The lush fruits of the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) make it one of America's favorites. Though this South American native is a tender, warm-season perennial, it is grown as an annual in U.S. gardens.

Growing cherry tomatoes in pots is an especially fun and educational project for children. There are hundreds of cultivars available to the home gardener. Whether you grow a determinate or indeterminate cultivar, plant one tomato per 5-gallon bucket for best results.

Selecting a Tomato Cultivar



Before selecting a tomato cultivar, consider whether you want most of your tomatoes to ripen at the same time or if you'd prefer the harvest to be spread out over the summer and fall. If you're growing tomatoes for canning, the fruits on a determinate cultivar will all ripen at about the same time.

Alternately, if you'd prefer a harvest that is spread out over several months, choose an indeterminate cultivar. There are myriad container tomato varieties, so if this year's crop doesn't meet your expectations, there's always a different cultivar to try next year.

In addition to selecting the plant type, the number of days until the first fruits ripen may be crucial to your success in growing tomatoes. The number of days to ripen indicates the time period from when the tomato is transplanted into the container or garden bed to the first ripe fruits. If you're starting tomatoes from seed, add an additional six to eight weeks to your plants' timelines.

Determinant Tomato Cultivars



Determinate plants grow to a certain size, generally between 3 and 5 feet tall, and then stop growing. Well-known determinate cultivars include:

'Ace 55' – Heirloom, 80 days

'Campbell 1327' – Heirloom, 75 days

'Celebrity' – Hybrid, 70 days

'Orange Pixie' – Hybrid, 52 days

'Patio' – Hybrid, 70 days

'Roma' – Heirloom, 75 days

Indeterminate Tomato Cultivars

Indeterminate tomatoes continue to grow through the entire growing season. In a greenhouse or in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 through 11, the plant may live for several years. Among the favorite indeterminate cultivars are:

'Brandywine' – Heirloom, 80 days

'Cherokee Purple' – Heirloom, 72 days

'Early Girl' – Hybrid, 62 days

'Green Zebra' – Heirloom, 80 days

'Mortgage Lifter' – Heirloom, 85 days

'Sun Gold' – Hybrid, 65 days

'Sweet 100' – Hybrid, 65 days

'Yellow Pear' – Heirloom, 76 days

There are also dwarf tomato cultivars that only reach 2 to 4 feet tall, including 'Cherokee Red Tiger,' 'Dwarf Awesome' and 'Emerald Green Giant.'

Size of Pot for a Tomato Plant

While the smaller cultivars will grow in 1- to 2-gallon pots, the 5-gallon bucket is ideal. The buckets are readily available and are easy to modify into a planter or self-watering pot.

Simply drill a few holes in the bottom of the bucket for drainage and add a tomato cage to support the vines. If you need a self-watering system, use two buckets. Drill 10 to 15 1/2-inch holes in the bottom of the inner bucket. Put it in the outer bucket, which will be the reservoir.

Measure up from the bottom of the outer bucket to the spot that aligns with the bottom of the inner bucket. Drill two or three 1/8- to 1/4-inch drain holes at that level.

Using Planting Mix

Fill your 5-gallon buckets with a rich, loose potting mix. You can make your own using equal parts compost, coconut coir, coarse sand and perlite. Moisten the mix before planting your tomatoes.

Plant the Tomatoes

Scoop out the planting mix and set the tomato plant in the hole with only the top two to four leaves above the soil. Backfill gently and water to settle the mix around the buried stem and leaves. These will develop new roots. Add a tomato cage or stakes to support the plant as it grows.

Tomato Care and Feeding

Place the buckets in a sunny location where your tomatoes will receive at least six hours of direct sunlight daily. If you live in a very hot climate, provide afternoon shade. Keep the soil evenly moist to help prevent cracking and blossom end rot.

Fertilize with a slow-release fertilizer or use a liquid fertilizer with micronutrients and calcium. Organic gardeners may want to add a cup of compost tea every week to 10 days. Watch for tomato hornworms and hand-pick them before they devour your plants and fruits.

Exception to the Rule

Micro dwarf tomatoes are tiny tomato plants, bred to grow no more than 6 to 12 inches tall. Because these plants are so small, you can fit two or three around the perimeter of your 5-gallon bucket. When planting in a single pot, a 1/2- to 3/4-gallon pot is generally sufficient for these miniature tomato plants. Micro dwarf cultivars include:

'Andrina' – 8 to 10 inches, 75 days

'Hahms Gelbe' – 8 to 10 inches, 70 days

'Mohamed' – 6 to 8 inches, 72 days

'Orange Hat' – 6 to 8 inches, 76 days

'Vilma' – 6 to 8 inches, 65 days