The Best Pot Size for Growing Tomatoes??? (Big or Small)

Excellent! thanks!

The last part of this video was key, I've also found putting out huge plants does not exceed what smaller ones will do and in my area, putting them out early can be the worst thing. I start my plants around mid April and put them out in the garden mid May, I live in Zone 7a (New Jersey). I used to start plants in February, they'd grow 3' tall inside but soon as they went out they'd slow down for weeks due to the cold soil. A few years I got lucky and had extremely early tomatoes but more times than not it was just a ton of work for little or no returns.

Maybe I missed something because I skipped ahead. I dislike long, wordy videos. For seedlings starts, he is correct. However, for Indetermenent plants, you need at least 10-15 gallon pots of larges for the long haul season. Also, as the water requirements change with the weather, it's better for a large pot because it holds moisture longer.

You'd get vastly improved results burying the stems to create extra 'adventageous' roots.

Thank you. This is very helpful.

But what size if you don't have a garden and grow them in pots on your balcony?

Very interesting 🤔

The 5 gallon maybe would be after the 1 gallon or even another in between, allowing that root mass to grow into itself.

my dad says it’s not good to keep your plants in a pot, tomato doesn’t like small places is that true?

I’m outside planting tomatoes in a bigger container. So glad I came across your video.

Can I put a tomato plant into a large container and never put it in the ground and still get good fruit?

💚

Would like to know what type of pot you recommend for someone who will be growing on a deck rather than in a garden!

I like using ollas for my tomatoes.

Thank you for your video. Question: Can you get tomatoes for just using one gallon pot?

My tomatoes are in a pot very similar to the orange pot you use. They seem to have hit a growth stunt, the tomatoes have bloomed but are taking a long time to grow larger and ripen. I'm watering 2-4 times a day and it's been a very hot and sunny summer. I'm wondering if I need to pot up or if they've received too much sun.

Very informative and practical. On our small patio I'm going to use a smaller pot for my grape tomato plants. Thanks!!!

Thank you for this brilliant video. I'm sharing with my small gardening group and Dad. I've just killed approx 6 tomato seedlings because they were too leggy so I repotted. Only one survived. I'm trying your method now. I thought about potting in bigger pots so thank you so much for making this wonderful video. Greatly appreciated. ☘️🦋🐝☘️

(1) Best way to stake tomatoes (long wire fencing panel? classic tomato wire cages for each individual plant? wooden stake? or just let the plant lie on the ground?) (2) best way to water tomatoes (simple water hose? 25' soaker hose? irrigation drip rows?). I've yet to find the perfect way of staking/holding up my tomatoes for optimal production. Seems the classic round wire tomato cages are too weak and will fall over. (3) how tall should your tomato plant become? (4) how wide should the tomato plant be? IN SUMMARY FOR OPTIMAL tomatoes production how to hold up plant, how to water, best height, best width?

Vry importnt?
https://youtu.be/PaB8G1u2iUA

I am thinkimg chicken wire pit lined with forest leaves, half filled forest soil.
Roots dont wind around thsuffocating plastic sides bcuz sides dry more ideally.
Same reason cloth pots offer advamtages? Thats th hope...

Excllnt video

I progressively increase my pot size when transplanting. If I put in in a giant pot from a seedling such as a 5 gallon, it doesn't grow well

I was about to put it into a 5 gal lmao

Thank you for the video information ☺️

Suuuuuuuuuch a good video. Thank you so much!

I subscribed. I appreciate how clearly you explain things.

Thanks for the video, but what if i want to keep my tomatoes in the pot?? I have 2 kinds of tomatoes, Cherry and Beef...

This is a great experiment! I did the same experiment and came to the same conclusion. I feel validated 👍🏻

That's one side of the equation: foliage. What about yield please?

@ 11:33. "I am really into these types of things". I can relate. :) Thanks for sharing. My question is, if I were growing in containers rather than the ground, what size container would give a tomato plant optimal conditions throughout the growing season.

Interesting experimentation, you do good work. Thanks!

Can you not put two or three plants in a larger pot?

Fantastic info. Just what I needed to know.

Talks to much

I love the video, but please give the tomatoes a trellis 😁🙃

Growing up 60 years ago, my dad had a green house and we had a garden about 5 acres for family to come and pick. Dad found out if you grew the tomatoe plants in the green house untill they were about 10 inches tall, that we would lose a lots of them trying to keep them watered when it was dry. We went to about 4 inch tall plants and had a better return and growth rate because the plant for some reason would just jump once being transplanted in the field.Dad decided the shock that the larger plant took, took longer for them to overcome.

I find the 5L common sized bucket works best for me. The Tomato plants can get really big and give me loads of tomatoes. I've tried smaller pots but it just wasn't worth the trouble.

I live in Quebec Canada zone 5
few years ago, I let some tomatoes 🍅 on the ground in the homemade greenhouse no heat and in the outdoor garden
I start tomatoes seed in my house
When the SOIL temperature reach 10 Celsius the seed germ
the tomatoes seed growing outside it grow more rapidly and it was more resistant
At autumn I put some different fresh tomatoes only on the soil with a sign for free tomatoes 🍅 plant next year
I do the same with different lettuce
Free vegetables year after year
Less job
PS: this year I buy tomatoes seed of small tomatoes plant 24 inches
I will have more tomatoes for my urban garden and more quickly than a big plant
First Expérience

Have you used the Johnson su extract

Good stuff as always. Home gardener who uses soil blocks then 4” pot to harden off then stick em in the ground with caterpillar tunnel standing by.

Kool vid. I usually seed in solo cups then go to 1 or 2 gal pots. I skip the cells all together. The cells with plugs are better though. I find them to be a hassle with filling with soil, seeding, and removing plants. Then I transplant into the ground or into 30 to 100 gal pots. 20 was the smallest pot that seem to give me good results with tomatoes. All are fabric pots. Plastic stretch wrap like the stuff from U-Haul can be used to help prevent the pots from drying out. Place wrap at the bottom. Bands can be wrapped around the pot in addition to the bottom. Coco coir can be used to help your potting mix go further and help with water retention etc. I have found that transplant difficulties can be reduced with transplanting at the right time to ensure sufficient root mass exists and using a good heavy shovel for the huge hole. In addition, I have noticed that soil type and moisture can increase or decrease transplant difficulties. I have found that larger medium sized are easiest to transplant. Have you used the trans planter pot from Smart Pot? They make removing the root ball simple; however, they cost more than solo cups or 1-2 gal nursery pots. I'm excited for more testing videos.

I love the experiments - in fact thats why I subscribed - I want to know whats best from experimentation; not from - this is what I do

Your experimental approach to gardening is very helpful.
This potting up experiment was very interesting.
But I found your recommendations to be even more helpful.
However, I was disappointed that you did not take the experiment all the way to harvest.
Last year I started more tomato seedlings than I needed.
After giving away most of the excess, I still had 6 puny Roma seedlings that I was too embarrassed to give to friends.
Instead of trashing them, I stuck them in a new spot with lousy soil.
I was amazed at how much they produced.
Diego, how about an experiment on how seedling size affects productivity?