No garden? No problem. Tomatoes grow very well in containers and they are easy to manage. Our team and friends & family have been growing tomatoes in containers for years but I don’t think any of us got it right the first time around! To save you some time and effort, we’re covering the basics on how to grow the best tomatoes in containers.

The first step in planting tomatoes in containers and is choose the right container of course! In our experience, tomato plants grow best in big containers. I would recommend finding a pot that is two feet across and two feet deep to accommodate the roots and stem. The key to growing healthy and full tomatoes is to ONLY plant one tomato plant per container.

The next step is to prepare your potting soil. Many people differ on what type of soil to use and what additives to include as well. What I have found that works best is to use good quality organic potting soil mixed with a few not-so-usual ingredients. You’ll first want to add about four inches of your soil to your container and then add a couple of handfuls of fish and bone meal on top of that. The reason for this is because the bone meal is an organic phosphorus source, which is essential for blossom production. And with more blossoms, you’ll get more fruit. Bone meal also increases calcium availability for the tomato. After that, you should add a couple of handfuls of Sustane, a timed release dry fertilizer. The next thing you should add are a couple of aspirin tablets and some crushed chicken egg shells. The aspirin is to help jump start the plant’s immune system and the chicken egg shells also help increase the calcium availability for the tomato.

Now you’ll want to plant your tomato plant into the soil mix and make sure to plant it deeply. After this, you’ll want to water your plant. The first watering is the most critical. I do it multiple times. Water it in once, twice, three times at least. Wait a few minutes to allow the water to drain through. Place the pot in a sunny spot, and you’re set.