How to Grow Cherry Tomatoes in Pots

In March this year I wrote a post sharing ways to afford being a stay at home mom and one of the things I shared was to grow your own veggies. It was a little late in the year to start growing anything since it was Autumn.

But as soon as the sun came out my kids and I went down to Scott’s Nursery and grabbed some pots, potting soil, seeds and some plants.

We now have a little potted garden outside our front door and it is a source of great pride for my kids. They have taken such a shine to gardening and growing our own food.

Ok don’t get excited, it is not like we are eating only our own produce here. Truth is we have only produced two beautiful strawberries and one bowl of cherry tomatoes so far.

We also have Sweet Basil, Rosemary, Parsley and Coriander growing nicely.

So I’ve been reading all these posts on how to grow cherry tomatoes in pots and while it is all nice and informative with links to expensive special tomato food… well that’s not how we did it.

Yes I suppose I can also tell you how many inches to bury your seed in… but really that’s a little silly. I just stuff my finger in the soil to make a little hole and shove the seed in. If it is a seedling I dig a little hole and put the seedling in.

I will just share what we did, from the top of my head without linking to all sorts of silly things you don’t need or telling you how many inches below the surface your seeds need to be right?

Firstly I just wanted to explain something about growing veggies in pots. It is an awesome way to do things, especially if you are renting.

None of us wants to go and start an amazing veggie garden in our rented home and then leave it when we move right? The next thing is that we are in a drought, so being able to just take a watering can and water your garden yourself will save so much water.

Growing veggies in pots is really nice and easy. So here goes…

How to Grow Cherry Tomatoes in Pots

1. Get Some Pots And Some Potting Soil

I just went down to my local nursery and bought some long plastic pots and some outdoor potting soil, it doesn’t have to be technical here. I wanted to plant a few plants in one pot which is why I chose the long ones. If you have pots lying at home those will do great too.

Just ask for outdoor potting soil when you go to the nursery.

2. Plant Some Cherry Tomato Seeds Or Seedlings

This is up to personal choice. If you buy seeds you will be saving a lot of money in the long run. For me, I like to buy the seedlings because I am an impatient person and I like to see all my little plants in a row as soon as I get them home.

Yes growing from seeds it cheaper and in a way more rewarding when they do come up. I will give this a go when I have my own garden though. Right now space is limited.

Remember that cherry tomatoes like an area that gets a nice amount of sun so be sure to place them in a sunny area. I have mine where they get the morning sun but they are shaded when the harsh afternoon sun is beating down.

3. Plant Cherry Tomatoes With Companion Plants

This is a great thing to look into when you are growing your own veggies. There are some plants that love to grow together and others that don’t get on so well.

So when you plant cherry tomatoes always plant Sweet Basil and Marigolds with them. Planting these together keeps bugs away and also minimizes the chances they will get diseased.

The bonus here is that Marigolds are just so pretty and have you ever had fried tomatoes with sweet basil? Big time tasty! So you just can’t go wrong here.

4. Put Eggshells Around Your Cherry Tomatoes

This is a great tip that I learned from my mom… ok wait all my gardening tips come from my mom!

Don’t chuck your eggshells out, they are amazing to use in your garden. Firstly they make a great fertilizer when they eventually break down.

Secondly they keep snails and caterpillars away from your plants. The snails and caterpillars don’t like the sharp edges, so they stay away.

5. Water Regularly

You will need to water your seeds or seedlings every day in the beginning. Make sure to water them enough to keep the soil moist, but don’t drench the soil. Keep an eye on plants and water as needed.

6. Add Compost Every Few Weeks

Make sure to add some fresh compost every few weeks, especially when your plants are young. It is important for the quality of your soil and to give your plants the nutrients they need to produce tomatoes.

7. Make Your Own Harmless, Green Bug Spray

If you get bugs on your plants don’t bother going out to buy an expensive and harmful pesticide. Just add one tablespoon of dishwashing liquid to one liter of water and mix it well.

Test it on one small area of your plants first to check if it causes any damage to your plants and if there is no problem after 24 -48 hours you are good to go.

Put this in a spray bottle and use it to spray the area where bugs are attacking your plants.

That’s it mommies, that’s how to grow cherry tomatoes in pots. It is simple, easy and loads of fun.

So far it has already paid off for me since the cherry tomato seedlings cost me about R20 to buy and I have already picked about the same amount as you would buy in one pack of cherry tomatoes from the shop and it has only been a week since we got our first red, ripe cherry tomato! The featured image of this post shows our very first tomato turning red.

Imagine how much I will have saved by the end of the season?