8 Best Hanging Basket Tomatoes (Choose Wisley)
There are many varieties of tomatoes that grow well in hanging baskets. They’re good choices for small gardens and balconies, as well as indoor containers. Choose a sunny, sheltered spot for your tomato hanging basket and keep it well-watered.
Within weeks you’ll have lush plants loaded with cherry tomatoes hanging over the sides.
Benefits of Growing Tomato Plants in Hanging Baskets
There are many advantages to growing plants in hanging baskets, including complete control over the environment, soil, water, and drainage. This is especially important when growing tomato plants.
In addition, disease and pest control is another advantage.
Plants that hang in the air are less prone to pests and diseases, since they do not have easy access to them, and they rarely have to deal with the changes in the surrounding environment as they are moved in and out of doors regularly. Indoor plants usually do not have these problems.
Harvesting tomatoes from a hanging basket is also easier as they can be set at eye or shoulder level or taken down to be placed on a table or countertop. Harvesting hanging basket crops often involves taking them off the vine while they are still green and putting them straight on the plate.
Growing Tomatoes in Small Baskets…
The tomatoes listed below are great choices for small baskets. You’ll want to find plants that don’t need a lot of space to grow and are more suitable for the small containers you have available.
Smaller plants will also have smaller mature sizes, which makes them easier to manage and take care of. Below we have listed some of our favorite tomato varieties for small hanging baskets
The best tomato variety for small to medium-sized baskets are:
Tiny Tim Tomatoes
Tim-Tams are smaller than 18 inch-tall Christmas tree bulbs and can tolerate pots as small as 5 inches. The heirloom tomatoes available for purchase are not genetically modified, they are heirloom tomatoes grown under certified organic conditions.
Tumbling Tom Tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes are a good choice for a hanging basket because they have a long 18-inch-long cascading habit and most people can’t see them when they’re growing. They’re only 1 inch in size by 70 days.
Red Robin Tomato
Red Robin is an extra-sweet determinate-dwarf bred specifically for growing in containers. The plants reach about 10 inches tall and produce about 1¼ inch fruits in 55 days.
Early Resilience Hybrid Tomato
These plants are disease resistant and produce great-tasting roma-style tomatoes up to 2 inches in size and have a perfectly balanced tomato flavor.
In Larger Baskets…
The more you grow, the better you’ll become at picking the right tomatoes for the best taste and looks, and which will do well in the space you have.
In order to grow large tomato plants, you need to hang them in baskets that are at least 18 inches and at most 24 inches.
Below are some larger varieties that have the potential for tomato growers who really want to experiment and show off their tomato growing prowess.
The best tomato variety for small to large baskets are:
Celano Hybrid Tomato
A heavy producer, it’s a larger, semi-determinate type that produces heavy yields. Plants will need at least 18-inch containers to grow and provide a good harvest.
Hundreds and Thousands
A tomato plant produces big juicy tomatoes on vigorous cascading plants that are easy to grow and perfect for hanging baskets.
Whippersnapper
This is a very large, productive, beautiful plant that is an excellent producer of cherry tomatoes and a riot of color. It has large, sturdy stems and sprawling branches that give the appearance of a bonsai tree.
Midnight Snack
The ‘Midnight Snack’ tomato is a favorite for growing in hanging baskets because it produces fruit that is dark red-violet and grows on vigorous vines. It’s also a popular choice for home gardens.
What type of basket works best for hanging baskets?
Hanging baskets can come in a wide range of styles and materials, and you’ll want to consider the look that best fits your home.
Some popular choices are solid plastic baskets with water reservoirs, woven wicker baskets for a more earthy, homemade feel, and wire-framed baskets for a more modern touch.
The material you choose can be just as important as the style, as certain materials will perform better in certain areas than others.
For example, a woven wicker basket is great for a garden or patio but can be tricky to clean if you live in a humid climate. If you’re looking for a durable, stylish solution, consider using galvanized wire or galvanized metal mesh.
Preparing You Hanging Baskets
By using an appropriate basket liner you will enhance soil aeration and filtration. In addition to allowing excess water to escape, the basket is intended to hold soil in place while being watered.
You have a few different options of liner you can use which we have listed below.
What type of liner should be used with hanging baskets?
Sphagnum Moss – Free of bugs, sphagnum moss is useful at retaining water in that bog, marsh, or swamp because of its thick, lush texture and mostly empty cells. However, though it looks nice in the basket, it can be tedious to work with.
Cocoa liners – You can find these liners in many sizes and shapes to fit most baskets. They’re usually bought as a pre-molded structure to fit certain size baskets and help to create a tidy presentation.
