Tomatoes come in a range of colorful varieties perfect for planting in pots on balconies and patios. From cascading vines of red cherries to purple-striped tomatoes, container gardening allows you to create a mini tomato rainbow full of flavor.
Choosing compact tomato types allows even the smallest outdoor spaces to become fruitful gardens. This guide shares the best container tomato varieties to help you grow a crop of vibrant, tasty tomatoes right outside your door. Get ready to discover new tomato colors and flavors!
1. Tiny Tim
Tiny Tim is an ultra-compact tomato variety that only reaches 10-12 inches tall. However, each Tiny Tim plant produces impressive clusters of sweet, bright red cherry tomatoes despite its small stature. Tiny Tim thrives easily in tiny containers as little as 10 inches wide, making it perfect for small-space gardening.
This miniature tomato is ideal for urban gardeners since Tiny Tim can flourish on balconies and patios with its compact size. Provide a short tomato cage or trellis for support. Enjoy the novel experience of harvesting ripe tomatoes from patio containers that fit on windowsills.
2. Micro-Tom
Micro-Tom holds the record as one of the smallest tomato varieties in the world, growing just 5-8 inches tall. You can even successfully grow Micro Tom tomatoes in containers as small as a large mug! Despite their incredibly tiny stature, each Micro-Tom plant yields several ripe round red fruits that are smaller than cherry tomatoes.
The tiny bite-sized tomatoes have an outstanding sweet flavor and make novel garnishes for salads, charcuterie boards, and cheese trays. Micro-Tom is sure to charm your guests!
3. Patio F1
Patio F1 is an excellent semi-dwarf variety specifically bred for growing tomatoes in containers and small spaces. This compact determinate bush tomato reaches around 2 feet tall at maturity, making it well-suited for smaller patio pots.
However, Patio F1 still produces high yields of abundant bright red slicer-sized tomatoes. The juicy globular 4-5 ounce fruits have a pleasing balanced flavor with sweetness and tartness. Give Patio F1 a sturdy tomato cage for support and you can harvest basketfuls of tomatoes from patio containers!
4. Sungold
Sungold cherry tomatoes are prized for bearing abundant clusters of petite shimmering orange fruits all season long. The ultra-sweet tomatoes have a burst of rich fruity flavor with intriguing tropical hints.
In larger containers, give climbing Sungold vines a tall sturdy cage or trellis for support. The colorful bounty of bite-sized Sungold tomatoes looks as vibrant and sunny as it tastes. Enjoy snacking on the morsels straight from the vine!
5. Sweet 100
Sweet 100 is famous among tomato gardeners for producing insane amounts of tiny 1-inch red cherry tomatoes. You’ll need to properly stake the very large and vigorous indeterminate vines. However, the effort of supporting Sweet 100 is well rewarded with a shockingly prolific harvest of thousands of sweet-tart red pearls perfect for snacking.
Grow Sweet 100 for a long season of enjoying these flavorful morsels roasted, in salads, or as a topping for bruschetta and pizzas.
6. Tumbler
Tumbler tomato lives up to its name, showcasing a trailing and cascading growth habit that sends vines gracefully spilling over the edges of hanging baskets, rail planters, and elevated containers.
In addition to strong visual appeal, the compact bushy plants yield continuous clusters of bright red oval cherry-sized tomatoes. The plentiful bite-sized fruits have a nice balanced flavor with sweetness and acidity. Tumbler makes container tomato gardening fun and decorative!
7. Mountain Magic
Mountain Magic is a compact determinate dwarf tomato variety specifically bred for growing in containers and small spaces. The bushy plants reach just 2 feet tall at maturity, making Mountain Magic ideal for patios and balcony gardens with limited room.
However, these petite plants still impressively yield good amounts of large 4-6 ounce slicer-type tomatoes. The globular red fruits have outstanding traditional tomato flavor with a robust sweetness and acidity that rivals full-sized varieties.
8. Pink Bumblebee
Pink Bumblebee enchants with its sunny yellow tomato skins scrawled with flashy metallic ruby red streaks. Inside, the 1-2 ounce cocktail-sized fruits contain a fun pop of super-sweet fruity flavor with exotic tropical hints.
Grown in patio containers, the colorful striped tomatoes on compact bushy plants will certainly draw attention and spark garden conversations. Enjoy snacking on the juicy fruits straight from the vine for a burst of sugar and sunshine.
9. Green Zebra
Uniquely patterned in lime green, chartreuse yellow, and grass green stripes, Green Zebra tomatoes deliver more than just eye-catching novelty looks. The medium-sized 4-5 ounce zesty ripe fruits also offer a deliciously sweet yet tart flavor.
Green Zebra reliably produces high yields of gorgeous striped green tomatoes on compact patio-friendly plants. Harvest Green Zebras when the stripes soften and enjoy their bright citrusy taste in salads, salsas, sauces, and sandwiches.
10. Black Krim
Hailing from the Crimean Peninsula, the heirloom tomato Black Krim displays distinctly large flattened fruits with mahogany-hued skin and juicy deep crimson flesh. Black Krim features robust exotic earthy flavors enriched with smoky, spicy hints.
