How to Grow Tomatoes in a Pot – Easiest Way to Grow
Intro:
Today, we’re going to learn about how to grow tomatoes in a pot, simple ways of growing tomatoes so let’s begin…
How to Grow Tomatoes in a Pot
In this article, you will learn how to grow fresh, juicy, and organic tomatoes in pots. I’ll demonstrate how to grow tomato plants from store-bought seeds, as well as fresh seeds, extracted from tomatoes, with a full 100 Days of growth way from seed to harvest.
Q: How to Make Best Potting Soil & Take Care of Tomato Plants?
How to make the pleasant potting soil to get amazing tomato yield?
When, what type of and how much fertilizer need to be given?
How to care of tomato plants in each level of growth?
At the ending of the article, I will describe:
Why do the leaves of the tomato plants curl?
Why do plants stop growing?
Why do flowers drop before fruit formation?
What are the solutions to such problems?
Also, I’ll share tried and tested tricks, which will help you to grow tons of tomatoes in pots. So, read this entire article to learn how to grow around 6 to 8 kg best quality tomatoes from each Plant.
No 01: Seed Selection
Do you know that most of the tomatoes which you buy from the store comes from the farm where synthetic fertilizers and poisonous pesticides are sprayed again and again to grow them and you have no choice? So, what if you can grow your own fresh, juicy, and hundred percent organic tomatoes.
For best results, It’s important to buy good quality seeds. Best Seeds of desi tomato variety are a bit costlier, but you can get amazing results out of them and I grow lots of juicy and fresh tomatoes every year with the same seeds and you can easily get good quality seeds from any agriculture store in your city as well.
If not, so you can extract seeds from fresh tomatoes and grow them. For this, you need a fully ripe and red tomato of good quality. Then, squeeze it and extract the seeds in a strainer. After that, wash them throughout and rub them to remove the entire pulp from seeds, otherwise, seeds may develop fungus.
Now, spread seeds in shade, and let them dry for 24 hours. The next day seeds will be completely dried, and ready to be sown.
No 02: Seeding
First of all, I am going to take an example of start store-bought seeds. Instead of sowing directly in pots, it’s a good idea to start seeds in a Seeding Tray. This will encourage dense root growth in seedlings, and plants will become healthier.
Now, you can fill seedling mix in-tray. To make the seedling mix, take 50% vermicompost and 50% cocopeat. Make it moist and mix it. After that, fill the mix in the seedling tray. Sow 3-4 seeds in each section. When seedlings will grow bigger, remove weaker seedlings and let only healthy ones grow in each section.
Now, cover the seeds with the mixture and keep the tray in shade till germination. Meanwhile whenever the soil feels dry spray some water. Keep it moist but not soggy, otherwise, seeds may rot. Now, in the same way, I’m Sowing fresh seeds extracted from Tomato.
No 03: Store-Bought Seeds After 10 Days
After 10 Days Store-bought seeds will almost be 90% germinated and developed 3-4 Leaves as well. Then, you will need to place that tray where it gets 2-3 hours of morning sunlight. Wire them only when the mix starts to dry.
No 04: Fresh Seeds After 20 Days
After 20 days seeds extracted from tomatoes will also be germinated. It clearly means that freshly extracted from tomatoes has a low germination rate, and takes more time, than store-bought seeds.
No 05: Store-Bought Seeds After 25 Days
After 25 Days Seedlings will grow bigger, and then they are ready to be transplanted in the final pot.
No 06: Soil Preparation
Hard and clayey soil becomes compacted in a pot, which results in suffocation and poor root growth. In such poor soil, plants cannot grow properly. Tomato plant needs nutrition-rich and well-drained potting soil to thrive.
Requirements of Making Potting Soil:
- Garden Soil 50%
- Vermicompost 30%
- Cocopeat Or Sand 20%
- Neem Cake Powder
Now mix Garden Soil 50%, Vermicompost 30%, Cocopeat or Sand 20%, and as well as add 2 handfuls of Neem cake powder or Neem Khali which is a natural fungicide.
To grow a lot of tomatoes in a pot you need a big size pot as the roots of the tomato plant spreads a lot. You can use a big grow bag or even a thick plastic bag. Grow only one plant in one medium-sized pot. Make sure the pot should have some holes for proper drainage.
You have to transfer seedlings in 14 inches long, 24 inches wide, and 15 inches deep old plastic food crates. Which location receives sunlight for a whole day. You will see after growing in a fluffy mixture, the seedlings will be developed a dense root system.
Now, you have to choose the healthiest ones and transplant them in that pot. Always grow tomato seedlings as Deeper as you can. The stem will grow more roots. The denser the roots plant grows the bushier it will be. Also, it will be more stable. Plants the seedlings with a distance of at least 6 to 8 inches if growing in Big Pot.
