You don't have to have a huge garden to grow tomatoes. You can also harvest tomatoes in town, on a balcony or terrace. More than that, give them a sunny spot and they grow just fine in a pot. But how do you do it? What do you have to take into account? And what about fungi, can tomatoes grow outside? We share our tips below.
Can tomatoes grow outside?
The question burning on everyone's lips: can tomatoes grow outside? Twenty years ago, we would have said no. Or at least, very dependent on the weather. Nowadays we still say, depending on the weather, but with a better chance of success. Our summers have longer dry periods and so growing tomatoes outside succeeds much faster than it used to. So you don't always have to have a greenhouse or greenhouse to harvest tomatoes. That offers opportunities.
Which pot is suitable for tomatoes?
But not all tomatoes are suitable for growing outdoors. There are varieties that ripen late and need time. Time they don't get outside, because it gets damp faster outside, for example. But there are alternatives. You have small tomatoes that do well in a pot, ripen early and can therefore grow fine outdoors. But you can also keep a strong climber in a pot. It will need more support, but that is easily solved with a sturdy bamboo stake. The ideal pot has a minimum capacity of 10 L. We do not recommend smaller pots for tomatoes because there is simply not enough room for the plant to grow. Anything larger is fine, that goes without saying. The pot should also definitely have a hole in the bottom so that excess water can drain away.
How do you plant tomatoes in a pot?
Fill the pot with potting soil, preferably peat-free. Standard organic fertilizer was added there for about 60 to 100 days, and it contains enough nutrients for the tastiest tomatoes. Fill the pot and stay about 5 to 10 inches below the pouring rim, that way soil can never wash away when you water.
1. Make a hole in the center of the potting soil, choose your favorite variety and put the plant in the hole.
2. Remove the lower leaves from the plant and feel free to set them a little deeper. Tomatoes have the ability to form roots on any part of the stem.
3. Press down well so that the plant is firmly in the ground.
Learn more thanks to our videos
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In this video, Angelo shows step-by-step how to plant tomatoes in a pot, and which varieties are suitable.
Watering tomatoes and mulching the soil
Tomatoes growing in a pot can be watered with a watering can. After all, this also has to be done outside. If it is cloudy and raining often, you will obviously need to water less than if it is sunny and dry for a long time. During hot and dry times, it is important to water daily. This is because the pot is subject to drying out due to sun and wind. In addition, cover the soil with a layer of mulch, small bark for example, or hemp fibers. This prevents extra drying out and weed growth in tomatoes (and by extension, many other plants). Give them the sunniest spot, possibly against a south-facing wall, and enjoy the tastiest tomatoes this summer.
Do small tomatoes need to be threshed?
Depending on the variety, it is important to dieve or not. This means that you then regularly remove the axillary shoots that the plant produces. Especially with climbing tomatoes, which can easily reach two meters in height, it is important to restrain the plant somewhat. Otherwise the axillary shoots will go in all directions. And you shouldn't want that from tomatoes growing in a pot. Small dwarf varieties, of course, are a different story. Such varieties stay small, by 15 to 20 centimeters, and don't need to be threshed. You can just let them do their thing. Even easier, then.
