How to Grow TOMATOES in a CONTAINER or Pot

Only two things money can’t buy; true love and home grown tomatoes! 😊

I grow my entire garden in grow pots. Thanks to you, it's been a blast and a great harvest all the time.

66.5 year old lady gardener here from Hot, HOT, Humid San Antonio. Also growing on sloped land. Grow Bags are so helpful, but downside here is Definitely getting dry too fast.
Have discovered & ENJOY your channel. God has blessed you with the gift of Teacher along with your Artistry. Practical. Informative, and Beautiful.

I had a massive heart attack three years ago. I gave up having a garden until I started watching you. Now I grow in pots and raised beds. Thank you so much for doing what you do. I also love your other youtube channel.

I have just retired due to cancer. I am trying to learn all I can to help my son. Your videos have been great and has given me so much information.

I'm going to grow tomatoes and peppers this way. I've been following you since the pandemic started and I can truly say that I've learned a lot. Keep bringing knowledge

Started the string and trellis method last year after finding your videos. 75 year old Georgia gardener and still learning. Thanks for all your info.

I already watched it twice and realized that I need to take notes in my Garden folder. So much useful information I want to store for the future. Thanks, Brian 👏

Hello, I love this video, my husband and I are older and have knee and back issues and he is now in a wheelchair so we are converting from planting in the ground to planting in containers and just discovered the bags. You explained this perfectly and we would love to try these containers. thank you for all your videos and helpful information. we appreciate all you do

I love hearing you as a young person so enthusiastic about gardening. I am 69 and keep posting

I use fabric pots all the time because I live on the side of a mountain and do not have much for soil depth. I am growing my garden because of these pots- and I LOVE them!

YESSS! Sorry you had to re tape this, but I'm so glad you did! I'm growing an armada of indeterminate tomatoes in 20 gallon fabric bags AND quite a few determinate and even dwarf tomatoes in plastic containers this summer. This is EXACTLY the kind of info I needed! Thank you!
You are SO right about supermarket tomatoes! No flavor. No smell. Nothing. They should be called red cucumbers.
PS: your book is beautiful!

My seedlings are sprouting! Here in Upstate NY we are still experiencing uncertain weather from frost to a light dusting of snow. I'm determined to do a great container garden. My tomatoes failed in plastic buckets last year and these tips are so helpful! Thank you for sharing! I'm hoping I can get some growing bags since I live in a mobile home park with limited space to grow food, I'd like to see if they would definitely do better growing in them this year and would like to try using these grow bags. I have indeterminate and determinate seedlings started. I love your Goonies T-shirt, one of the best movies I never get tired of watching!

First, another terrific how to video Brian ... thank you! I am responding to your statement starting at 19:50 about not pruning CHERRY tomato plants. First letting you know I live in Richmond, Va. Here I plant in mid-April and can harvest into late September. I grew two (2) Super Sweet 100 cherry tomato plants that produced an incredible amount of tomatoes, BUT I ran into a major problem with them in August. I followed your advice on NOT PRUNING OFF SUCKERS, which resulted in the plants becoming so thick with branches and leaves, that they developed disease (blight) that I could not stop and led to the plant dying. That said, Brian I am interested in what you (or anyone else on this thread) recommends doing to minimize or prevent the disease situation I mentioned. Thank you!

I have learned so much from you. This is my 3rd year trying to garden. I live in an apt and can only grow in containers so I really appreciate all of the videos you've shared on container gardening. I would love to win these containers to extend my garden. I would grow either a tomato or pumpkin plant in them.

