Choosing Tomato Plants For Your Container Garden
by John Yazo
Tomatoes are probably the most common fruit grown in a container garden, and are the pride of most home gardeners. There isn't any other crop that I can think of that clam so many bragging rites as the tomato, and for good reason. Growing your own tomatoes is the best way to enjoy the freshness and taste that only a tomato grown at home can provide.
There are two main categories of tomatoes, determinate, and indeterminate. Even though both can be grown in containers you should have a little knowledge about each before you make a decision on which type you prefer.
Determinate tomatoes, also called bush tomatoes are the most common with container gardening. They grow to a certain size, normally 2 - 3 feet tall, and usually can be grown without any type of support, like staking or cages. Even though they don't require being staked, but it is a good practice to do so. This type of tomato plant will stop growing when fruit sets on the terminal bud, and ripen a majority of its fruit at the same time, normally a period of two weeks, before the plant will die off.
Indeterminate tomatoes are also known as vine tomatoes. their growth and fruit production will continue throughout the season until the plant is killed off by a frost. This type of tomato plant can reach a height of up to 10 feet, 6 feet being normal. They will bloom, set fruit and ripen throughout the growing season, along with requiring substantial support, like staking or cages. Unlike determinate tomatoes, indeterminate varieties are normally pruned, and their suckers removed by most gardeners, but not necessarily required. Due to the size of this type of plant, and their need for support, indeterminate tomatoes are normally not the best choice for container planting.
Container gardening has different requirements than the traditional methods of organic gardening. Monitoring the soil in the containers for both moisture and nutrients is very important. The soil in a container garden will dry a lot quicker than soil in a garden, and due to the frequency of watering that is required, nutrients tend to leach from the soil quicker.
Container gardening can be an enjoyable experience, and a very rewarding one too. Whichever type of tomato plant you choose for your container garden, they all have the same requirements, a lot of sun, warm weather, and water.
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