Beginner's Guide to Growing Tomatoes in a Container

Tomatoes are absolutely ideal for container gardening and are one of the most popular edible plants to grow. Tomatoes are popular because they are such a delicious taste of summer, but also because they are relatively easy to grow. Tomatoes are also good for you, containing vitamin C and lots of phytochemicals. Tomatoes may even help fight cancer!

The first thing to know about tomatoes is that one tomato is not like the same as all others. There are three basic types of tomato plants (tall, bush and dwarf) and within those three types there are literally thousands of varieties of different colors, sizes and levels of acidity. Tall varieties (also called indeterminate or vining varities) will require the most space and care as they will need to be supported and must be trained to their supports by tying them with soft materials. Bush varieties (also called determinate) will sprawl rather than grow tall and can also end up taking up quite a lot space. However, bush varieties can be grown in hanging baskets and do not require support. Dwarf varieties form miniature bushes which are perfect for small spaces, but which will have smaller yields than bush or tall varieties.

I have bought seedlings from the Natural Gardening Company (http://www.naturalgardening.com) for the past three years and have been extremely happy with the plants. They have a wide variety of tomatoes available, and the seedlings have always arrived in great condition, free of pests or disease. You can also find plenty of seedlings at your local garden center or discount store. Varieties I recommend for flavor are Brandywines (tall), Dona (tall), Celebrity (bush), and Sun Sugar cherry tomatoes (tall).