I use multiple 'potting' methods. My favorite is planting tomatoes in a 32 gal trash can. NO BENDING! Holds more water. I drilled multiple hols for drainage and air.
I think that when using Epsom salts you get too much magnesium buildup.
No one talks about the sulfur component of the Epsom salts.
I theorize that plants and microbes are consuming the sulfur and leaving most of the magnesium.
A simple bed sheet can work as a sun block/shade.
I took laundry baskets (dollar store ones).
Inverted one, covered with weed block, inverted the other and places it on top.
Then flip it over and trim the excess.
I just made a 7 gal air pruning pot.
I then take a clean, unused oil change pan, round one, and place that basket in it.
I just made a subirrigated air pruning pot. All for about $5.
I am using Fox Farms potting soil with chopped fall leaves mixed in.
I also add in some bone meal (1/4 cup), small handful of sulfur, and a spoonful of Azomite. I also mix in about 10% used coffee grounds and organic tomato fertilizer.
After a plant gets situated, I only water from below as needed.
I train them on cattle panel.
This works for Watermelons too but you need pantyhose to support the heavy melons on the panel.
That works with 5 gal buckets too (be sure of drainage).
I have several canvas grow bags. Yes they do dry out quickly.
So, I take a long neck GLASS wine bottle, fill with water, invert it, then shove it in the soil.
PLASTIC DOES NOT WORK FOR THIS.
Sun heats the bottle and forces water out. At night when it cools, the vacuum created draws air back in.
For inground, I use a 5 gal plastic refillable water bottle, the EXPENSIVE kind you pay to refill for a dispenser.
I toss in 2 orange ping pong balls, fill with water, invert, and shove int he ground about 12" away from the tomato plant.
I can also mix in water soluble fertilizer if needed.
Reason for the orange ping pong balls is that 1: much easier to see water level from a distance, 2 less algae issues.
This year I am trying a custom made sub irrigation planter. No idea how well that will work.
People might want to look up garden Ollas. Those can help with some plants but not thirsty ones.
Fun fact: crawling insects usually cannot swim.
Most flying insects will not cross open water.
Epsom Salts deter Raccoons. Bothers their lungs from what I hear.
Coffee grounds can help deter cats.
I shiny pinwheel can deter birds from pecking or eating your produce (strawberries in particular).

I am using garden bags for the first time this year. Right now I have 6 filled with potato’s. They’ve just started breaking the surface of the soil! So excited!! I am expanding my garden into my lawn and plan to use all bags in that area. Thank you for being a trusted source of information!

Thanks Brian, Started my 1st garden this year... and due to limited space on this mobile home lot everything is in buckets. I've learned so much watching your channel, thanks for the encouragement, you make it so I feel I can do it. Grow bags would be a real treat, being disabled and on a limited budget... buckets have been had to come by. Goodluck everyone!

I love this idea, I will try it with tomatoes

In Scotland UK you can NEVER rely on 6hrs of daily sunshine, BUT I have still successfully grown toms in a greenhouse in the cloudiest of weather.

I started tomatoes from seedlings this year for the first time. I have them in solo cups just from watching your videos. I'm so excited about using your string method this year!! Those containers sure would come in handy here in Tennessee where I have a long tomato season! Love your videos! Keep on growing :)

Hey Brian - great job on the 4-stick tripod! Depending on the size of the pits, I’d use them for cucumber or tomatoes. Possibly ground cherries. I’ve grown cucumber in a 10gal pot before, and it was super productive! Kept it fertilized with the same mix and timing you use, and it worked great.

Never heard of air pruning. Makes perfect sense that fabric would deter the root bound growth. Thanks!

My 88 year old mom is asking for her tomatoes to be in containers on her patio so she can care for them easier. Loved this video it will help to make sure mom is successful growing container tomatoes.

American living in Norway, I'm excited to finally have a garden, and I'm so glad I found this channel. I think the traditional fabric pots might be just what I need, as we have lots of rain.

I’ve run out of room to grow tomatoes in the ground, so I appreciate the advice about growing in grow bags. The teepee trellis for an indeterminate tomato in a 20 gallon grow bag was especially enlightening. By the way, to answer your question of why one might use black grow bags - Seattle has cool summers, so black grow bags come in handy.

The Grassroots Fabric Pots with the plastic liners is such a brilliant idea. The one year I used the regular black grow bags, I resorted to placing them in deep boot trays that I kept filled with water each morning when I watered the plants.

This is my first year with a garden and there is so much to learn! I went too big for year one but with your help, and a few others, I’m keeping it going. I unfortunately bought black felt pots and I’m in Virginia. Sometimes we get plenty of rain and other seasons not enough so only time will tell.

Found this a little late, just committed to bag gardening after poor results last year.
Grassroots blended the advantages of inground gardening to bag gardening. Handles would be nice.

I really like the way you did the tomato cages upside down and it fit perfectly in the bag and then the other one on top! I'm definitely going to try this out. Thanks so much for this video!

