8 Big Mistakes I Made Growing Tomatoes in Pots

It’s a huge mistake to just put your tomatoes in a pot of soil and leave them for the season.

Fertilizer or compost is a must when growing tomatoes in pots. I like to mix compost into my potting soil when I plant the seedlings at the beginning of the growing season. Then each month, I ‘side dress’ my tomatoes by putting a ring of compost around the stem. I also use foliar fertilizer spray that’s specifically for tomatoes.

Mistake #8: Forgetting to keep an eye out for pests

The first year we grew tomatoes in containers on our deck, I naively thought we didn’t need to worry about pests. Pests usually come from the soil, and since my tomatoes weren’t growing in the ground, I thought I didn’t need to worry about pests.

I was further comforted by the fact that we were using brand-new, sterile potting soil that should be free of pests.

Then the tomato hornworms struck, and they struck hard. We kept our tomatoes on a part of our deck that we don’t frequent, so I didn’t notice that we had a problem until it was far too late.

The hornworms had eaten the entirety of three plants before I even realized we had them.

We were able to save a few of our plants from further devastation by relocating the worms, but the damage had already been done to those plants that got eaten.

All this to say, keep a close eye on your potted tomatoes. They can still get hit hard with pests even if they’re nowhere near the ground. Most pests can be thwarted if you catch them early enough.

Growing tomatoes in containers is indeed much different from growing them in the ground, but equally rewarding. If you don’t have the best soil or sun in your yard, or perhaps you don’t have yard space for a garden, growing in pots is a wonderful option. Just make sure you work to avoid these mistakes so you have plenty of beautiful tomatoes to add to your salads, soups, and sandwiches this year!