9 Best Tomato Plants for Hanging Baskets [Super Prolific Varieties!]
Welcome! This article contains affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you.
Growing a tomato hanging basket is a great way to make the best use of a cramped garden or homestead. Hanging baskets can be put outside a window or balcony, enabling everyone to cultivate homegrown tomatoes, even if you don’t have a sumptuous garden.
Imagine opening your kitchen window to pick a handful of sweet cherry tomatoes to enjoy for lunch – delicious!
Our 9 Favorite Tomato Varieties for a Hanging Basket
Growing tomatoes in a hanging planter can be an excellent way to load your front porch with yummy and delicious garden crops! So – the following nine tomato cultivars are our favorite for hanging baskets. And hanging pots!
1. Tiny Tim Tomatoes
Tiny Tim tumbling tomatoes (now that’s a tongue-twister!) produce an abundance of small red tomatoes on a small, bushy plant. They are happiest when allowed to dangle downwards, making them the perfect hanging basket tomato plant.
2. Hundreds and Thousands Tomatoes
Hundreds and Thousands cherry tomatoes are the best. It is the ultimate hanging basket tomato! It has a compact, bushy growing style that will produce many branches laden with fresh, juicy tomatoes. The long cropping season means you can enjoy sweet homegrown tomatoes grown in hanging baskets all summer.
3. Baxter’s Early Bush Cherry Tomatoes
Here is an excellent choice for those who live in a challenging climate! Early tomatoes mature quickly, making them ideal for anyone with a short growing season.
4. Tumbling Tom Yellow Tomatoes
Behold! One of the few yellow tomato varieties intended to grow in hanging baskets and containers. It loves to dangle downwards and will produce a cascade of golden fruits to brighten up your patio area.
Tumbling Toms are a lovely yellow cherry tomato cultivar that dangles around 12 to 24 inches over their growing baskets. Expect delicious yellow tomatoes of one to two inches.
5. Red Robin Tomatoes
Red Robin is one of the tiniest hanging basket tomatoes – these compact plants reach just 12 inches tall! They will start to produce fruit in just 55 days.
6. Tumbling Tiger Tomatoes
The Tumbling Tiger is quite unusual, as it produces plum tomatoes with a distinctive green and red striped appearance. The red and green stripes differ from the round, red cherry tomatoes usually growing in hanging baskets.
Read More!
- 10 Delicious Tips for Growing Cherry Tomatoes In Pots
- When to Harvest Tomatoes [The Best Time to Pick 11+ Varieties!]
- What to Do With Tomato Plants in Winter?
- 7 Best Fermented Tomatoes Recipes! Homemade DIY
7. Trutti-Fruiit Tomatoes (Paprika F1)
Trutti-Fruiit Paprika F1 tomatoes are more substantial than most container-grown tomatoes and will need support placed inside the hanging basket. The plant’s support structure can be as simple as a wigwam of short canes to help the heavily-fruiting branches.
8. Cherry Maskotka Tomatoes
This tomato variety is relatively new on the market but is rapidly increasing in popularity. It likes to tumble downwards and will produce long vines of fruits without any additional support.
9. Principe Borghese Tomatoes
The sun-loving Principe Borghese tomato will need a little support when grown in a hanging basket, as it can grow quite large. It produces sweet, meaty tomatoes that are great for roasting, sun-drying, and sauces.
Tomatoes for Hanging Baskets Growing Tips
While all these tomatoes will grow in a hanging basket, it is vital to check that they will be happy in your climate and growing conditions.
If your summer is short, opt for an early tomato for a better crop.
Also – smaller plants such as tumbling tomatoes fare better in a little hanging basket than ones preferring to grow upwards!
These non-GMO Tiny Tim tomato seeds are perfect for growing in baskets, containers, or hanging pots. Grow them on your porch, in your garden, or your greenhouse. Expect a tiny dwarf tomato plant that grows approximately 12-inches. The tomatoes grow to around one inch or slightly smaller. Even though these tomatoes are small - the flavor is excellent. The reviews are also stellar.
Tomatoes for Hanging Baskets FAQs
We have loads of experience growing ripe, delicious, and yummy tomatoes in hanging baskets! The following answers will help you grow the best tomatoes – and if you have questions, let us know in the comments below!
We’re always happy to share our best tomato-growing insights with you.
The best types of tomato to grow in a hanging basket are those that don’t mind dangling downwards. Most tomatoes need a trellis or a tomato cage to support the weight of the fruits as the plant grows upwards. In a hanging basket, we want the opposite to happen – the plants should be bushy and hang down around the sides of the basket.
To grow tomatoes in a hanging basket, you should look for several tumbling tomatoes. These (usually) produce an abundance of small cherry tomatoes on bushy, compact plants.
Because Tom Tomatoes grow in containers or hanging baskets, they need regular watering. In hot weather – you may need to water them twice daily to prevent the soil from drying out. Adding water-retaining granules to the compost can reduce the need for frequent watering.
Usually – we recommend one tomato plant per planter. But, you could fit up to three small red cherry tomato plants around the edge of a large hanging planter. They will need regular feeding or slow-release fertilizer to ensure they produce the maximum amount of fruit.
You could fit two or three tumbling tomato plants in a hanging basket if you plan your spacing carefully. Plant them close to the edge, where they can dangle downwards away from each other.
Most tomatoes prefer full sun and will give a higher yield in a sunny spot. However, extreme temperatures can scorch the leaves and fruit of tomato plants, and they will require regular watering.
Yes! As with any plant, hanging tomato plants will work if you put the right plant in the right place. Most tomatoes like full sun, a steady water supply, and plenty of nutrients. If you can provide all this in a hanging basket, you are (nearly) guaranteed a good crop of tomatoes!
You may find various hanging tomatoes planted upside-down. But – for best results, they should grow the same way as any other plant, with the plant growing upwards. Plant them towards the edge of the basket or container. They will naturally grow downwards when they run out of space.
Conclusion
Choose the right plant and give it water, sunlight, warmth, and nutrients, and you’ll get rewarded with an abundance of sweet, juicy tomatoes. Right on your porch, doorstep, or garden!
If you have experience growing tomatoes from hanging baskets – let us know your thoughts!
Do you have any tips you can share?
Thanks again for reading.
And – have a great day!
How do you support a hanging tomato?
Hi Vickie!
I usually don’t! Tomatoes are surprisingly ‘bendy’ and will support themselves quite well, even hanging down. Most of the best hanging tomato varieties produce small-sized tomatoes so they don’t put too much weight on the stems. Some people like using a nifty little tool called a tomato hook or support hook – this is something you can look into if you’re losing fruit.
For melons and other heavy fruits, you can use what I call a ‘fruit hammock‘ – a simple net bag to support the fruit. You can make these yourself from any net material!
Hopefully this helps and you’ll grow some delicious tomatoes!
Elle