Filmed and produced by Pippa Marffy.

Items required: 

• Sturdy obelisk 
• Bamboo stakes
• Ball of tie
• Premium potting mix
• Tomato seedling

To feed your tomatoes:

• Yates Thrive Tomato
• Ican Real Blood and Bone
• Ican 100% Organic Vegetable Food

Summary of Growing Tomatoes in a Container

Use a good quality potting mix such as Daltons, Yates or Tui.

Grow one tomato plant per large pot. We have used 1 50L tube with drainage holes.

Plant your tomato plant nice and deep firming the potting mix in and around it.

Nip all the laterals or suckers off your tomato plant. A lateral is a small shoot between the main stem and the leaves of a tomato. They grow into big branches if they are left on the stem.

Tomatoes need a lot of support as they grow. We use a cone obselisk as a support.

Ensure your support cone is deep and firm in the ground. Carefully pull your tomato leaves through the support spiral.

Pop one or two extra bamboo canes through the centre for added support.

As the plant grows add more canes around the edge for extra support.

Use ball and tie to secure branches to the canes - supporting the heavy fruit.

Watch the overnight temperatures through spring. Tomatoes are frost tender! Cover your plant or move it to a sheltered spot.

Water regularly but avoid getting the leaves wet. Pots dry out faster than the ground so keep an eye out.

Keep removing laterals and any diseased looking leaves.

Keep it well supported and staked.

Feed your tomato regularly. The more you feed the better the crop!