So, welcome to yet another interesting topic: how to grow tomatoes indoors. As we know, it is the most loved item on the list of vegetables or fruits to grow indoors???. Yes, you heard it right. There is a big debate about whether tomatoes are vegetable or a fruit. If you consider it botanically, it is classified as a fruit. But when it comes to using it, we use it as a vegetable. Just forget about it; its a deep rabbit hole We will discuss it later on some othor day.
Now, getting back to our topic of the day, how to grow tomatoes indoors,. When it comes to growing vegetables indoors or outdoors, growing tomatoes is on everyone’s list, whether they are seasoned gardeners or just as a hobby. When growing tomatoes, you do not need to be an expert in it; you can be a beginner and still grow them easily. By just following some easy steps.
Step 1: Choosing the space to grow tomatoes indoors
While choosing to grow tomatoes indoors, the big challenge is choosing the correct place for them to grow. It may be little tricky but trust me, we will figure it out. If your home has large or decent-sized windows, plants can be placed there as you can see from the above image.
If you don’t have any space near a window or don’t get enough sunlight, then we do have a solution for that: grow them under artificial grow lights. You can set the setup any where in the home where ever the place is available
Step2: choosing the light source for the plant
Well, It may sound complicated, but lets try to understand this: like any plant, tomatoes need a light source to grow. The light source might be sunlight or Artificial grow light; you definitely have to choose one according to the conditions. Let me explain when to use what type of light source
Sunlight: If you are considering growing your plants near a window or on a balcony where it is sunny enough to provide light throughout the day, things to consider are that tomato plants need at least 7 hours of light to grow, and the temperature should be around 70 to 80 degrees; if more than that, there are chances that the plant can get damaged.
To avoid that, you can use a shade cloth that can be covered on top, which provides shade and enough sunlight for the plant to thrive.
Artificial grow lights: If there is not enough space to place your plants near window or balconies,. There is no need to worry about growing them under artificial lights; it is pretty easy to setup and the advantage is that you can keep growing tomatoes even in off-seasons like autumn or winter
Things to consider when growing tomatoes indoors are that the lights should be powerful to maintain the plant’s needs. It should be 24 watts and placed 6 inches above the plant, and the light period should be 7 hours.
Step 3: Choosing the pots or containers
While choosing the containers to grow tomatoes indoors , go for at least 5–10 gallon ones You don’t need bigger pots as you are growing them indoors, so keeping the pots smaller will help you use the space fully and creatively. The key point to remember is that bigger pots need less watering. and a smaller pot needs more watering.
And always choose a pot with a good drainage system that has a hole at the bottom for water to pass through. Because if not, it may cause huge damage to the plant roots by lagging water.
Always go for the clay-made or terracotta pots because they are very good at absorbing water compared to the plastic ones. But the only disadvantage is that they are bit heavy when compared to plastic ones and bit fragile too.
But if you are going for plastic pots or containers, then keep in mind buy only recycled once or you can go for High-density polyethylene (hdpe) pots these are light weight and durable too
Step 4: Choosing the potting mix
Choosing the right potting mix is really important because, while growing tomatoes indoors, it is important to get good quality potting mix As shown above, which is very easy to make at home even if you just started. It is a combination of coco peat, garden soil, and compost. Let’s get started by preparing it.
Coco peat: Buy a brick of coco peat from a nearby shop or online, and then take it and put it in water for at least 10–15 minutes. The ratio should be like, per 600 grams of coco peat, you need 3 liters of water, so keep that in mind. After that, it will slowly start separating then take it out.
Garden soil: If you don’t have garden soil, then you can purchase it from nearby nursery. But if you have to dig it from the garden, it is good to go.
Compost: It is basically food for the tomato plants. By adding compost, you are just feeding your plant by providing them the necessary nutrients. The compost can be of many types, but I prefer that you use organic vermicompost. It is very simple; you can make it at home. But if you don’t have it, you can go for good-quality organic compost.
Mixing them together: While mixing them, you have to remember that the quantity should be 1:1:0.5, which means if you take 100 grams of soil, then it should be 100 grams of coco peat and 50 grams of compost. Take according to the size of your pot or container. Mix them together and place them inside the pots. There you go; your potting mix is ready
Step5: Choosing variety and sowing
sowing: You can grow tomatoes from themselves, as shown in the above pitcher. Just buy them, slice them into vertical slices, choose the tomato that is soft, not hard, and place them into the potting mix, cover them with soil, and water them.
Or you can grow it from the seed too; it is totally fine. First, you need to pick up the seed of the variety that you want to plant. Before planting it, here is your golden tip: Before sowing seeds, you should do a germination test, which is very simple: Take a glass of water and pour those seeds into the glass filled with water. Leave it for up to 24 hours and see that the seeds that are drowned in the bottom of the glass are good to sow as they are going to germinate. Place those seeds in a conatiner and water them.
