Hi everyone! Seeing a green market in the city, I got the urge to start my own indoor herb gardening. Then, however, I started with my favorite fruit - tomato! I am very new at this though so I have a few questions. After having done my research on under which circumstances it will grow best, I put it in a window that is facing south. I read that that is the best for them. However, I also read that they are supposed to get 8 hours of direct sunlight every day. I am afraid my window only gets about 4-5 hours of direct sunlight. How much of a problem is this? I also read that morning sun is better than the afternoon sun. In the window facing south, my plant gets afternoon sun (pretty much from 11 to 3-4). I could put it in a window that is facing east which gets about the same amount of hours of light, but it is morning sun. Also, I am not sure if I have good drainage. In fact, I think it is pretty bad. No water has drained from it yet (I got it about 4 days ago). It is planted in a clay pot. The day that I planted it and gave water to it, the clay pot itself got all wet as in it absorb the water from the soil. Is that normal? I wrapped it around with plastic so that no more water gets out. Am I doing the right thing? Should I change the pot? I read that it depends on the plant. For tomatoes, clay pot is good or bad?
Excellent that you are attempting to grow them indoors. But it will be very difficult if you manage it at all. Tomatoes need at least 5 gallon pots with soil because they have extensive root systems. Assuming that you are growing the hybrid variety that is sold at most garden stores. And on top of that they can get 6 ft tall so you need some support for them. Do you know what variety you bought ? They do need at least 6 hours of full sun and its not quite the same as through a window or glass door. You might supplement with a grow light but it seems that would be expensive for one tomato plant. Do you have a porch or balcony you could put it on ? Clay pots are not the best because they do not hold moisture consistant enough for tomatoes. Plastic would be better. And use good quality compost rather than potting soil if you can get it. As an indoor plant there are a few small types such as patio tomatoes that might be easier to manage. As to drainage, when you repot the plant get as large a pot as possible and add about two or three inches of, dry leaves, rock, or even broken pieces of styrofoam to the bottom of the pot, then add your compost. That will allow water to drain freely. You can set the pot on a couple of sticks to hold it above ground then water and check to see if it drains through. But when you water the plant let it sit in water till it has absorbed it all. Water will drain through at first but the soil will suck it back up if you let it sit there. That way you have to water less frequently and your tomato will like it better. They love deep waterings then just let them be for a while.
kubrasera, here's an idea. Put the pot on one of those wheeled dollies and move the tomato to the east window for morning and to the south facing window from 11:00 A.M. until evening. I wish you blessings for a well grown tomato. Pictures if possible, please. P.S. Save egg shells, let them dry, crush and dig them into the soil around your tomato. Good source of Calcium.
thank you so much! great information - as hard as it sounds to manage, it also sounds quite fun! hmm as for variety it is "husky" cherry red. i will repot it in a bigger, plastic pot asap with drainage. unfortunately i dont have a porch or a balcony. i do have a roof that i have access to, it will be a stretch but if i find that tomatoes are not growing, might do that although i would love to keep it in the house. Also i did use potting soil so definitely will change into a better quality compost. it is quite small for now, it wasnt too bad to move so thats what i have been doing too wheeled dolly is a good idea though! Thank you very much for the replies - I appreciate it, will improve my mistakes asap
Tomatoes indoors We all have to learn, and I'm still learning. These are Celebrity tomatoes. Celebrity Tomatoes 2013 ( photo / image / picture from Growingpains's Garden )
