How to Grow Dwarf Tomato Plants

Dwarf tomato plants produce an abundance of small tomatoes.

Tomato plants are a warm-season crop and require temperate conditions. Dwarf tomato plants grow well in containers and hanging baskets. This variety of tomato is perfect for an area with limited space like a patio or porch. Dwarf tomato plants produce fruit in 45 to 72 days, depending on the variety. Most dwarf tomato plants produce 1-inch tomatoes, but some types grow larger fruit. Dwarf tomato plants need nearly the same care that normal-sized tomato plants require.

Things You'll Need

• Potting soil
• Compost
• Fertilizer
• Large container
• Hand trowel
• Mulch

Instructions

1. Mix together three parts potting soil and one part compost or well-rotted manure. This produces a good-draining soil mixture with plenty of organic material. Sprinkle 3 tbsp. of 10-10-10 slow-release fertilizer over the dirt. Mix this in to thoroughly incorporate it into the soil mixture.

2. Fill a large container that is at least 20 inches wide with the soil mixture. Dig a hole in the middle with a hand trowel and set the dwarf tomato plant in the hole so that only the top three to four sets of leaves are above the soil. Gently fill the hole with soil and do not break any underground branches.

3. Spread a 1- to 2-inch layer of mulch on top of the soil, like peat moss, dried grass, dead leaves or straw. Mulch provides the soil with slow release nutrients and prevents rapid evaporation.

4. Pour water into the top of the pot and let it drain out the bottom. Watering deeply allows for deep root growth. Water the dwarf tomato plants once a week. Tomato plants grown in containers need water more than once a week when the weather is dry and hot.

5. Sprinkle 3 tbsp. of 10-10-10 slow-release fertilizer around the base of the dwarf tomato plant starting when the first fruit appears. Tomato plants are heavy feeders and need feeding once a month after the first fertilizing.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose a stocky dwarf tomato plant when purchasing the plant from a nursery or garden store. Plants that are 6 to 10 inches tall transplant better than taller, more mature plants. Look under the leaves for small insects and check the tomato plant for damage before buying. Yellow leaves and wilting stems are a sign of neglected tomato plants.

• Do not prune your dwarf tomato plant, as it will keep its size and shape without trimming. Cutting back the dwarf tomato plant damages the plant growth and fruit production.

References

• University of Illinois Extension: Watch Your Garden Grow: Tomato
• University of Maryland: Tomatoes
• Ohio State University Fact Sheet: Container Vegetable Gardening