No 07: Cut the Growing Tip After 30 Days
After 30 days cut the growing tip of the plant. This will encourage the plant to grow more side branches and it will become bushier. More branches mean more tomatoes.
No 08: Plants Become Bushy After 50 Days
After 50 days plant will become really bushy, and also start flowering to give support. I recommend you tie the plant with sticks. Tie the plant with some piece of cloth so that when the branch becomes thick, the string could not damage the plant.
No 09: Plants in Full Flowering Phase After 60 Days
Tomato Plants will be 2 months old, all the plants will be in the full Flowering Phase. Some tiny green tomatoes may start forming. Tomatoes are self-fertile, which means each flower can pollinate itself because male and female organs are located within the same flower.
If there are flowering plants where you have planted your tomato plant, so it attracts pollinators. When bumblebees or other bees land on tomato flowers, they vibrate wings, and by this vibration, pollination happens. But when this natural process doesn’t happen, flowers start to drop before fruit formation.
In this case, you need to do hand pollination. Just tickle and vibrate flowers with your fingers. You can also use Powered Tooth Brush. This vibration dislodges the pollen from the anthers.
After 60 Days, you can see the result of those plants which are grown from fresh seeds. It would be quite more good germinated.
No 10: Flowers Becomes Fruits After 80 Days
After 80 days most of the flowers will be converted into fruits and all plants will be filled with Green Tomatoes. Its branches grow really long, so to protect branches from breaking by the weight of Tomatoes, I recommend you to tie the plant to give them support.
No 11: Store-Bought Seeds Growth After 80 Days
After 80 days, You can start harvesting long beans, you will see in the background plants would be full of green tomatoes and some of them almost start to get ripen.
No 12: Harvest Tomatoes Grown From Store-Bought Seeds
Tomato Plants grown from store-bought seeds will be around 3 months old, and as you see plants will be full of red ripe, and juicy tomatoes. Probably, Most of them are red and ready for harvest.
So, start harvesting tomatoes. Now, the leaves of plants may also be turning yellow and drying. You should remove drying leaves and the lower leaves from time to time. This helps plants to focus their energy on fruits growth, rather than growing leaves.
No 13: Harvest Tomatoes Grown From Fresh Tomato Seeds
The Plant grown by extracting seeds from tomatoes will also be ready to harvest after 123 days. Now, you have to pick these tomatoes too. In this project of growing tomatoes from both packed and fresh seeds.
You will also come to know that even after growing at the same time with the same fertilizer, soil and watering plants grown from fresh seeds produces fewer tomatoes and took more time, as compared to store-bought seeds.
No 14: Fertilizing Tomato Plant
Tomatoes in the pot grow with limited resources and less soil. So, for best results, it’s important to fertilize plants with nutrition-rich organic compost at every stage of growth.
After the transplant, you just have to give water for the first 15 days. Then After every 15 days, add two handfuls of well rotten cow dung compost or vermicompost or homemade compost, per square foot, and do lite tilling.
I never use chemical pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, because 100% organic vegetables have their unique taste and health benefits. In most of my plants, I apply homemade compost made of Kitchen waste and I get such amazing results out of it.
No 15: Some Important Care Tips
Though the best time to sow tomato seeds is before winter they can be easily grown from October to December, and from March to July. Special attention should be given to watering cycles overwatering may kill your tomato plant. Water only when the soil feels dry to touch.
Sometimes, Tomatoes flowers are dropping and not forming fruits. So, one of the biggest reasons for flower drops is overwatering. Soon after flowering starts, if the soil gets excess moisture, the roots cannot absorb nutrition from soggy soil, and to conserve energy, plant start to drop flowers.
So soon after flowering stars, water only when top 1 inch of the soil feels try to touch. But don’t let the soil dry out completely for a long time, otherwise, flowers may dry. Sometimes, the growth of the tomato plants stops, and plants produce only 2-3 small tomatoes. The reason behind this is poor soil. Clayey and Heavy soil becomes compacted in a pot, which results in poor growth. So far best result always grows tomato plants in well-drained and crumbly soil, with a lot of organic matter in it.
For overall growth and good fruiting, tomato plants need direct sunlight. Place the pot where it gets at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight every day. Tomato plants are highly prone to many diseases and this is the reason why tomato crop is sprayed with pesticides but the organic solution to this problem is very easy.
Mostly Whitefly. Mealybug, Aphids, and Spider mites’ attacks on this plant, to get rid of them, mix 5ml neem oil in one liter of water, and spray in every 15 days on the entire plant, especially under the leaves where insects hide. Neem oil is 100% effective and organic as well.
To know about why tomato plant leaves start turning yellow and what is the solution of it: Click here
Hope so guys you liked reading this article. I tried my best as much as possible ways to make you understand everything clearly so hopefully, this article is gonna be helpful for you in how to grow tomatoes in a pot. Keep visiting us to learn many more things. Have a nice day!
