Inspired by a helpful YouTube guide. We based this walk-through on the video "One Pot = Hundreds of Cherry Tomatoes! EASY!", which shows just how productive a single container can be with the right approach. Practical and to the point - worth a watch before you get started.
1. Choose the right variety
For pots and containers, bush (determinate) varieties are the easiest to manage. Tumbling Tom Red or Yellow trails nicely over the side of hanging baskets and large pots. Balconi Red is another compact bush variety bred specifically for containers.
If you prefer a cordon variety (which grows as a single main stem), Gardener's Delight and Sweet Million are both reliable UK favourites that work well in large pots. They do need staking and regular side-shooting, but the crop is excellent.
2. Start seeds at the right time
Sow under cover from late February to mid-April. Much earlier and the seedlings get leggy before there is enough light. Sow in small pots or module trays, cover lightly, and keep somewhere warm - a windowsill above a radiator or a heated propagator.
Once seedlings have two true leaves, pot them on into 9cm pots. They will need to come to a frost-free greenhouse or conservatory from May, then harden off for a week or two before moving outside after the last frost risk has passed - usually mid-May to early June in East Kent.
3. Choose a good container
The minimum size for a single cordon tomato is a 30cm pot. Go bigger if you can - a 40 or 45cm pot stays moist longer and gives more root room, which means a more productive plant. Grow bags work well too and are cheap, but they do dry out faster.
Avoid unglazed terracotta unless you are very good at watering - it wicks moisture away fast and these plants need consistent moisture to avoid problems later.
4. Use good compost and add slow-release fertiliser
Fill with peat-free multi-purpose compost and mix in slow-release tomato fertiliser granules at the label rate before planting. This takes care of the first month or so of feeding without you having to remember to do it every week.
Do not use garden soil in containers - it compacts and drains poorly. Compost is worth buying fresh for this.
5. Stake cordon varieties early
Put the cane in before you plant - not after, when you will damage the roots. For a 1.8m cordon plant you need at least a 1.5m cane. Tie the plant loosely with soft twine as it grows, adding a new tie every 20 to 30cm.
Bush varieties are self-supporting, though in a exposed spot a short bamboo cane or two stops them getting battered flat in a summer storm.
6. Pinch out side shoots on cordon varieties
Cordon tomatoes produce side shoots in the junction between the main stem and each leaf stem. Pinch these out when they are small - a snap with your fingers rather than cutting with scissors keeps things clean. Remove them every week through summer.
Bush varieties do not need this treatment. If in doubt about which type you have, check the variety name - the seed packet will say cordon or bush.
7. Water consistently
Inconsistent watering is the main cause of problems. If the compost dries out and then gets a big soak, the sudden uptake of water causes fruit to split or - worse - blossom end rot (a dark patch on the base of the tomato caused by calcium deficiency linked to irregular watering).
In summer, large pots may need watering every day in warm weather. Push your finger into the compost - if the top 2cm is dry, water thoroughly. In very hot weather, water morning and evening.
8. Feed weekly once flowers appear
Once the first flowers open, start weekly feeding with a high-potash liquid fertiliser - a tomato feed like Tomorite or any own-brand equivalent. Follow the label rate. This is what drives flower and fruit production rather than leafy growth.
Keep feeding through the whole growing season. Stop when the weather turns in September and the plant is clearly winding down.
9. Harvest regularly
Pick fruit as soon as it is fully coloured. Leaving ripe tomatoes on the plant diverts energy from the remaining developing fruit. With cherry tomatoes, once they start ripening you may be picking every two or three days at the height of the season.
At the end of the season, any green tomatoes that remain can be ripened indoors on a windowsill alongside a banana - the ethylene gas speeds up ripening. Or make green tomato chutney. Either way, do not let them go to waste.
When to call a handyman
Not really a job for a handyman - tomatoes are genuinely manageable as long as you keep on top of the watering. If you need a sunny patio space set up or a greenhouse built, Richard can help with that side of things.
Need a greenhouse built or patio improved?
The Sandwich Handyman can help with garden structures, patio work, and outdoor improvements in Sandwich and across the East Kent area.
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