Patio Tomatoes

But the actual Patio cultivar is not the only tomato you can grow in a container on a deck or patio. Other varieties are considered patio tomatoes and are well suited to this type of planting as well.

Characteristics of Patio Tomatoes

These plants seldom grow taller than two feet. They maintain a bushy shape and produce small fruit, usually about two inches around.

The stem is stronger and better able to support the plant without cages or stakes. Two-inch sized fruit weighing three to four ounces each are ready to harvest in about seventy days.

They are a determinate plant with lush, dark green leaves. It is more tolerant of warmer temperatures for setting fruit than most tomatoes, and is therefore a favorite in the southwest.

Varieties of Patio Tomatoes

Depending on the type and size of tomato you want, there are many varieties to choose from.

Orange Pixie produces yellow-orange tomatoes that are about 1-3/4 inches.

Bush Champions yield larger fruit, up to twelve ounces in size. Silvery Fir produces four inch tomatoes in less than 60 days.

Tiny Tim yields small, less than two inch, bright red cherry tomatoes in about 45 days on a plant that reach only eighteen inches in height.

Window Box Roma produces two inch plum tomatoes that have a long shelf-life once harvested. They are ideal for cooking and canning.

New Big Dwarf is an heirloom variety that produces extra-large, twelve ounce tomatoes on a compact plant in sixty days.

Maintaining Patio Plants

Tomatoes are sensitive to cold temperatures. By planting in pots, they can be moved indoors if there is a late spring temperature drop.

By growing tomatoes on the patio or deck, they are less subject to damage from animals.

Containers should be large enough for large root systems to develop. Five-gallon containers are ideal for most tomato plants.

Hanging plantings that are deep enough to allow root space can also be used. There are even containers that hang the tomato plant upside down, allowing the vines to flow freely while the roots are contained inside a plastic container filled with soil.

Large window boxes can be used, again providing they have ample space for roots to spread. Provide adequate sunlight, water and drainage, and tomato plants will flourish.

Tomatoes in pots will need fertilizing when first potted and again when fruit begins to form, to produce abundant yields. You may need to water daily during the summer.

To avoid tomato blight, water only the soil and avoid getting the leaves wet. If leaves turn yellow, remove them immediately to prevent spreading disease to other parts of the plant. Most varieties of patio plant are disease-resistant.

There's no reason to be without fresh, juicy tomatoes throughout the growing season and beyond.

Even if you don't have a garden, patio tomatoes can be grown in a container outside your door and harvested for enjoyment.

More Tomatoes Info