First of all, props on the Goonies shirt! Thank you so much for this detailed guide. This is my first year using fabric pots, and I have some of the same concerns you mentioned. If I win the giveaway I will be so happy to do a side by side comparison between my cheap felt pots and your gorgeous ones. I am eager to see what difference it makes, especially with moisture retention.

Hi Brian! That hook trick for growing indeterminate tomatoes is insanely brilliant! I've got an indeterminate tomato seedling and have been wondering how to manage it. I'd planned to plant it in a 5 gallon bucket using the self-watering method, but thanks to you I now know I'm going to need something bigger. Those huge grow bags look perfect - who knew they come in different sizes? :)

I love all your container videos. I live in NY in a small beach community. The house are so close, so we have a container garden on our roof. Watching your videos really helped our tomato growing last year. Not sure if you've done a cucumber container video, but would love to see one. ❤

I am going to try this.

My husband and I live in Maryland, where it's still really chilly this Spring. We are following your tips on starting tomato plants from seeds. We are also growing jalapenos from seed. I went to Walmart got 5 gallon buckets for free from the bakery today. That was so exciting. I can't wait till we get tomatoes. I really don't have a green thumb, but I'm trying to follow all of your advice. Thank you so much!

I'm trying large containers this year, keeping my fingers crossed. Great information, I'm following your instructions to the tee. Love your videos, I've learned so much. Look forward to the next one!

I'd LOVE to plant some of my summer to fall vegetables in the pots! I started a little backyard garden in 2018 and have slowly grown it ever since. I truly appreciated the knowledge you've shared here over the last couple of years on this platform. You have a gift 🎁 for teaching. Thank you! 💖 🌱🍅🫑🌶🥒

I can’t wait to try these fabric pots! I’m going to grow tomatoes, peppers, ginger and herbs in mine! I love your channel. I just found it and I’ve learned a great deal about vertical gardening. I’m limited in space, although my entire yard would be a garden of it were up to me. I’m looking forward to watching many more of your videos.

I love the idea of growing tomatoes in a grow bag. I happen to have extra tall bamboo stakes that I could use. Thanks for sharing your ideas. You make us all better gardeners.

I cannot walk out to my husbands raised beds in the back of our yard, due to a knee injury. I tore my meniscus and the ACL. My surgery is next week. I am anticipating a long recovery. So, I got a tomato plant last week and put it in a pot on the deck, but after watching your video, I see now that the pot is not the right size and I need to replace it. I would love to be the one to win a 20 gallon fabric container to enable me to get plenty of the delicious cherry tomatoes that I just pick and eat from the vine. I also use them in all sorts of recipes. Having only one plant in the Grassroots 20 gallon container just outside my kitchen door would be the best blessing ever. Thanks, happy gardening!

Great growing guide. Very thorough!
I actually love that you have both channels, they compliment each other so well!
I’d love to try out those containers. I’m looking to plant a garden specifically for my 2 yr old granddaughter to work on. She loves helping her Pop-Pop in the garden, but in my garden I have some crops that she shouldn’t mess with, like hot peppers. So having her own container garden would be great.
Thanks for the amazing content!

As always, I've learned a lot about containers. Especially the trellis methods. However, I only have a small 10x10 patio to grow on. Those fabric pots would really help. Thanks for the great content.

Hi, just watched your video on growing tomatoes in pots. I have been growing in pots with mixed results so I’m interested in the 20 gallon pots you used. The design makes perfect sense. Here in Alaska it is difficult to grow outside so I grow in a small greenhouse. Last year was tough as it stayed very cold but I did start getting red tomatoes in mid August. I’ll bet these pots would be good for potatoes as well. I learn something from every video. Thanks Dick Soldotna, AK

I have grown tomatoes and peppers in these type of pots for a few years now. They weren't lined though. He gave me a lot of good tips and I can't wait to try them.

I wish I’d known about these pots! I’d love to have some. I’d use them for some tomatoes, peppers, or possibly something else! Love the little band of just fabric at the bottom. Thanks for all of the super helpful info!

