Barbara Pierson, the nursery manager at White Flower Farm in Litchfield, Connecticut, is a true professional. This might just be the best video (5:02) out there on the subject of growing tomatoes in containers. Barbara says that White Flower Farm supplies over 100 varieties of tomato seed, so it might be worth visiting www.whiteflowerfarm.com to take a closer look.
Once you have a seedling, you need to plant it in full sun. Container gardening means you can move the plant around, which is great for tomatoes, which need 6 – 8 hours of sunlight per day. You place a potting mix in the pot in a ratio of 2:1 with compost. Make sure there are no lumps.
Remove the seedling from the seedling pot without breaking up the root ball. You plant the seedling deep, after removing the leaves that will be below the surface. These stems will produce roots where the leave were. Tamp the plant in gently.
The time to stake a tomato plant is at the time of planting, says Barbara. She likes a simple spiral stake for a container tomato. Push it right to the bottom of the pot. Now water the plant well. Check regularly for moisture by sticking your finger in the soil. When the plant starts producing fruit, don’t over water or the fruit may crack and the taste of the tomato may be insipid.
