Growing Tomatoes in a Tower Garden: A Complete Guide

Can You Grow Tomatoes Hydroponically?

Yes. Tomatoes grow very well without soil and can be grown in hydroponic and aeroponic systems, including Tower Garden.

Instead of getting water and mineral nutrients from the soil, the roots receive them directly from the nutrient solution. Tower Garden uses an aeroponic growing method, circulating nutrient solution from the reservoir over the plant roots before it returns to the reservoir.

The bigger challenge with tomatoes isn't whether they'll grow without soil. It's managing the size and needs of a mature fruiting plant. Compared with leafy greens and many herbs, tomatoes need considerably more light, space, water and physical support.

If you're new to growing without soil, our Aeroponics 101 guide explains how aeroponic growing works and how it differs from hydroponics.

Best Tomato Varieties for a Tower Garden

You can grow many different kinds of tomatoes in a Tower Garden, but the best choice depends on how much space you have and how much pruning and support you're willing to do.

If you're looking for a genuinely small tomato plant, Tiny Tim is one of our favorite compact tomatoes for Tower Gardens.

Starting Tomatoes from Seed

Tomatoes are easy to start from seed for a Tower Garden or other hydroponic system. We start one tomato seed per rockwool cube.

Unlike crops where we intentionally sow several seeds in each cube, tomatoes don't need multiple seedlings growing together. Starting with one seed also means you normally won't need to separate or thin multiple tomato seedlings from the same rockwool cube.

Keep the rockwool moist while the seed germinates, but don't leave it sitting in water. Once the seedling is established and has developed a healthy root system, it can be moved into the Tower Garden.

Different crops need different numbers of seeds per rockwool cube. For our crop-by-crop recommendations, see How Many Seeds Should I Plant? →

Where Should You Plant Tomatoes on a Tower Garden?

Think about the mature plant when deciding where to put a tomato seedling. A small tomato plant won't stay small for long.

We generally prefer to place larger fruiting plants where they'll have room to grow outward without completely shading smaller crops. If you're mixing tomatoes with lettuce, herbs or other compact plants, consider where the tomato will spread as it matures and where you'll attach its support.

• Give larger varieties plenty of room to grow outward.
• Avoid crowding several vigorous tomato plants together.
• Consider which smaller plants may eventually be shaded.
• Plan for your support system before the tomato becomes large and heavy.

You don't have to fill every Tower Garden port. A few healthy, productive tomato plants are much easier to manage than too many crowded plants competing for light and space.

How Much Sunlight Do Tower Garden Tomatoes Need?

Tomatoes are high-light plants. Outdoors, aim for approximately 8 or more hours of direct sunlight each day whenever possible. Without enough light, tomato plants may grow but struggle to flower, set fruit and ripen tomatoes successfully.

When choosing a location for your Tower Garden, pay attention to how the sun moves across the space throughout the day. A location that appears sunny in the morning may become shaded for much of the afternoon.

For more information about outdoor sunlight and indoor grow lights, see our Tower Garden Light Guide.

What Temperature Is Best for Growing Tomatoes?

Tomatoes are a warm-season crop, but there is a difference between warm weather and extreme heat.

Very hot conditions, particularly warm nighttime temperatures, can interfere with flowering and fruit set. The plant itself may continue to grow and look healthy while producing fewer tomatoes.

That's something we deal with here in Florida every year. Our hottest summer weather isn't necessarily our best tomato-growing weather, even though there's certainly no shortage of sunshine.

Variety makes a difference too. Some tomatoes handle hot conditions better than others, so if you're growing somewhere with a long, hot season, choosing a more heat-tolerant variety can help extend your growing window.

Can You Grow Tomatoes Indoors in a Tower Garden?

Yes. Tomatoes can be grown indoors in a Tower Garden, but they need strong grow lights, enough room for the mature plant and some help with pollination.

Compact and dwarf varieties are generally easier to manage indoors because they stay smaller and fit more easily beneath grow lights. Large indeterminate tomatoes can also be grown indoors, but they require considerably more space, pruning and support.

Water and Nutrients for Tower Garden Tomatoes

Mature tomato plants can use a lot of water, particularly when they're flowering and producing fruit. Hot weather can increase water use even further.