Had never heard of air-pruning before, I always learn something new when from your videos!
A waterproof liner in a non-black fabric pot... genius!
I'm new to gardening and have lots of tomato plants growing in Solo cups, just like I learned from your videos 🙂
Looking forward to planting outside in pots as soon as it's warm enough outside for the tomatoes.
Would it sound selfish of me to admit that I'm hoping to win one of Grass Roots fabric pots?
BTW - Agree that non-organic tomatoes from the store are blah! I grew up not liking tomatoes until in recent years a friend handed me a fresh picked one from her garden. OMG! So that's what a tomato is supposed to taste like? No wonder I had never liked them before, but I love organic ones now and my toddler granson eats the cherry/grape sized ones by the handfulls, so I've got to grow lots of them.

Your videos are always so helpful! I have a small property and was running out of garden space. I decided to try container gardening so these videos are perfect for this year!

Store bought tomatoes have no flavor, you usually can't even smell them. Maybe they should be labeled "Red Flavorless Tomatoes" 😂

I’d love to give a fabric container to my mom all set up and ready to go for Mother’s Day! Keep up the great videos 🙂

I love tomatoes and have not had great luck the last few years so I can't wait to try the grow bags!! I especially loved seeing the teepee instructions. Thanks so much!

I am going to grow Beefsteaks this year because they are the best tasting to me. I haven’t been able to find them anywhere for several years so THIS year I’m going to solve my problem by growing my own AND proving to a naysayer that it can be done. I’m using a container that I’ve already prepped but hopefully next year I will be able to use a fabric container to get even greater results. I’m so glad I found your videos! I feel like I can be successful now.

I have learned so much watching your videos I can’t wait to plant. Thank you for helping us grow and being able to enjoy eating our vegetables.

I have started so many tomato seed this year, I got carried away, I'm really over run, but I want every one of them to succeed. I will be planting tomatoes everywhere I can. These pots seam like a great thing and I am excited to try them. I love your videos and learn so much from them. Thanks for all the great into and helping everyone to be successful.

I have already planted my tomatoes in 20 gallon grow bags. We are retired and live in a smaller condo. I don't have much room, but all of my veges are in grow bags. I set them in the back and then plant flowers in front of the bags. In Ohio, it gets humid and rains some in summer. I keep an eye on the pots, inserting my finger to test for moisture. I have learned so much from you. I am 74 years young and will never stop growing things. Thank you for all of your knowledge and for sharing it with us!

I am new to vegetable gardening and your advice has been so helpful. My yard is small and I've been wondering about trying to go to using some containers so this video's time has been perfect for me. Thanks

I love watching your RUclips videos because they are helping me so much! I could really benefit from these fabric pots. My husband and I moved to a duplex with a very small garden bed. Most of our small yard is in nearly full shade so I'll need to put growing pots on the driveway!!! These would be perfect for that and look nice, too! Thanks for all the great growing lessons!

Thank you for the video on these new bags. I have not used them before and will try them this season. I saved some seeds from a cherry Tomato plant my dad planted last spring when he was very I’ll with cancer. He passed away at the end of May and never saw the fruits of his labor. That was the biggest tomato plant I have ever seen! I was so hoping some of the seeds would sprout. I wasn’t sure that I did the collection correctly. But they have sprouted and I want to keep a couple of them outside my back door. I’m super excited to see how they grow and if they even compare to my dad‘s plant last year. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Last year‘s tomato crop was a bust so I am planting more tomatoes this year so I will use the grass roots bags for tomatoes and try to support them with the suggestions given on the video.

We really want the fabric pots to grow our tomatoes in. We have been trying to grow tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets for 3 years now without much success. After researching fabric pots, we can't wait to try them. We have been following you for a couple of years now and really, really appreciate all the wonderful teaching and help you give. Also, love all the links you provide. ❤️

I started my tomatoes and jalapeños from seeds this year using Brian’s instruction videos. I will be transferring them into the 5 gallon grow bag as soon as the frost date passed. Thanks Brian! You are awesome instructor!! 👏🏽👍🏽

I started container gardening last year without much luck, but now I’ve found this channel and am confident this year will be a success!

We just ordered 2 containers that were going to grow tomatoes in. This will be our first time using these. Thanks for the information!

I watched your videos last year to help get me started in growing veggies in containers. You told me about sun gold tomatoes and, boy, those were the best tomatoes. We are in PA and picked our last sun gold in November, believe it or not! This year I plan to grow in containers again. Looking forward to learning from you again this year!

