This is my first time growing cherry tomatoes (or really anything, for that matter). It’s taking off like a weed and I’ve decided to use bamboo stakes to support the main branch.
One of the suckers is also taking off too. I’ve read conflicting info about whether you should keep suckers or prune them, and with cherry tomatoes it seems like you can dull your harvest if you prune too much. Either way, I’ve staked it as well and intend on tethering it as it continues to grow. Is this set up okay, in lieu of a tomato cage or any other configuration?
Thanks so much. I’ve learned a lot from this sub and am very excited about my new container/porch garden!!
by Traditional-Diver374
12 Comments
I would definitely buy a tomato cage for it, probably going to he the easiest option.
Are you planning to transition to a larger pot? Could just be hard to gauge from the photo but it’s going to want more room to grow
You’re going to need a bigger pot…
Tomato cage
I usually use both a garden stake and a tomato cage for my tomatoes. A bamboo pole about 4-6′ tall would probably be fine as a stake, if you have easy access to bamboo.
That plant is going to eat that pot. Cherry tomatoes seem like they should be polite plants but come summer they’re the kraken.
Do you know the variety or if it’s a determinate or indeterminate?
Determinate have a more predetermined height and will generally set fruit in a shorter window and then be done. You wouldn’t typically prune the suckers and they’ll usually be OK with the round type of tomato cages sold at every hardware store.
Indeterminate are vining and will pretty much grow forever if given the chance. They’ll typically fruit until they die. These usually need much higher and more sturdy support than a typical tomato cage. This is the type that some people will prune the suckers of to keep them growing up and setting fruit rather than sprawling out. This is especially true for trellising strategies like the Florida weave or other similar techniques that often grow tomatoes fairly close to each other and with one or two main stems. However, when growing in a pot, I’d use tomato cages and try to get a the tallest and sturdiest I could find. I wouldn’t trim all the suckers, but leave a few early ones to get a few strong stems for a more bushy habit and I’d also trim off the tops when they outgrow the cage. It’s not ideal, but you have a good looking plant ready to go so I’d go for it and see how it goes.
I agree that I looks like you’ll want a bigger pot. Tomatoes can be grown in a 5 gallon bucket, but even then it can be a little restrictive. Anything smaller is going to have a hard time having sufficient and consistent moisture and will not be healthy and you’ll likely have more burst tomatoes than you’d like.
Feeding is also important for tomatoes, doubly so in containers. Even if your potting mix has feed in it, I still recommend using a water soluble fertilizer for vegetables like the red miracle gro. If your potting mix doesn’t have fertilizers in it, mix in some organic granules like tomato tone for some slow release feeding throughout the season.
Somebody asked a good question. Is it an indeterminate or determinate tomato variety?
This matters on the pruning of the suckers.
Next observation, pot is small. You can keep it in that pot but your harvest will be like 8 cherry tomatoes and will be small ones.
Bigger pot means more bigger tomatoes.
As for the trellis to hold up. Anything. Also tie it loosely at the stem because if done right in a big pot the stem will grow as thick as a silver dollar.
Have fun no matter what. It is a learning experience.
Pruning and not pruning are both valid. Either way you’ll get tomatoes so don’t stress too much about it. Cut anything that is dead or is a structural problem for the plant and leave the rest.
Since you’re in such a small container, it might make sense to prune more to limit growth. The challenge with cherry tomatoes is that they tend to get very long/tall. That little pot probably can’t support a tomato cage or an 8 foot stake. So you may want to look into hanging a string or 4″ netting above the pot so you can secure the stem to that as it grows (twist ties, garden velcro, tomato clips, string).
Your pot looks very small, so you shouldn’t need a huge amount of support (tomatoes cannot outgrow the capacity of their root system.) A small tomato cage or little standalone trellis that you can put straight into the pot should do. The sticks you have now are a good first move, supporting the main body, now you just need something for the branches to expand onto.
You should not prune cherry-tomatoes. The “suckers” will also have tomatoes.
But then again, some people do prune them. Maybe its a habit.
They grow to be like 7’ tall.
Those plants can grow 6-8 feet tall. Gonna need a much bigger pot!