Growing tomatoes on a Deck

The advantages of growing tomatoes on a deck or tomatoes is that even the smallest area can produce enough tomatoes for a summer of consumption. Sometimes, when the area is large enough, it creates enough tomatoes for the entire year.

Container gardening is one of the hottest hobbies today. Grow tomatoes on your deck in containers and you will find that its not only rewarding but also saves quite a bit in your budget. The average tomato plant produces enough tomatoes for a couple of tomatoes a week. If you plant a minimum of three tomato plants for each individual in the family, you will have enough for everyone to eat a tomato a day, and have more than enough for the freezer.

Purchasing or Growing from Seed

There are only a few reasons that a deck gardener would grow tomato plants from seed. One of them is that you�ve received seed from a particular type of tomato, such as an heirloom, which is normally not found as a seedling. The second reason is that you simply want to try it as an experiment. Otherwise, the best method is to purchase the starts of tomatoes at the store.

When to Plant

Those that grow tomatoes on decks can purchase plants as soon as they arrive at the store. When you purchase them early, purchase smaller peat pots at the same time you buy the seedlings if the plants are in smaller trays. Transplant the tomatoes into the peat pots and set them on the deck until you are certain the weather is stable and all chances of frost have passed. You can then put the entire peat pot into the final container without transplant. The peat breaks down and the roots grow through into the soil. The smaller pots save you the trouble of dragging in 5-gallon containers when theres a warning of frost.

Soil and Fertilizer

Potting soil doesnot contain enough nutrients for the average tomato plant. You need to beef it up a bit. Create a mixture of 1/4 potting soil, 1/4 peat, 1/4 dried manure and the final fourth vermiculite. If you mix many pots, consider going to the insulation department at the home improvement store for the vermiculite. You will find that you can purchase about 10 times as much for less money than you would in the garden center, and its the same. This should provide the higher concentrates of phosphorus, magnesium and calcium for your soil. Ground up eggshells can increase the calcium and used as mulch. Epsom salt is high in magnesium and can be mixed with water and sprinkled on the soil. Most packages of Epsom salt contain the directions for tomato plants.

The Container for growing tomatoes on a deck

You need to make sure that your container has adequate drainage and enough room. A five-gallon bucket with holes in the bottom is often the container of choice. If your deck is concrete or the buckets bottom doesnot have a rim to raise it off the deck, you will need to either put the container on bricks or make holes in the side at the base of the container. The best is to raise it off the patio.

Training Your Brood

When growing tomatoes on a deck,tomatoes grown in a smaller area need to have more attention given to their growing habits. You can cage the tomatoes or provide a pole for them. Simply tie the main stem to the pole as it grows. Use a soft clot as the tie so you donot cut the stem.

Watering tomatoe on a deck

Keep the soil moist. Tomatoes grown in containers need to have more attention to watering than those grown in gardens. The reason is that they dry out easier. If you have adequate drainage, you shouldnot have to worry about over watering. The vermiculite in the soil also helps water retention.

Pests

When growing tomatoes on a deck you have to remember that the most prevalent pest for the tomato plant is the horned tomato worm. You can spot these on your plants easily if you look carefully.

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