Growing tomatoes on the patio of my condo complex in Florida to share with my neighbors. If the tomatoes do well, I’ll expand to other veggies in pots as well. Thank you for all the advice!

This is very helpful! Trying to grow tomatoes for the first time in my life and have been watching all your specific videos. Thanks for posting these!

I took all your advice, buying the Grassroots Fabric pots, using container soil and fertilizing regularly. And I have been enjoying BL&Ts for the last several weeks now. I planted an heirloom tomato, Brandywine and a regular, Beefy Boy. My Brandywine tastes just like it was grown in my garden. So sweet and delicious! Thanks for all your advice! It has paid off for me!

I would love to try this new pot. I am a senior and have a small patio and i want to grow cherry tomatoes. These new fabric pots look great and will make it much easier to garden. I really want to give them a try as i was using black fabric pots with poor results. Your tips will really help make the results of my work so much better. Thank you!

I have never seen the fabric pots advertised anywhere. I am quite anxious to try them out for my tomato gardening. I will also be using the tips that I learned here today. I have some seedlings that are ready to be potted. Watching this video and having the fabric pots is perfect timing!!

I have learned so much from your videos. This is my first year gardening and your way is simple and understandable.

I’ve been growing my tomatoes for years in big recycle bins…I’d love to try them in one of these fabric bags to compare how they perform…thanks for all your videos! 👍🏻👍🏻

2,022 is my 3rd year gardening. As a new gardener I really don't know which type of pot or container works best. I don't know much about fabric containers because I just learned about them, but I'm not afraid of trying new things to grow pepper and tomatoe plants. Every type of containers have their pros and cons. Always happy to learn new things and new ways to try growing peppers and tomatoes in a container garden as those types of plants are my main focus.

Such a wonderful idea. These would be the perfect thing for our patio garden. The kids and I are learning so much about gardening and growing their own food from your videos. Thank you for all you do.

I garden primarily in containers. I am definitely going to give this method of tying tomatoes a try this summer!

I have never grown anything in pots or containers. He makes me want to try so many things he recommends. Too bad I planted vegetables before I found him. I still am getting great information.

We just bought a beefsteak tomato plant! I just purchased a greenhouse this winter and two large 4x8 raised beds. Container gardening is next on my list.

I love all tomatoes with my favorite being white tomatoes . This is my first year trying to grow then in grow bags. I really want and would so appreciate have one of these 20 gallon grow bags. Happy and successful gardening everyone. Be Blessed

I love the idea of filling the pot 1/3 then filling more as the plant grows. Brilliant!

This is my first year to have a mini vegetable garden. Your video guide me how to take care of them, especially regarding tomatoes. Thank you so much for the in time knowledges that I truly need.

Have always grown most of my vegetables in pots since I live in a city and have very little land. Started watching your videos several months ago and have learned so much. Air pruning in fabric pots makes so much sense. Going to try them this year. Total revelation using the tomato cages watching this video! Thank you.

I have been following you for last 2-3 years and find all your tips useful
Today the container bag just were perfect for my patio specially as they are not black and they have inner liner

I just started last year gardening in fabric pots. I didn't know very much but did get some good cherry tomatoes and a few Roma. Thanks for your videos. I'm hoping better tomato harvest this year in fabric pots.

Sold my house with a beautiful established raised garden bed. Now, in apartment living, I have been spectacularly unsuccessful using planters in Savannah, GA. I think it is just too hot in mid summer. Your vid on tomatoes in pots looks helpful. Thanks for sharing.

Great way to expand my garden with containers. I really appreciate the way you teach and explain. Yours is my favorite gardening source. I also learned a lot from your companion planting book. Good job!