Rather than relying on a fixed weekly schedule, check your reservoir regularly. As tomato plants become larger, you'll usually find that the reservoir needs to be topped off more frequently.

• Don't allow the reservoir to run too low.
• Maintain a pH between approximately 5.5 and 6.5.
• Use the appropriate Tower Garden Mineral Blend concentration.
• Periodically drain and refill the reservoir rather than continually topping it off indefinitely.

You don't need a separate nutrient solution just because you're growing tomatoes alongside lettuce, herbs or other crops. Follow the appropriate Tower Garden nutrient recommendations and adjust for environmental conditions when necessary.

For more detail, see our Tower Garden Nutrients Guide and Tower Garden Water Guide.

How Many Tomato Plants Can You Grow in a Tower Garden?

Tomato plants become much larger than lettuce, herbs and many other Tower Garden crops, so you don't need to fill every growing port with tomatoes.

If you're growing tomatoes alongside other crops, we generally recommend starting with around two tomato plants per Tower Garden. This leaves room for smaller plants while giving the tomatoes enough space to develop.

If you're dedicating the entire Tower Garden to tomatoes, you can grow more. We've grown as many as five tomato plants on one tower and harvested approximately 1–2 pounds of tomatoes per week during productive periods.

Do Tower Garden Tomatoes Need Pollination?

Yes. Tomato flowers need to be pollinated before they can develop fruit.

Tomatoes are self-pollinating, meaning each flower contains the parts it needs for pollination. Outdoors, wind, insects and movement of the plant usually help move the pollen within the flower.

Indoors — or anywhere plants aren't getting much natural movement — you may need to give them a little help. Gently shaking or vibrating the flowers can help release the pollen.

For step-by-step instructions, see How to Hand Pollinate Tomatoes, Zucchini and More.

Pruning and Supporting Tower Garden Tomatoes

Tomato plants can produce a large amount of foliage. Regular pruning helps maintain airflow, keeps plants manageable and allows light to reach more of the leaves.

• Remove older yellowing or browning leaves as the plant matures.
• Thin heavily crowded growth when branches are blocking light and airflow.
• Prune indeterminate tomatoes as needed to control excessive growth.
• Avoid removing flowering trusses that will produce your future tomatoes.

Large tomato plants also need support as they grow and fruit. A Tower Garden support cage or another sturdy support system helps keep branches and heavy fruit from pulling the plant downward.

It's much easier to start supporting a tomato before it becomes huge than to try to untangle and support a mature plant after branches are already bending under the weight of fruit.

Common Tomato Problems in a Tower Garden

Tomato plants can tell you quite a bit through their leaves, flowers and fruit. If something doesn't look right, look at the whole growing environment before changing several things at once. Light, temperature, water, nutrient strength, pH, pollination and plant age can all affect tomato growth and production.

Try to change one thing at a time when troubleshooting. That makes it much easier to determine what was actually causing the problem instead of changing several growing conditions at once.

Common Tomato Pests in a Tower Garden

Tower Gardens eliminate soil-related growing problems, but tomato plants can still attract many of the same pests found in a traditional garden. Catching problems early makes them much easier to manage.

For more help identifying and treating problems, visit our Tower Garden Pests & Diseases Guide.

When Should You Harvest Tower Garden Tomatoes?

Harvest timing depends on the variety you're growing. Not every ripe tomato is red — tomatoes can mature to yellow, orange, pink, purple, nearly black and other colors.

Know the expected mature color and size of your variety and watch the fruit as it begins to change. As you grow a variety more than once, you'll quickly learn what a ripe tomato should look and feel like.

And don't let the size of the plant fool you. Compact plants can produce a surprising amount of fruit when they're given the right conditions.

Growing Tomatoes Successfully in a Tower Garden

Tomatoes need more room, water and support than many Tower Garden crops, but the payoff can be substantial. Give them plenty of light, check the reservoir regularly, make sure flowers are being pollinated, prune overcrowded growth and choose varieties that fit your available space.

Most importantly, don't judge your tomato-growing success by somebody else's perfectly loaded tower. Your climate, available light, tomato variety and growing space all affect what will work best for you.

From tiny dwarf tomatoes to sprawling indeterminate vines, there's a tomato for almost every Tower Garden setup. Start with a variety that fits the way you want to grow, then learn what that particular plant needs.