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STARTING A CONTAINERIZED TOMATO GARDEN
This year, I finally started something I’ve always wanted to do - I started my first containerized tomato garden! I have to admit that it hasn’t been as hard as I’ve always anticipated it was. I put off vegetable gardening for SO many years, always telling myself that I would just end up killing everything; but I have to say, indoor plants and outdoor gardening are two totally different things. In a lot of ways, I feel like outdoor gardens are much easier to handle, especially containerized gardens. I recommend you start with containerized gardening to be able to better understand your soil and learn the plant. It is also much easier to control pests and problems in a container - and is also forgiving if you are unsuccessful (meaning you can just dump the dead plant out of the pot, and start over rather than ripping up your yard). This post will cover all the basics of starting a containerized tomato garden.
In lieu of our current climate in the United States, I wanted to write this blog post to help you find some relief. Many of us have been affected by covid-19, whether it be that we are out of work, quarantined to our homes, or a family member or friend has been affected. Maybe you are affected, or are not sure if you are, but are practicing social distancing to be on the safe side. Whatever your reason, it’s important that we as a community find outlets to get our minds off of the negative. Gardening is such a great way to do that, because it forces you to fully be involved in what you're doing, and gives you this immense rewarding feeling when you get to reap the benefits of your own hand-grown veggies. It’s a great time to learn to be self-sufficient, as we don’t exactly know how the climate of the country will be a few weeks from now. Grocery stores are becoming packed with people, but are in low supply. It’s a mission to find a lot of basic household essentials (still waiting on that toilet paper to come in!). Knowing that I have veggies that I use frequently growing in my garden is such a relief, and is just one less thing I have to worry about.
If I’m going to be honest, I wasn’t always into plants. In fact, growing up, I would always bring home a succulent and it became a running joke in my family that I was ‘bringing it home to die’. (This running joke also sadly applied to many goldfish, but that’s another story for another time…) I tell you this so that if you have ever been on the same boat as me, know that there is hope! There is so much to learn about gardening, and I am definitely not an expert by any means, but I’d like to think that working at a tree farm and being a part of an online plant community has sharpened some of my skills, and if I can pass on these skills to you, even better!
I asked you all what kind of things you wanted to learn when it came to starting your own garden, and I was impressed with the amount of interest in the topic! I’ve put together this post in question and answer format in hopes that it will be easier for you to follow. If you have any other questions, feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to get back to you!
Okay, enough chit-chat. Let’s get into it!
Q: What is the best time of year to plant a tomato plant?
Step one is to find out if your location is the right climate for growing. Tomatoes grow best in hardiness zones 8 and 9. Every location has its own zone, so if you’re unsure of what zone you live in, you can see this map for details. Florida is typically between zones 8 and 9, which makes our area in Florida ideal for tomato growing.
If you are starting your tomato plant from seeds, you can start them as early as January if you are in zones 8-9, but make sure you start them indoors. If you live in any other zone, you may want to wait until late March or April -- this is because it may be too cold to start them otherwise, as tomatoes love the heat.
If you are starting your tomatoes from a small plant, you can start as early as January, just as long as you are mindful of the temperatures. Frost is the number one enemy of tomato plants, so make sure to wait two weeks after the last frost date in your area to put plants outdoors. If you have unpredictable weather (like we do in Central Florida), you will want to bring your plants indoors or cover them with a tarp if the temperature goes under 55 degrees.
Q: How far apart do I plant my tomato plants from each other?
If you are starting with a small tomato plant from a garden center, you’ll want to space each plant about 18 to 36 inches apart or more. The further away you plant them, the less risk you run of pests and diseases spreading to the surrounding plants. However, you can plant them 18 inches apart and just monitor them every few days to make sure they are growing healthily. Dig the plant about 3 to 4 inches into the soil, covering the first inch or two of the base of the plant in soil. If you’re unsure of how to do this, I’ve created an IGTV video of how to start a vegetable garden. Tomato plants need 6 to 8 hours of full sun to grow strong, so make sure you put your container in a sunny spot. The reason I love container gardening is because you can move the plant based on its needs. If you live in an area that surpasses 100 degrees, consider moving them to a shadier location where they can still get plenty of sunlight, and make sure to water more often.
Keep in mind that depending on what variety of tomatoes you grow, they can reach anywhere from 6 feet, 12 feet, or simply just keep growing - make sure to do some research on your variety before purchasing to make sure you are planting with enough space to grow. A tomato cage, as well as stakes, are always helpful.
Q: Can I plant other plants next to my tomatoes?
Although I have not yet planted another crop within the same container as my tomatoes, a bit of research shows that planting other plant companions can actually help improve growth. Some plants that are compatible with growing alongside tomatoes are chives, onions, parsley, marigold, basil, sage and carrots -- just to name a few. It is said that planting garlic between each tomato plant can deter pests such as spider mites, which is great because spider mites are very annoying to eradicate and do a lot of damage in a short amount of time.
Q: How do I maintain my tomato plant?
Maintenance is a important when it comes to tomato plants. If you’re not careful, you can wait a full season for your crop to grow, only to find that simple maintenance issues like pests and watering have severely impacted your fruit. WikiHow has a great guide to pruning your plant, loaded with diagrams, photos, and explanations for each step. I found this to be very helpful when I first started my garden.
Something I wished I had done as my plant was growing was remove all suckers. When I first planted my tomato plant, I was diligent in doing this, but it was also early January and growth was slow. It seemed that in a matter of weeks, my plant grew at an alarming rate, and by then, it was challenging to really see all the different suckers growing due to the foliage blocking my view. Because of this, I decided to leave the plant unpruned - big mistake. My plant became so top-heavy that it would fall often. This damaged a large part of the plant, which snapped off. Be. Persistent. With. Pruning. I can’t stress that enough!
Q: How many tomatoes will one plant yield?
Depending on the variety you choose, the yield for each plant will be different. Determinate varieties are smaller, and are more prone to diseases since they are closer to the ground. Indeterminate varieties can grow indefinitely (or until the elements like frost kill it) and produce more, especially when following proper pruning techniques. On average, a tomato plant can grow anywhere from 8 pounds to 20 pounds, although some can even grow up to 50 pounds depending on care (but this is not common). I plan on recording my crop yield this year and reference it with different care methods to see what works best for me. I hope to share my findings with you in the future!
Q: How long is the season for tomatoes?
Determinate varieties can grow up to 80 days after planting, and will only produce for one season. Think of the summer-time as your harvest time. If you are planting indeterminate varieties, they will basically keep growing until the cold weather forces them into dormancy, and will pick up again in the next growing season.
I hope this helps! Still have questions? Leave a comment below and make sure to follow me on instagram to see more tips on gardening and indoor plant decor ideas.
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