But their thickness makes them unsuitable for planting on the sides, so if you’re after a more rustic feel to your basket it’s best to look elsewhere
Burlap liners – A cheap and flexible material, burlap lining is eco-friendly. It is an excellent choice for the gardener who is organic. The lining is treated with copper in order to slow down the degradation process.
Supamoss – Supamoss has holes in it that allow for proper drainage. The moss has a thick plastic coating and can retain water. Despite being the most artificial of the four, the liner looks natural and can be adjusted to fit your plants. .
Best Soil for Hanging Basket Tomatoes
We must provide the hanging basket with everything it needs. Excellent soil quality is needed since we hope to eat some delicious tomatoes too.
Enrich a high-quality potting soil with organic matter, compost, and some natural or organic root and bloom fertilize from the beginning to help the tomatoes thrive.
Peat moss, coconut fiber, or other materials are good at retaining water in a soil mix. The Mother Earth Potting Soil is ideal for starting tomato plants.
We selected the top 7 best potting mixes for growing tomatoes. If you’re looking for a quick and easy potting mix for your hanging baskets, take a look below:
- Espoma Organic Vegetable and Flower Soil
- Miracle-Gro Potting Mix
- BLACK GOLD® Natural & Organic Flower And Vegetable Soil
- Fox Farm Ocean Forest Potting Soil
- Michigan Peat Garden Magic Potting Soil
- Proven Winners Premium Potting Soil
- Dr. Earth Pot of Gold All-Purpose Potting Soil
Best Place To Hang Your Hanging Baskets
It is best to put the hanging baskets in the full sun and protect them from the wind. Tomatoes thrive in heat and are productive in warm places.
You should make sure the tomato baskets are easy to access. When planning and planting in the spring, we all have good intentions. These hanging baskets need to be located in full sun where they will get the daily watering they need during May.
Come August, when there are a lot of other things to do, it’s easier to sprinkle water on the poor toms hanging out in the hot sun.
Planting Up your hanging Baskets
Only one tomato plant will be enough for each basket for most varieties. You should wait until the fear of frost has passed for baskets outside.
There should be a central hole in the soil. Unlike many plants, tomatoes can be planted deep up their stems and they love it. It is a good idea to tickle the root ball to loosen it up before pressing it into the soil. The tomato plants will benefit from a good drink after planting.
Tomato Companion Plants for Hanging Baskets
There are many different plants that go well with tomatoes. The hanging baskets are ideal for attracting bees and butterflies. The basket could be planted with flowering friends.
If your basket is big enough, you can also plant herbs like basil, chive, and mint along with tomatoes.
Watering Hanging Baskets
Your hanging baskets are completely dependent on you for everything. This is not easy work, but it is manageable if you’ll water regularly so as to ensure your flowers don’t wither away.
Incidentally, tomatoes are sensitive plants, so if at all possible, an automatic watering system is highly recommended to make sure you and your tomatoes aren’t stressed out from lack of water!
This way, your flowers won’t wilt in the harsh noonday sun – especially on hot windy days.
The best times to water hanging baskets are early morning or late evening when evaporation rates are at their minimum – that way you won’t be wasting precious water.
Just remember; irregular watering is very bad for tomatoes and can even lead to disease!
Feeding Your Plants
Adding a liquid fertilizer to your tomato garden is one of the easiest ways to ensure your tomato plants look healthy and green.
A weekly liquid spray fertilizer and a couple of liquid natural root and bloom fertilizers a couple of times a month will help stimulate your tomato blossoms into delicious tomatoes ripe and ready for you to eat.
Liquid fertilizer is not the only option you have. Other options include.
Granular fertilizer
Granular Fertilizer comes in both liquid and granular forms. Granular forms store for months or even years while liquid forms need to be applied more often.
The easiest application is to simply sprinkle granular fertilizer around and in the soil at planting. Quick-release fertilizers are made from inorganic ingredients that dissolve in water, providing a quick burst of nutrients.
Water-Soluble
Water-soluble fertilizers are like liquid fertilizers in that they provide immediate availability to plants, but they’re different from other types of liquid fertilizers because of their solid particle size. Micro granules dissolve in water, and in some cases can even be sprinkled directly on the soil to help plants thrive.
Pruning You Tomato Plants
The first thing you’ll need to do before pruning tomato plants is to water them well. Wait a day or two, and then clip any branches that are broken, diseased, or crossing each other.
Next, cut back the suckers from around the plant’s stem–these are shoots that come out from where the leaves meet the stem.
If you want a simple step by step guide on how to perfectly prune your tomato plants check out the post below
