Hanging baskets overflowing with colorful flowers are a common sight in the summer, but imagine eye-catching pots cascading with vine-ripened cherry tomatoes. Yes it’s possible to grow tomatoes in hanging baskets! While best suited for small spaces like apartments or patios with limited ground space, cherry tomatoes can thrive and produce abundant fruit when grown in suspended containers. It requires a bit more care than in-ground or patio tomatoes, but the sweet, homegrown harvest is worth the extra effort. Follow these tips for successfully growing bountiful cherry tomatoes in hanging baskets.
Choosing the Best Cherry Tomato Varieties
Focus on compact, determinate cherry tomato varieties under 2 feet tall that are suited for container growing. Top options include
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Tumbler – Extremely prolific, cascading habit perfect for hanging baskets. Produces sweet red fruits.
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Tumbling Tom – Another great cascading type with lots of bright yellow cherries
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Sweet Million – Vigorous and disease resistant with very sweet, red fruits.
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Sun Gold – Intensely sweet, tangy orange cherries on compact vines.
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Super Sweet 100 – Reliable cherry tomato that keeps producing all season long.
Determinate cherry types stay compact and won’t outgrow the confines of a hanging basket like sprawling indeterminate varieties.
Selecting the Right Hanging Basket
Classic wire hanging baskets lined with moss or coco coir work well, as do upside-down planters designed for tomatoes. Ideal size is 12-14 inches wide by 10-12 inches deep to accommodate roots. Ensure containers have good drainage and sturdy hooks to hold heavy vines. For upside-down planters, pick light plastic over metal buckets to prevent roots from overheating.
Preparing High Quality Growing Medium
Use a potting mix enriched with compost for nutrients and moisture retention. Add vermiculite or perlite to improve drainage and aeration. Slow-release vegetable fertilizer provides steady nutrients. Line baskets with coco liners or moss to retain soil. Avoid regular lightweight potting soils that dry out too quickly.
Caring for Hanging Cherry Tomatoes
Growing cherry tomatoes in hanging baskets needs more frequent care than in-ground plants:
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Water at least once daily, even twice a day in hot weather. Check soil moisture frequently.
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Feed every 2 weeks with a water-soluble tomato fertilizer.
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Prune back vines carefully to encourage bushy growth within basket.
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Pinch off suckers to remove unwanted shoots.
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Tie vines to basket wires gently for support as needed.
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Move baskets to follow sunlight throughout season.
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Provide wind protection to prevent swaying.
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Monitor for pests like whiteflies and aphids.
Harvesting and Storing Basket-Grown Tomatoes
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Pick cherry tomatoes when fully colored but still firm. Leave vine-ripened fruit on a bit longer for maximum flavor.
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Harvest frequently to promote more fruit production. Don’t allow ripe tomatoes to linger on vines.
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Gently twist tomatoes off vines instead of pulling to avoid plant damage.
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Store freshly picked tomatoes at room temperature out of direct sun.
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Wash just before eating, not before storing. Enjoy within 2-3 days for best quality.
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Preserve excess ripe cherry tomatoes via canning, freezing, or drying.
Troubleshooting Common Problems
Growing cherry tomatoes in hanging baskets comes with some unique challenges. Here are some potential issues and solutions:
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Slow fruit set – Move basket to warmer spot. Cherry tomatoes need warm temperatures.
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Wilting vines – Check soil moisture and water. Move basket out of intense sun if needed.
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Diseases – Improve air flow. Remove affected leaves quickly. Use drip irrigation.
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Blossom end rot – Keep soil moisture consistent to prevent calcium deficiency.
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Pests – Apply insecticidal soap or neem oil right away at first sight.
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Declining vines – Prune back and fertilize older vines to encourage fresh growth.
Enjoying Sweet Cherry Tomatoes All Season
With proper care and by selecting compact varieties suited to containers, it’s easy to get a prolific harvest of homegrown cherry tomatoes from hanging baskets. The gorgeous sight and delicious taste of ripe tomatoes cascading over the edges of a hanging basket makes the extra effort worthwhile. Follow these tips and you’ll be enjoying garden-fresh cherry tomatoes from your hanging baskets!
Why Grow Tomatoes In Hanging Baskets?
I’m all about growing your own produce here at HeathGlen Farm, even if you don’t have a garden plot or any land.
It’s not difficult to grow your own tomatoes on a small deck or balcony, and using a hanging planter or basket is actually the perfect way to do so without using up lots of space.
Advantages of growing tomatoes in hanging baskets include:
- No need to bend down to pick or water the tomatoes, as they’re right at eye level.
- Hanging baskets can be easily moved around if need be.
- Good air circulation.
- More difficult for disease, fungus and bugs to spread.
- A mature, cascading tomato plant in a hanging basket looks fantastic!
Sun Gold cherry tomatoes hanging in clusters.
Best Containers for Hanging Baskets
There are many different types of hanging planters types marketed for growing tomatoes.
The “upside-down” or “topsy turvy” planter has become particularly popular in recent years, but this type of hanging basket does come with a few downsides.
If you want to try the upside down type of planter with tomatoes, this article on the topsy turvy planter will help you avoid some mistakes.
Most gardeners prefer to opt for a sturdy (sturdy is important!) metal basket with a strong chain and hook that can bear the weight of a mature tomato plant laden with fruit.
Here are some things you should look for in a hanging basket meant for tomato growing:
- At least 12″ wide
- At least 12″ deep.
- Has at least one drainage hole.
- Can support a good bit of weight.
- Lined with landscaping fabric or coco coir so the soil doesn’t fall out.
Sturdy metal hanging baskets
Hanging Tomatoes – How To Make A Tomato Hanging Basket – Grow Upside Down Tomatoes ANYWHERE! #Tomato
FAQ
Can cherry tomatoes be grown in hanging baskets?
Cherry tomatoes in hanging baskets can be productive as well as ornamental. Bedding plant producers often market hanging basket tomatoes for customers gardening in limited spaces. In my travels, I have also seen that some growers are using hanging baskets for their own early season cherry tomato production to take adva.
How many tomato plants should you put in a hanging basket?
Once the plants are 10cm tall, they can be planted in the hanging basket or container. Use 1 plant for a 25cm basket or 3 in a 35cm basket. Because tomatoes like the warmth you will always get a earlier and bigger crop from greenhouse grown plants. Greenhouse grown plants can be planted April onwards.
Do cherry tomatoes like sun or shade?
Cherry tomatoes require full sun to thrive so make sure you provide them at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily. Moreover, the spacing for these plants depends on the variety – * Bushy Types: Plants in this variety should do well being 2–3…