The following is a guest blog post by Richard Clayton. His website, My Greenery Life, discusses everything about lawn care, DIY gardening and critter control topics.
If you have a short summer growing season or no place to garden outdoors, you can still grow tomatoes as houseplants. It’s easier than you might think to harvest tasty tomatoes indoors.
Read on to find out how.
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(Free Images.com/Oncle Bob_)
1. Grow the best varieties of indoor tomatoes
Avoid buying just any tomato for indoor growing. Grow the wrong tomato indoors, and you aren’t likely to have much success.
In my experience, upright and small varieties are the best choices. Good tomato varieties for growing indoors are:
- Florida Petite
- Toy Boy
- Tiny Tim
- Red Robin
If you want to grow tomatoes in hanging baskets indoors, choose these cultivars:
- Yellow Pear
-
Basket King
2. Plant tomato seeds indoors
If you’re unable to buy the best tomatoes as plants for indoor growing, plant from seed.
To have the best luck with this, try the following steps:
1. Fill a seed starting tray with moistened, light-weight seed-starting mix.
2. Place one tomato seed in each cell.
3. Cover the tomato seed with a 1/8th-inch layer of additional seed-starting mix.
4. Spray the tray with a thin mist of water until seed-stating mix is wet.
5. Cover the seeds with plastic wrap, or use a seed-starting tray with lid.
6. Keep the soil and seedlings moist.
7. Place in a warm location while seeds germinate, such as on top of the refrigerator.
8. Once plants appear, place the seedlings under artificial lights or in an eastern or southern window.
9. When the seedlings get two sets of true leaves and are at least two inches high, transplant into a larger pot.
10. For a continuous supply of tomatoes, plant seeds monthly.
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(Healthy Houseplants.com)
3. Hand-pollinate Indoor Grown Tomatoes
Indoor grown tomatoes don’t have the benefit of pollination from bees and other insects. For that reason, you must hand-pollinate. Stick a Q-tip into each flower when in bloom, continuing until you've hit every one. This will spread the pollen around and lead to tomatoes.
4. Fertilize Indoor Grown Tomatoes Regularly
Tomatoes, particularly indoor tomatoes, need a steady supply of nutrients. Fertilizing is especially important in containerized tomatoes. Nutrients tend to run out the bottom of the pot when you water.
I recommend using on organic fertilizer, since you are growing edible crops. Organically grown indoor tomatoes also tend to be healthier plants, and the taste is incredible.
5. Provide Adequate Light and Heat to Tomato Houseplants
As a summer, heat-loving crop, tomatoes require at least eight hours of light each day and sufficient warmth.
For lighting, place the plants under full-spectrum lights for 12 hours a day. If you have access to eastern or southern unobstructed windows, put the plants in front of the windows for 6 to 8 hours of sun a day. For the remaining hours, place the plants under artificial lighting.
For heat, tomatoes grow best in 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit (24 to 30 Celcius). The minimum temperature should be 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18.3 degrees Celsius).
During cold months of the year, grow the tomato seedlings and established plants on a heat mat.
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(Healthy Houseplants.com)
6. Grow Tomatoes Indoors in Terra-cotta Pots
Grow tomatoes in terra-cotta pots, as they are porous and breathe. This will help ensure that the plants don’t become waterlogged, which can lead to fungal disease and root rot. Place pots on drainage dishes. Make sure to empty the dishes after watering. You don’t ever want the plant roots sitting in water.
7. Manage Pests on Indoor Tomato Plants
Although tomato pests aren’t as common indoors as out, it’s still a good idea to keep an eye open for any intruders. Potential pests include mealybugs and whiteflies.
Manage indoor tomato pests by hand removing them or washing off with water. If you still have trouble with pests, spray with isopropy alcohol.
Prevent tomato diseases, such as fusarium wilt, by not overwatering. Water established plants when the soil has started to dry out. Also maintain good air circulation. If the air in your home is stuffy, run a fan on the tomato plants at least 6 hours a day.
Good luck with your indoor tomato garden! Leave a comment if you have a question or want to share a story about growing tomatoes as houseplants.