Hanging Baskets of Tomatoes
For something really fun try growing a hanging basket or two of
tomatoes. Smaller varieties of tomatoes just thrive in hanging baskets
or hanging planters.
Best Tomatoes For Hanging Baskets
Cherry Tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes – smaller marble to golf sized tomatoes with a trailing
habit thrive are ideal for hanging baskets or planters as they are a
little more tolerant of drought and weather fluctuations therefore are
less prone to the cracking and blossom end rot that frequently afflict
the fuller sized tomato varieties.
Cheery tomatoes smaller size and naturally trailing habit means that
their fruit won’t snap the vines as is prone to happen to larger
tomatoes who need staking and ties to help them withstand the wind
Another advantage of cherry tomatoes is that they will mature and ripen
earlier in the season and continue to bear ripe fruits throughout the
summer and into the fall months. Most cherry tomato varieties are
incredibly productive, yielding hundreds of tasty tomatoes from a single
plant.
We are often asked which cherry tomato varieties we would recommend for
hanging baskets – the answer is Tumbling Tom, closely followed by
Tumbler, Garden Pearl and Red Alert. The new variety Maskotka is well
worth trying also
Tumbling Tom Tomatoes in Hanging Baskets
Tumbling tom were just meant for hanging baskets their trailing almost
“weeping” habit means they will cascade 2 or more feet spilling over the
sides of your hanging baskets.
Described as lovely "edible ornamentals’ they first sets attractive
white blooms, then masses of small, bright red 1- to 2-inch round
fruits. Grow it just as you would any other Tomato, but don't worry
about stakes, cages, root nematode, and other pests of the soil!
Tumbling Toms are above them all!
Tumbling toms come in two colors also – to add variety.
- Tumbling Tom – Orange and red fruit, with excellent flavor. Try
planting this variety with Tumbling Tom Yellow
- Tumbling Tom Yellow – Sweet, yellow, bite-sized fruit which goes
well with Tumbling Tom.
Tumbling Toms are well-branched, about 6 to 8 inches wide, and
vigorously productive. Plant 2 or 3 in a 14-16 inch basket and you'll be
rolling in Tomatoes before you know it!
More varieties of tomatoes for hanging baskets:
- Chiquita – A bush variety with medium-sized fruit. Can look
a bit straggly.
- Garden Pearl – Trailing variety which has large fruit. It is
quite fleshy, so very good for cooking.
- Maskotka – Small fruit with sweet flesh. Well-liked because
it is resistant to skin-splitting
- Hundreds and Thousands / 100s & 1000s – This “new” tomato is
vigorous and easy to grow, with plants cascading in abundance.
Sometimes referred to as tomato “cherry cascade”.
 Tomato
100s & 1000s
Sutton’s seeds in the UK (one of the oldest and most respected seed
companies in the world) describe tomato hundreds and thousands as the
most abundant and highest yielding tomato they have ever seen.
Although the fruit is on the small side of the usual cherry tomato size,
its abundance and sweet taste makes it well worth growing in a hanging
basket.
The history of 100s and 1000s is fascinating – loced away for over 400
years – this seed was rediscovered only a few years ago. It had lay
untouched. With distinctive foliage and a slightly thicker skin it is a
great conversation piece both as a hanging basket or when served.
A good place to get them in the USA is from
www.GardenSquirrel.com.
Email them an inquiry as they are trialing them in 2011 (don’t despair
they have some for sale also) with the aim of releasing them for wide
spread sale in the USA in 2012/2013
Planting a Hanging Basket of Tomatoes
Its easy to plant up a hanging basket of tomatoes. Here’s how to
do it:
- Choose a 14 inch or larger hanging basket or planter
- Fill the basket with a good multi-purpose compost/soil –
look for the soils with the moisture retention crystals
already added. Miracle grow has its own range Miracle Grow
Moisture Control potting mix which is great.
- Plant three trailing tomato plants per basket. Position
them so that they will grow and spills over your hanging
baskets edge.
- Ensure you leave a 2-3 inch lip – from the top of your
potting soil to the edge of the hanging basket. This lip
allows the water to pool then drain through the basket and
soil when you water vs. spilling over the sides which is
what happens if your hanging basket is full of soil right to
the top.
- As your potting soil can easily harden, if you fill your
basket with soil right to the top (a common mistake) the
water will run off and over the sides of your basket without
getting to the roots – result sickly tomato plants.
- Don’t hang the basket outside until all danger of frost
is over position it in full sun or where it gets at least
4-6 hours of sun.
- Ensure it is in a sheltered spot away from too much
wind.
- Water well in the morning – and if it is a hot breezy
day – check them again in the early evening also. Tomatoes
like water – so water them well for best results
Once the fruit begins to form, give tomatoes a liquid feed
every week – we have even had great results from feeding
twice weekly.
- Remove any yellowing leaves to prevent disease.
- Keep your tomato plants from becoming too leafy also –
by trimming off a few leaves if the leaves heavily overlap
each other. This allows air to move freely around your
plants this helps keep away disease and pests.
- Rotate your hanging basket once every week or so to
ensure plants grow evenly and get their fair share of
sunlight.
For
more on tomatoes in hanging baskets
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