Choosing the tomato variety to grow indoors: When choosing the variety, you should know there are two types of tomato
Determinate Tomatoes
These compact, bushy plants are fast-growing tomatoes, producing all their fruit at once. Growing 3–4 feet tall, they’re perfect for indoors and containers. It is great for canning or making sauces since you get a big harvest all at once. As they produce all crops at once, you have to plant them in different periodic cycles. Some notable examples are:.
Micro Tom: This tiny verity grows just 6–8 inches tall, making it perfect for indoors. It yields a surprising amount of sweet, cherry-sized tomatoes that are great for snacking.
Patio Princess: Reaching up to 18 inches, this compact plant is perfect for pots and containers. It delivers a good supply of small, tasty tomatoes, making it ideal for salads and sandwiches.
Tiny Tim: Growing to about 12–18 inches, Tiny Tim is perfect for small indoor spaces. It produces lots of bright red cherry tomatoes.
Bush Early Girl: This compact variety grows around 18-24 inches tall and matures quickly. You’ll enjoy a generous harvest of medium-sized, juicy tomatoes perfect for slicing and salads.
Red Robin: Standing at just 12–18 inches tall, Red Robin is a great fit for indoor gardening. It offers an abundant yield of sweet, bite-sized tomatoes that are great for snacking and adding to dishes.
Indeterminate Tomatoes
These are the all-time-producing fruit plants, growing tall and producing fruit continuously until frost. Reaching heights of 6–10 feet. Perfect for fresh eating, as you’ll get a steady supply of tomatoes all season long. Ideal for gardeners who love picking ripe tomatoes throughout the summer. But if you grow them under the lights in the winter, you can get a year-long supply.
Sun Gold: These sweet, golden cherry tomatoes grow on plants that can reach 4-6 feet tall. They’re good producers, ensuring you have a steady supply of delicious tomatoes all season.
Sweet 100: This variety can grow up to 6–8 feet tall, offering clusters of small, sweet tomatoes. Perfect for snacking.
Yellow Pear: Reaching heights of 5-7 feet, these plants produce adorable, pear-shaped yellow tomatoes. They’re tasty and add a fun pop of color to salads and dishes.
Black Cherry: Growing 6–8 feet tall, this variety gives you unique, dark-hued cherry tomatoes. They have a rich, complex flavor that’s wonderful for adding to gourmet dishes.
Chadwick Cherry: This vigorous plant can grow up to 6–8 feet tall, producing a bounty of tasty cherry tomatoes. They’re perfect for salads and adding flavor to any dish.
Step 6: Separating and Pruning
Separating: after sowing the seeds into the container, they will start rising once they reach a specific height. As in the above pitcher, you should separate them in different pots or containers, which will allow them to grow separately. And remember to burry those plants little bit deeper so the plant can develop more roots
Pruning: When the tomato plants start to reach a certain height, depending on the variety you are growing, they need pruning. It is compulsory if you want more harvest and healthy plants
Tomatoes are prone to disease so if the plant is dense from the bottom, it won’t get enough air circulation, especially since we are growing them indoors so air circulation is really important. More air circulation, less disease. And not only that, your plant will consume more light as it has fewer branches, and that will definitely increase your fruit harvest. So you should prune all the lower branches at least 6 inches from the bottom of the stem to get more air flow. And if you find extra leaves at top, you can remove them so you will get more fruit because the plant will focus more on fruit then unwanted leaves
While pruning, keep in mind that you should use sharp scissor or knife so you can cut the branch evenly. And remember that while cutting the branch, do not hurt the main step because that will damage your plant.
Step 7: Watering the plants
It is a very crucial step and one should know the right way to water the plants. Because this is the step where lot of beginners make mistake. You should know that watering plants indoors is completely different from outside because it take 3 times longer to absorb water in pots than outside. So one must know how to water plants correctly.
While watering, remember that you should water the bottom of the plant and not the leaves. Because it is harder to evaporate water indoors than outdoors. So, keeping that in mind, water carefully. If not, your tomato plant can even get fungus on its leaves.
Well, tomatoes do not need much water. But they should get enough water to thrive. How will you know when to water. It is pretty simple You can stick your finger into pot and check if there is enough moisture If yes, then it need no more water. But if you feel dry, then they need water.
You should continue to check them every 2 days to see if they need watering or not By doing so, you will be able to maintain a good plant.
Well, I hope that you found this article helpful. If you have any questions or related articles, you can click on contact us, and we will be more than pleased to help you.
