It is a well made item and should last for many seasons if treated with care – put it in the shed during the winter. Like all good self watering planters, the Quadgrow provides water and nutrients to its plants 24/7. It can be used as a grow bag extension to combine a grow bag and self watering planter for optimum use. The best determinate tomato varieties for pots are Glacier, Tiny Tim, Italian Roma, Maglia Rosa (semi-determinate).

Determinate tomatoes tend to be more compact plants (commonly called bush tomatoes) that thrive in containers. Tomatoes are one of the most rewarding crops to grow but it can be disheartening when your well-tended plants are hit by disease and your fruits lost. Some problems can be avoided, for example blossom-end rot is common and usually a result of erratic watering, but airborne diseases such as blight are harder to deal with. Window Box Roma (70 Days)– Two-inch red fruits. This variety will produce long-lasting fruits. Once harvested they have a shelf life that is much longer than other tomato varieties. They are also disease-resistant. The clever design ensures that soil does not end up in the reservoir but roots are able to grow out of the bottom of the cone and into the reservoir.If you intend to grow ten or more plants, I think that the Autopot Easy2Grow System is probably the most suitable but it takes more time to set up and attention to operate. Totem (70 Days)– Small red round fruits. Totem tomatoes will produce an abundant harvest on a small plant. How do you like to grow your tomatoes? Do you like using grow bags or raised beds? Regardless of your chosen method, you want a tomato planter that fits into your growing method without an elaborate setup.

Tomatoes like the sun, so you should place them in an area where they can absorb six to eight hours of sunlight. A south-facing garden is ideal. A lot of work goes into finding the best tomato planter and tending to the plants until the tomatoes are ripe. But, the reward comes when you are harvesting your ripe and healthy-looking tomatoes ready for use. Never settle for substandard planters; select a suitable planter so that you can continue enjoying season after season of tasty tomatoes. Poor Soil Conditions– Tomatoes use a lot of the nutrients found in soil, so it is important to use a good soil, such as a mixture of potting soil and compost. It is also a good idea to use a tomato fertilizer regularly. You can also move the planter easily thanks to the reinforced handles which can be handy. In terms of size, I think its more than large enough to plant 3 tomatoes plants up and thanks to teh included frame you don’t need to worry about canes either. ProsPlum tomatoes - Oval shaped, firm fleshed, with few seeds and so perfect for sauces and soups. Often used in Italian tinned tomatoes. If you only have room to grow a few plants in containers, it is important to choose those plants wisely. Tomatoes are a great choice for patio gardens. We list our favorite patio tomato varieties here, highlighting ones that are easy to grow, disease-resistant and that will produce a delicious bounty of fruit. Potential Difficulties The Quadgrow self watering planter was the first serious reservoir system on the market for the hobby grower in the UK. Go here for more details of The Quadgrow Planter The Self Watering Grow Pot Tower

If you have a greenhouse or a coldframe then you can plant up in your container and keep it sheltered and warm until the weather is right to move it outside. Remember it isn’t just frost to avoid but cold nights. See Ideal Temperature for Tomato Growing Bush Beefsteak’: Compact, 3-foot bush bears in 62 days from setting out 6 to 8 oz red beefsteak tomatoes in clusters. Tomatoes require a lot of nutrients from the soil. Without those nutrients, they simply can’t grow to develop strong foliage, stems and fruit. For best results, select a quality soil that contains plenty of compost or other natural additives. See : How To Create The Best Organic Potting Soil LocationFinally, because your tomatoes are growing in a container, they also need to be fed o a regular basis to keep the plants healthy and strong. Even the best potting soil will run out of nutrients by mid summer. LONG HARVEST PERIOD: With its unusually long flowering and fruiting period, you'll enjoy abundant harvests all Summer long, trusses laden with beautiful tomatoes. This is the tomato plant that just keeps on giving Tomatoes are ready to harvest when fruits are good-sized and fully colored. The skin should be smooth and shiny, with a supple yet firm feel. They'll come off the plant easily. If you have to pull hard, that's a sign the fruit isn't quite ready. There are holes where you can install supporting canes which many of the other models are considered didn’t have, this does give your plant more stability as they grow rather than just trying to place the canes into the soil so it’s a nice feature to have. Pros

Many tomatoes come with different levels of disease resistance. Find our carefully selected disease-resistant vegetable plants here. Once you’ve decided which tomatoes to grow you can then decide whether you want to grow from tomato seeds, plug plants or potted plants. The number of plants you want to grow should come into consideration when selecting a planter. Remember, it is good to space out your tomato plants so that they can thrive instead of fighting for nutrients. If you want individual planters for each of your plants, there is no problem; just ensure there is enough room for the roots to thrive. Maskotka F1’: Vigorous, sturdy, well-branched, highly prolific bush tomato bears in 65 days from setting out cascading clusters of sweet, meaty red cherries. Great for large pots.

How to choose which tomatoes to grow

One thing is for sure, the resurgence of heirloom tomatoes has opened up everyone’s taste buds to intense flavor. And although many of those amazing heirlooms are better for large spaces, there are quite a few compact heirlooms that work incredibly well for patio planting. What is a Patio tomato? “Patio” isn’t just a generic name for a plant that can be grown in a pot. It’s actually the name of a specific cultivar that’s been bred with container life in mind. A dwarf variety, the Patio tomato plant grows to just 2 feet (60 cm.) in height. Patio tomato care is very easy and no different than what you would give them out in the garden. The plants need full sun and should be placed somewhere that receives at least 6 hours per day.