How to Grow Tomatoes with Container Gardening

If you have a confined space but still want to grow tomatoes, patio tomatoes are ideal because they only grow to be 2 feet tall.

Step 1: Choose a container Choose a container for your tomatoes. Be sure to use something with adequate drainage that has a diameter of at least 12 inches.
Step 2: Buy undemanding varieties Buy tomato varieties that don't demand too much water so they stay strong throughout the summer.
TIP: Buy plants marked "patio tomato" or "dwarf indeterminate,' which have a smaller, stockier growth pattern but will bear for a much longer time.
Step 3: Fill container Promote adequate drainage by adding a few inches of gravel to your container. Then fill it halfway with potting soil designed for vegetables.
Step 4: Plant the plant Place your plant in the container and then fill it the rest of the way with soil mixed with slow-acting fertilizer, leaving 2 to 3 inches at the top.
Step 5: Add compost Mix a couple inches of compost into the top couple inches of soil. Tomatoes are heavy feeders and love organic matter.
Step 6: Make sure the plant gets enough sunlight Put your plant in an area where it can get at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight.
Step 7: Water Water the plant on a regular basis. Tomatoes need an inch of water per week. Tomatoes do most of their growing during the evening, so water in the late afternoon.
Step 8: Fertilize Add fertilizer every two to four weeks and harvest your tomatoes all season long.
FACT: As of 2004, the largest annual food fight was in Spain, with 38,000 people throwing 275,500 pounds of tomatoes in 1 hour.