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Growing Tomatoes Indoors
Means You’ll Get Love Apples
All Year-Around
Growing tomatoes indoors will allow you to harvest this popular fruit when there is snow on the ground outside and last year's garden is only a distant memory. Most people think growing tomatoes is a "throw the plants in after the last frost, water and sit back" sort of deal. Well, they aren't completely wrong, but there are dozens of creative, wacky ways you can grow beautiful fruit indoors, as well.
Feed And Water
Indoor growing means in containers. The plant’s ability to put down roots for food and water is limited by the size of the container. So, you must provide rich soil in the container and regular side dressings or
foliar feeding
of your plants, and never let them dry out. In short, they require regular attention. You cannot plant and forget.
Gotta Greenhouse?
If you've got the means, a greenhouse is a phenomenal way to grow tomatoes. With a simple heating system you can produce fruit all year round, and during the summer months you'll have more than you know what to do with. You can place your potted plants in the greenhouse, or you can put together raised beds and plant them in rows. It all depends on how many tomatoes you want, really.
Here are two photos from my greenhouse. The first is of some 18-gallon plastic tubs in February that each have two plants, trellised with twine to the ceiling. The second is of tomatoes I just planted (also February) in a raised bed that runs against the inside wall of the greenhouse and also trellised to the ceiling. I will get 25-40 pounds of tomatoes from each plant starting in May.
I was able to plant three months earlier than outside for my area, and will also harvest three months earlier. Planting inside also means I will still be harvesting vine-ripened fruit at Christmas.
You’ll Need Grow Lights Indoors
The temperature in your home, usually in the 70s, is ideal for growing tomato plants, but there is almost never enough light intensity to raise vegetables. Having florescent grow lights can enable you to grow your tomatoes indoors, if you're without a greenhouse. There are other types of grow lights, but they are expensive and put off too much heat for a home setting. Fluorescents are your best choice. They should not touch the plants, but should be placed no more than 2-4 inches away. During spring and summer a South-facing window might be enough light, but as the days get shorter, grow lights are definitely necessary to set and ripen fruit. It is during those winter months when growing tomatoes indoors makes the most sense. Bottom line, your tomato plants need 12-16 hours of strong light each day to set fruit and ripen it. Much less light than that will raise a nice houseplant.
What To Grow In
I'm fond of growing plants in a colorful variety of planters. Who says you need a boring old ceramic pot from the garden supply store to grow a bunch of delicious produce? Old boots, watering cans, cat liter containers, and basically anything that can hold dirt, seeds, and can be altered to drain, can be turned into a tomato plant holder. Grow bags are becoming more and more popular, and they are what I like to call the gardeners cheat sheet. Gnomes are fairly good at reading minds, and I can practically see the steam rising from your head as you think, “how easy it would be to grow a plant from a bag”, but there are drawbacks. These bags are prepared with all the good stuff you need to produce plants, but watering them can be mighty tricky! Too much water and you'll drown your plants, too little and they will wilt. If you are growing tomatoes indoors, I recommend a more rigid container with good drainage. A full size tomato plant prefers a pot 5 gallons or more in size. Small patio varieties can get by well in a 2-3 gallon container. Indoors, you’ll also need something to catch water runoff.
Our AeroGardens
If you are a turnkey “out-of-the-box” kind of gardener I really recommend the Aero Garden, especially for growing tomatoes indoors. Here is one of mine (right). We started harvesting fresh cherry tomatoes in December, and in April there is no end in sight. The AeroGarden system is hydroponic and comes complete with nutrient solution. So, once planted, all you have to do is add water when the unit tells you to, and harvest. We are growing tomatoes indoors as well as lettuce, peas, cucumbers, peppers, herbs and other stuff. We grow more fresh veggies than
Marta
, the kids and I can eat – all winter - with just four of these. In the summer, when the outside garden is producing, we plant flowers in our AeroGardens – Marta likes that. They are a great investment for man and gnome alike.
Happy gardening,
Geefrank
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