The Perfect Solution for Gardening

 in Urban Areas: 

The Patio Tomato

How to grow tomatoes on your Patio?

You want a garden full of tomatoes, but don’t have a yard. Well listen up, because I have the perfect solution for you if you want delicious tomatoes growing on your small patio.  Step by step I will show you what containers to use, what types of tomato varieties do well for your Patio Tomato, how to plant and care for them. 

Step one: Containers

There are all sorts of containers to consider: plastic and terracotta pots, raised bed containers, grow bags, buckets, etc. Tomatoes need to be planted in soil that is 24 -36 inches deep. Wow that seems like a lot of depth, doesn’t it?  The roots of tomatoes thrive in soil this deep to accommodate their root depth. 

Some raised beds are set on cement patios or on gravel surfaces, which prevent roots from going deeper than the height of bed sides. In these cases, it is especially helpful to know the soil depth requirements of different vegetable crops.

I have a full article with a chart if you are interested in depth requirements for other vegetable root systems here.  Gardeners can compensate by building the raised beds higher to allow for more root space.

Taller raised patio beds (Amazon) deeper rooted crops to be planted, but drainage must be provided by blocking the bed up an inch or so, or drilling drain holes near the bottom of the bed sides.

If your raised beds(Amazon)are on the ground at the edge of your patio, you don’t have to worry about the proper soil depth, but if your container garden or raised bed is on the patio or gravel, then it would be imperative to consider the soil depth to achieve success in growing tomatoes on your patio.

 The only exception I have for the depth of containers is Large Grow Bags (Amazon)If you don’t have the right container, this may be an option on your patio. In large Grow Bags, the roots have more air circulation and don’t need great depths of soil. The roots naturally air prune their roots for greater absorption of nutrients and water. 

You may want to use a self-watering container since tomato plants need a lot of water. These containers typically have a reservoir underneath. Keep the reservoir filled and you won’t have to worry that your plants are receiving enough water.

Step Two: 

How do you pick the right tomato for your patio?

There are two types of tomato plants, determinate and indeterminate, which refers to their growth pattern.

Determinate varieties reach a certain height(up to 5 feet) then stop growing while indeterminate varieties keep growing their stems all season, some up to 10 or 15 feet in height.

The same goes with the fruiting of the plants, meaning you will have tomatoes till frost with the indeterminate ones, while the determinate tomatoes will fruit one to two months. Both types have delicious varieties of tomatoes in all different sizes, so you can’t go wrong with either one with size or taste.

Many pick the determinate varieties of tomatoes for their patio due to the size of the plant and it’s easier to stake, but you could prune your indeterminate or use a very tall trellis or cage (Amazon) you want tomatoes summer till fall. 

Here are some varieties of tomatoes that do well on patios: 

1. Bush Early Girl Tomato: determinate and grows 3 feet

2.Bush Beefsteak: determinate and grows 2-3 feet. These have large fruits and requires strong staking

3.Celebrity: determinate and grows 4 feet.

4.Brandywine: indeterminate and grows 4-6 feets (requires strong staking or cage)

5.Cherokee Purple: indeterminate and grows 406 feet (requires strong staking or cage)

6. Tiny TIm Cherry tomato:determinate bush and grows 12-18 inches tall

Step 3

How to keep them upright

Consider using a trellis or tomato cage for your patio tomato. There are many kinds of tomato cages and trellises for tomatoes. Please pick a sturdy one!

There are so many tomato cages that are flimsy and don’t last in the wind with the weight of the tomatoes. 

 Here are some choices we recommend: 

• Cedar Ridge Square Folding Plant Cages Heavy Duty (a variety of heights)

  https://amzn.to/3lrvG58 (Amazon)

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• Deaunbr Tomato Cage 6FT Tall Plant Stakes Heavy Duty Garden Trellis: good height for determinate tomatoes

https://amzn.to/3ZTDJqp(Amazon)

• H Potter Trellis Obelisk (8 ft tall): good height for indeterminate tomatoes.

https://amzn.to/3FEnYf3(Amazon)

Step 4

How to plant and care for the patio tomato:

First, use a quality soilless potting mix composed of peat moss, perlite or vermiculite. This will be lightweight and retain moisture well but will shed excess water easily. Don’t use garden dirt in pots as this compacts easily and dries out quickly.

Tomatoes require lots of nutrients when growing. For a continuous source, you can use a time- release fertilizer and determine how much according to your container size.

Choose fertilizer that has a higher middle number (phosphorus) than the first number (nitrogen), because while tomatoes need nitrogen to grow leaves, having more phosphorus is important for flowering and fruiting.

Tomato fertilizers or 5-10-10 are good choices. Organic growers can instead use a combination of fish emulsion, greensand, kelp meal and bone meal to feed their plants.

Take off the bottom leaves of the tomato and plant them deep to increase the amount of roots that will form around the stem and help the plant become more sturdy in the wind.

 Water your tomatoes on a regular schedule once a day and water them thoroughly, especially as the temperature rises. When the top 2 inches of soil is dry, water until the water begins to drain out of the bottom of the container.

Inconsistent watering can lead to issues like cracking of the skin or blossom end rot. Watering at the soil level instead of overhead spraying will decrease issues and disease also. 

Now that you know these simple steps, you will enjoy the fruits of your labor right on your patio!

 Related Articles: 19 shallow rooted vegetable plants for your raised beds:

https://inthegardensue.com/blog/19-shallow-rooted-plants-for-your-raised-beds

Intriguing health facts about Gardening for the elderly

https://inthegardensue.com/blog/the-intriguing-health-facts-about-gardening-for-the-elderly

Why are Raised Garden Beds Better?

https://inthegardensue.com/blog/why-are-raised-garden-beds-better