’re using seedlings, then just plant one seedling in the middle of the pot and water well.
Just a tip when planting tomato seedlings – bury the stems of your seedlings a little deeper than the level of the nursery pot. The plant will produce roots along the stem section that is buried. This helps the plant to develop a really extensive root system and makes for a nice strong and healthy plant.
Make sure you water your young plants in order to effectively settle the soil around the roots. Then, add a layer of straw mulch on top of the soil to help keep the moisture in a little longer. I like to use pea straw for all my veggie gardens and productive container plants.
Caring For Your Cherry Tomato Plants
Firstly, you want to make sure that you give your plants lots of sunlight, so choose the sunniest spot that you can find to position your pot. If you’re growing on a balcony or patio, you might have to move your plants around during the day so that they get enough full sun exposure.
The other important thing to remember is to water your plants regularly. Tomatoes are quite thirsty plants and they really don’t like to dry out, so frequent watering is required. Essentially, you want to give your plants a good soaking whenever the top couple of centimetres (1 inch) of soil feels dry to the touch.
Always water deeply until the excess water comes out of the drainage holes on the bottom of the pot. This will ensure that your plants develop a nice strong root system. Watering early in the morning is usually best. Plus, you want to ensure you only water the soil at the base of the plants and try to avoid wet leaves as this will reduce the possibility of a fungal disease taking hold.
You also need to remember that tomatoes are heavy feeders. If you’ve used premium quality potting soil or made your own using compost, this should provide enough nutrients for a month or so.
But, once you start to see some flowers, you want to feed your plants with a liquid fertiliser that’s high in potassium around once a week. This will ensure that you get plenty of healthy fruit and maximum production from your plants.
Should You Prune Your Cherry Tomato Plants?
As most cherry tomato varieties are indeterminate types, they will benefit from pruning. To prune your plants, you want to remove the suckers that appear along the stem at the junction of a leaf. You can just pinch these out with your fingers when they’re still small. However, if you’ve missed a couple, you can easily remove these with a pair of secateurs.
Expert tip: The larger suckers that you remove can actually be used to grow new tomato plants. I’ve written an article on how to grow tomatoes from cuttings that you might like to read.
Also, as the plants get larger and they start to produce fruit, you can remove some of the lower leaves. This will help to improve the airflow and help prevent diseases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Once you have fairly tall plants and they start to produce flowers, you want to select a fertiliser that’s high in potassium. In other words, choose a water-soluble fertilizer that has an NPK ratio of around 9-15-30.
Absolutely. In fact, if you only have a small space to garden in, cherry tomatoes grown in pots are the perfect choice. As long as you provide them with plenty of sunshine, water and fertiliser, you’ll be able to enjoy deliciously sweet cherry tomatoes all summer long.
To accommodate the root system of a cherry tomato plant, your container should be at least 12 inches (30 cm) deep. This will give the roots plenty of space to grow.
Yes, most cherry tomato varieties are indeterminate tomatoes and they will need a trellis or tomato cage in order to support the tall growing stems. It’s also important to tie the stems to the support system because tomatoes aren’t natural climbers and have no way to attach themselves to their supports.
Final Thoughts
Being able to harvest fresh tomatoes from your garden is one of the joys of summer growing. Even if you don’t have a garden space to grow in, you can still enjoy your own cherry tomatoes. Just grow them in a container or pot on your balcony, verandah or patio. As long as you follow the steps outlined above, you should be amply rewarded with a delicious crop of juicy cherry tomatoes.