This Russian heirloom consistently yields well in containers. The dark beauty of Black Krim tomatoes makes a stunning statement in salsas, sauces, sandwiches, and more! Try this unique tomato to add intrigue to your cooking.
11. Eva Purple Ball
Eva Purple Ball yields regal-looking large round orbs striped in iridescent pink and exotic dark purple. This rare German heirloom tomato variety can reach up to 1 pound in size but still produces impressive yields in patio container gardens.
Eva Purple Ball rewards your efforts with a rich, meaty tomato flavor containing excellent acidity to balance the sweetness. The vibrant pink flesh and unusual striped appearance make Eva Purple Ball ideal for creating colorful condiments like jams, salsas, sauces, and more!
12. Roma
The Roma tomato is the classic paste variety prized by home cooks for making richly flavored sauces, soups, and canned tomato products. Roma forms abundant clusters of meaty bright red oval fruits on compact vines well-suited for container growing.
Each 4-6 ounce Roma tomato has small seed cavities and a dense texture perfect for cooking down into thick, silky tomato purees and sauces. Enjoy the convenience of growing your own Roma tomatoes for homemade pasta sauce!
13. Amish Paste
Amish Paste is an heirloom paste tomato variety that yields heavy crops of large red heart-shaped tomatoes perfect for cooking, canning, and preserving. Amish Paste impresses with its outstanding old-fashioned tomato flavor containing excellent sweetness and acidity.
The meaty flesh cooks down superbly into rich sauces and condiments. Grow Amish Paste in containers to create the most flavorful homemade pasta sauce, salsa, and canned tomato products.
14. Super Marzano
Super Marzano is an improved hybrid version of the classic Marzano paste tomato. Like Marzano, Super Marzano produces high yields of large elongated red tomatoes ideal for cooking into the sauce.
However, Super Marzano grows on more compact, container-friendly vines needing minimal staking. The tomatoes have thick flesh and few seeds – ideal traits for flavorful homemade pasta sauce, salsa, and canned tomatoes.
15. BushSteak
BushSteak tomato lives up to its name, impressively producing big 8-ounce beefsteak-style slicing tomatoes on a compact bushy plant. Unlike most beefsteaks, determinate BushSteak only reaches around 3 feet tall, making it a great choice for patio containers and small spaces.
Provide a sturdy tomato cage for support. If cared for properly, BushSteak will reward container gardeners with abundant harvests of richly flavored juicy red tomatoes ideal for sandwiches and slicing.
16. Cherry Roma
Cherry Roma is a dwarf bushy determinate paste tomato variety that cranks out very high yields of oblong red cherry-sized Roma-type tomatoes.
Growing just 2-3 feet tall, Cherry Roma is perfectly sized for growing in small patio containers and tubs on an urban balcony or deck. The plentiful bite-sized tomatoes offer the rich flavor of traditional Roma paste tomatoes in a fun miniature Roma shape that’s perfect for snacking.
17. Smarty
Smarty tomato is an early determinate cherry tomato variety that keeps pumping out impressive clusters of sugary sweet bright red bite-sized round fruits even in the heat of summer.
Smarty is also cold tolerant, allowing it to be planted early to extend the harvest season. The naturally compact container-friendly size plus excellent productivity makes Smarty a smart choice for patio tomato gardening.
18. Celebrity
Celebrity is a disease-resistant determinate tomato bred for easy growing in containers and small spaces. Growing just 3-4 feet tall, Celebrity adapts well to pots and reliably produces plenty of robust 5-8 ounce red tomatoes even in stressful conditions.
Celebrity’s versatility, resilience, and productivity make it a celebrated choice for effortless tomato harvests on urban balconies and patios.
Frequently Asked Questions
What special care do container tomato plants need?
Container tomatoes need more frequent watering and fertilizing than in-ground plants. Use tomato fertilizer weekly and check the soil daily, watering when the top inch is dry. Prune suckers and leaves to aid air circulation. Support climbing varieties with cages or trellises.
How big of a container do I need for tomato plants?
For full-sized tomatoes, use at least a 5-gallon container or larger. Small cherry tomato varieties can grow well in 2-3 gallon pots. Provide containers with drainage holes and use potting mix for vegetables.
Wrapping up!
With container tomatoes, you’re not confined to plain red! Discovering new colors and flavors – from exotic dark beauties to sunset-tinted cherries – makes tomato gardening exciting. While producing abundantly, compact container varieties let you create a kaleidoscope of tomato deliciousness in pots of all sizes – even tumbling joyously out of a hanging basket.
When you know the best performers like those featured here, container tomato gardening becomes an adventure. Will you grow a patched pink confection or be tempted by green and gold jewels? How about regal purple royalty? With so many container-friendly tomato rainbow choices, you’re sure to discover new favorites. Soon your patio may overflow with a tomato rainbow so vivid and satisfying, that you’ll think you planted a little magic!
