How to Grow a Hanging Tomato Garden

Small tomato cultivars do well in pots and hanging gardens.

Tomatoes grow lush, bushy vines and bright, juicy fruits, and come in a range of cultivar-specific sizes. All tomatoes require specific seasons and temperatures to thrive and do best with rich soil, sunshine and moisture. Tomatoes take space in the garden, though, and fall prey to soil-borne diseases, pests and weeds. Save space and keep tomatoes safe with hanging pots or gardens on the porch or patio. Plant the garden carefully and nurture the tomatoes to full harvest.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Hanging garden
• Organic compost
• Potting soil
• Fertilizer
• Hooks
• Twine

1. Start the tomato garden in spring, after frost lifts, to give hanging tomatoes warm air temperatures. Hanging tomatoes don't require frost-free soil but do require frost-free nights.

2. Find a hanging location that gives the tomatoes full sunshine all day, with good air movement. Screw an eye hook into the patio or porch location, if you don't already have one, but wait until after planting to put the garden up.

3. Mix quick-draining potting soil and organic compost in equal parts, and fill the hanging garden 3/4 full. This foundation gives tomatoes rich, nutritious soil, moisture retention and quick drainage. Add 6-24-24 or 8-32-16 granular fertilizer, per manufacturer directions, to give the tomatoes a quick start.

4. Plant one tomato plant for every 5 gallons of space in the garden. Use small dwarf, cherry or container cultivars like Tiny Tim, Hybrid Pixie II or Cherry Gold for the hanging garden. These plants stay small and put less stress on the structure.

5. Hang the pot on the hook using twine and the pre-drilled holes on the pot.

6. Water hanging tomatoes with 2 inches of water every three to four days. These tomatoes grow in an isolated and exposed situation and dry more quickly than garden tomatoes. If you notice the soil drying out quickly, increase your watering frequency to every two to three days.

7. Feed tomatoes with 10-10-10 fertilizer, per manufacturer directions, when the first fruit develops, and again two weeks after your first harvest. These feedings encourage continued fruit production and ripening.

References

• University of Missouri Extension; Growing Home Garden Tomatoes; David H. Trinklein
• University of Illinois Extension; Watch Your Garden Grow: Tomato; Ron Wolford, et al.