Will Tomatoes Grow on a Screened Porch?

Tomatoes from your own plant taste so much better than anything you purchase at a grocery store. You do not need to have a garden, or even a plot of land, to grow a tomato plant. You can even grow tomatoes on your screened porch.

Growing tomato plants in containers that have drainage holes is often better than growing them in the ground. That is because you can make sure of the quality of the soil, the level of watering required and can monitor and eliminate pests.

Screened porches can be an ideal location for your tomato plants, particularly if you live in a region that gets intense heat during the summer, which tomatoes do not tolerate well. One of the most important considerations when contemplating growing your tomatoes on a screened porch is the amount and quality of sunlight the area receives. Tomatoes need at least six hours of sun per day. If your screened porch is on the shady side of your home or has wide, overhanging eaves that prevent sunlight from entering any part of your porch, your tomato plants will not flourish. The opposite is also true if your screened in porch receives too much hot, intense sunlight, such as at midday. Your tomatoes may wilt or become sunburned. In this case, you may need to partially shade your porch where your tomato plants will grow.

Another consideration deals with pollination so your plant will produce tomatoes. Tomato plants do not need bees and such to pollinate; each plant has both male and female flowers. But the plant does require that there is at least slight breezes or air movement to allow the pollen to travel from one flower to the other. If you are lacking in breezes, you can always gently shake your plants every day or so to simulate this.

Selecting the right variety of tomato can help in growing tomatoes successfully on your screened porch. The preferred type is called a patio tomato because they have been formulated to grow in containers and produce an abundance of fruit. But other varieties can also successfully be grown on your porch. From cherry tomatoes to the beefsteak variety, many types can be grown in containers. Visit your local garden center, describe your location, particularly the light, and what you want to use the tomatoes for, to a salesperson and let her assist you in selecting the right plants.