My tomato plants in patio containers have been growing well so far! I have been keeping them watered, and the hot sunshine is shaded by the house by around 2pm. My Early Girls have already bloomed fruit, and my Purple Cherokee has also bloomed. I am recycling water back into my plants that has collected in the drainage pans. I read somewhere that this water has nutrients that have drained through the soil.

Since our tomato plants aren’t actually fruiting yet, we recently purchased some lovely tomatoes at the farmer’s market. I remembered this recipe for oven dried tomatoes that my friend Jeri gave to me.

Prepare these in advance, even days ahead, but be sure to serve them at room temperature, on a salad or just eat them! Slow roasting or sun drying tomatoes brings out the sugary sweetness.

So easy:
TIME: 3 hours

a dozen vine-ripened tomatoes, cut in half horizontally
2 tablespoons olive oil
Preheat the oven to 275ºF.

In a small roasting pan, toss the tomatoes with the olive oil. Roast the tomatoes, seed-side up, for three hours.

Tomato plants growing in containers

May in California: I have had to water my tomatoes about every other day depending on how hot it is outside. I water until there is about an inch overflow into plastic tray under the pot. I also use a watering can, not the hose. Keeping the hose on during watering wastes water!

Tomato plants have one of two growth patterns. Determinate (bush) varieties grow to a certain height (usually 2-3 ft), set fruit, and then work on ripening that fruit.  Usually determinate tomatoes are early producing plants.  Indeterminate (vine) varieties keep growing, producing fruit until they’re killed by frost.  I prefer Indeterminate varieties because I am a greedy gardener, and I like to have a crop over a long season.  

If you have an extremely limited amount of growing space or a super short growing season, you might want to select a determinate (bush) variety.   Determinate varieties are also good for cold climate gardeners who need to harvest their whole crop within a couple weeks.  If you have the space, prefer to pick your tomatoes throughout the season, and are prepared to provide sturdy support with stakes or cages, select an indeterminate variety.  Indeterminate plants can grow up to 6′-10′, so plan for their greatness!

Tomato plants also can easily be grown as a hanging or upside down plant.  Gwowing upside down eliminates the need for support, keeps the fruit in the air, and allows  sunlight to reach throughout the plant.    ”Upside down” tomato growing pots, and hanging pots are easily made out of hanging pots.  Or, you can purchase one for about $19-24.  I’ll post an example soon.

Check your seed packets or nursery plant instructions to find out if you have determinate or indeterminate tomato plants!

Most tomato varieties are  indeterminate including most heirlooms and most cherry types.  Other indeterminate tomatoes include Beefsteak, Big Boy and Brandywine. Early producing varieties like, Celebrity and Early Girl, are also indeterminate. However since they tend to produce fruit ealier and die back before the end of the season, they are sometimes labeled semi-determinate.

Pruning “suckers” on Indeterminate plants:

Prune the "sucker" leaves that grow between the main vine and offshoots.

What are those codes on the seed packet?  VFTA
Being aware of disease resistance is important when growing tomatoes, because tomatoes are vulnerable to diseases that can wilt, weaken, spread, and reduce yields.  Look at the nursery description, seed packet or plant label to see if that variety has resistance to verticillium and fusarium wilt,  common soil-borne diseases that affect tomatoes.  Resistance is designated by a V or F on the description or plant name. If tomatoes in your region suffer from root-knot nematode (N), Tobacco Mosaic virus (T) or Alternaria (A), look for resistance to these diseases as well.

Example:  ’Sun Gold’ Cherry Tomato- Indeterminate (VFNT)  57-65 days

 The tomatoes above are from the 2008 season, so here is a picture of our newest addition. Heirloom varieties on our porch.  Notice, one plant per pot!  The first year I started container gardening, I placed two plants in a pot.  Trust me, they grow very large!   If you place more than one plant per pot, they will become root bound, and die early…Which is disappointing!  Take the time to mix compost, add fertilizer, and use extra pots if needed.  It will pay off in July/August when you will have the biggest tomato booty on the block!   Also, remember that if you plant more than four or five plants, you will be sharing tomatoes with your family and friends.   Be mindful of what you will realistically use or donate.  Rotten tomatoes are a pain to clean from the deck, and can attract rodents.