I've been gardening for 3 years now on my deck using grow bags. I started the first year using Walmart fabric bags. They work well.
I've since purchased some real grow bags, the black felt type. I have 5 25 gallon bags for my tomato plants. I live in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Our summers are hot and humid. The season is gradually getting longer and longer due to the climate changes. We only get blistering heat for 2-4 weeks. I've been fortunate in that my 25 gallon bags do not dry out. I usually only need to water them every couple of days.
The way you built the support for your cherry tomatoes is much the same way that I built my supports. I put the bottom one into the ground and inverted the top one and attached it with zip ties in about 8 spots. Then I drove bamboo poles down through, winding it through the different tiers and finally I drove a 6' rebar down through too. I zip tied the bamboo and the rebar into place and used a zip tie to teepee the top to avoid any accidents. I grew black cherry tomatoes, sungold cherries, San Marzano, mortgage lifter and a Juliet. The third year I used a Juliet hybrid. Lol, not realizing the cutoff be an issue with that. The mortgage lifter and the hybrid didn't do as well as the others but that could be because they were shadowed by the first three. The first three grew HUGE! They were about 10' tall. But then I decided to prune them down since we had a hurricane blowing through. Then they grew to about 10-12'. Unfortunately they got transplanted out late so the tomatoes did not have a chance to fully ripen on the vine so I ripened them in the house.
Would lime work instead of gypsum?
I am going to try your suggestion of building the soil up around the tomatoes gradually?
Thank you for your excellent videos and your awesome advise!

I live in the Florida panhandle 3 blocks from the beach my yard is sand. So I decided to try some grow pots, before I started educating myself I bought some cheap ones they were black and didn’t look like they would make more then 1 season. After I watched your video and it was spot on I totally get the benefit of the liner. It’s a daily scorcher here and the liner makes perfect sense! So I immediately went and ordered the Grassroots pots. First mistake averted ….thanks for the tip , love your vids

I shared this with my sister in law. She’s an avid gardener and I am sharing the great things I find. I love your advice.

I am the queen of putting in too much effort to have nothing work well in the garden (says my husband). I am going to finally prove him wrong this year with grow bags! I plan to grow tomatoes, pole beans, peppers, watermelon and probably more. I'm thinking these bags will work best because I live in a hot/dry place in the summer and hopefully wont have to water as much as other bags. And thank you for all your amazing videos. I've learned a ton since watching you.

I am VERY interested in this product and will be ordering them today. I live in the mountains outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and have been a fan for a couple of years. You have kept me from making many mistakes! I learn something new every day!

Thank you for this video. I've learned so much about growing tomatoes in pots. Also I was thinking of buying the black bags but you've educated me about that too. Hopefully your tips will give me healthy beautiful tomatoes this season.

I dont have any fabric pots, so making due with large containers that I can find at reasonable price. So my one pot topples over easy. I put my stake in the ground then pushed the pot with tomato cage beside the steak and fastened the cage to the stake. This is keeping it upright pretty well. Love your videos. I think I have watched most of them. I binge watch every few days.

I will be using these pots for tomatoes and peppers and may even try potatoes in them. Really enjoy watching your videos. I learn a lot every time.

I Will use a fabric container to restart container gardening after a 10 year hiatus, I just had trees taken down on the back of the yard and will have some sunlight that I have not had for 10 years. I just like to see veggies grow, it's like magic!

I get my large pots from the recycling center, old cattle supplement tubs. Clean them out and that's the best I've found. Potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, and onions have worked amazing for us. Love the channel!

I have always wanted to learn how to grow pot tomato, been 73 yrs old garden in the grown is not that easy so I really did enjoy your video's on how to grow this canvas pots, It to late for me to win cuz its already August here in Texas but if all goes well my grandson is taking me to live with him to Denver,Colorado in Oct.by the way my BDay is the 5th, I'm looking forward to moving with him,I will really need something to keep me busy,

I love gardening I would use these for potatoes, squash, tomatoes, flowers they use are endless!!! They are wonderful for patio gardening!

I have a conservatory and I found a tomato seeding in my garden the other day and I saved it and I'm growing it in my conservatory and if it does well. I'm going to grow more in there other winter. Thanks for the awesome tips on your channel. I look forward to watching them all.

I just may try tomatoes. Doing potatoes and peppers, but who doesn't love tomatoes! Thanks for you channel. Super helpful to a new gardener!

Wow! Now I'm ready to elevate my game! I LOVE tomatos. I dry them, sauce them, salsa them and yes, stuff them in my face as fast as I can. Thank you for this amazing information!!

I’m moving this month and will be in limbo this year. You saved me…I must garden!!!! Thank you!

I will grow tomatoes to start with. Love, love, love your videos! Always learn something new and I have gardener for over 55 years!