| Suffering from the limited gardening space? If you | | | | sometimes even twice a day to prevent the |
| are into the hobby of home gardening and would | | | | plants from wilting up. Of course, this depends on |
| like to grow tomatoes, then fear not! Because as | | | | how big your growing container is (bigger is |
| long as you have sunlight, tomatoes can be | | | | always better), and whether you mulch or not. |
| grown anywhere. Growing tomatoes in containers | | | | Tomatoes are especially water thirsty plants, so |
| is a practice not only constrained to people with | | | | the better you can satisfy their watering needs, |
| limited gardening space. Plenty of home gardeners | | | | the better results you will be rewarded with come |
| grow their vegetables in containers, even when | | | | harvest. |
| there are free space in the backyard. There are | | | | Of course, you can mitigate all the disadvantages |
| many reasons for container gardening, but we | | | | of container growing by simply installing |
| grow tomatoes in containers mostly for | | | | automated drip irrigators for your containers. |
| convenience, control, and flexibility. | | | | Though it sounds complicated, the setup is not |
| Growing tomatoes in containers is not too | | | | expensive and actually quite easy to install. An |
| different from growing tomatoes in the outdoor | | | | automated drip irrigation system set up for a |
| soil. Like planting in the ground, it's best to raise | | | | price range anywhere between $50-100, and you |
| young tomato plants carefully indoors until they're | | | | will save yourself a lot of hassles later. Depending |
| strong enough for transplant. Transplanting is | | | | on how many containers you have, this could be |
| similar for containers as for ground- bury as much | | | | a worthy investment with great payoffs in the |
| of the plant stem as possible. Doing so will | | | | long run. |
| promote root formation along the portion of the | | | | Applying mulching to containers may sound like an |
| stem that is buried, giving the plant excellent base | | | | unnecessary chore associated with traditional |
| foundations, a good thing regardless of where the | | | | gardening, but it's a great way to reduce water |
| tomato is grown. | | | | evaporation and keep weeds down (if you're |
| With vegetables grown in containers, it's possible | | | | using compost or garden soil). Pine bark mulch will |
| to control the exact state of your growing | | | | work great, as will black plastic mulching. Mulching |
| medium. Once you've found the secret recipe to | | | | has the added benefit of keeping your tomato |
| all your prior garden success, you can reuse it | | | | plants looking neat and organized. |
| over and over again for future success. You can | | | | When the first blossoms have set in on your |
| choose to go completely soiless, or completely | | | | plants, don't be afraid to use more fertilizers. |
| organic, or a mixture of some of both. Growing | | | | Twice the amount of normal usage will work. |
| tomatoes in containers give this important benefit. | | | | Increasing fertilization during first blossom |
| The most basic recipe for a good container soil | | | | formation will kickstart fruit production and result |
| mixture to grow vegetables is 40% compost, | | | | in bigger yields. But whatever fertilization rate you |
| 40% peat moss, and 20% perlite. | | | | use, try to keep it constant. |
| Although tomatoes grown in containers frees you | | | | And don't forget to pick your tomato fruits as |
| from messing with garden dirt, container | | | | soon as they're ripe. It's not a good idea to leave |
| vegetables do require more maintenance in terms | | | | tomatoes on the vines for too long, and for |
| of watering and fertilizing. Unlike traditional garden | | | | every tomato you pick off, you'll encourage the |
| tomatoes, tomato plants in containers have limited | | | | production of a new fruit. |
| root coverage, and their growth is limited by the | | | | Growing tomatoes in containers is indeed a very |
| amount of water and nutrients in the container. | | | | flexible and productive gardening practice. Don't be |
| Container vegetable plants may need to be | | | | afraid to get creative with your container |
| watered daily in the heat of the summer, and | | | | gardens, as tomatoes are generally hardy plants. |