Is it possible to grow a tomato plant inside?

PHIL September 13, 2016

http://www.burpee.com/vegetables/tomatoes/ go here for seeds but I would also buy there starter plants. I think you will have a better chance with a larger plants. Starting from seeds will increase your chance of failure. As I mention the cherries or small varieties are more manageable. Remember , good southern exposure if you have it is best. Use nice fresh soil that's airy, don't compact it to much. Like a mentioned before you can do a hanging basket for some varieties.

foofaraw September 12, 2016

Seconding the advice of looking for advice from garden center/hydroponics expert around your area. The hydroponics garden shop near my house indeed successfully grow tomatoes, with fruits and all, even in winter and placed on a dark nook. I believe they use artificial light, mini greenhouse for the entire plant and no soil medium.
I don't think you can get bugs and all if you keep the mini greenhouse clean and closed, always disinfect everything you brought in there, catch bugs and problems quickly.
I never tried myself, but they would be the people you should ask to and I have seen it works.

foofaraw September 12, 2016

*I have seen them doing either with no soil medium, hydroponics medium, and aeroponics medium, all plants bear fruit. Definitely check with them.

Smaug September 12, 2016

As to the rest of this stuff, yes, it's possible but it's a question of what you mean by "works"- it will, if carried out assiduously, be a very expensive way of getting very mediocre tomatoes. You are, however, greatly underestimating the ability of pests to get around. Professional growers fumigate their greenhouses regularly, not something you want to try in your living room.

foofaraw September 13, 2016

I never say it is cheap, it is about choosing within the triangle of result, time, and resource/energy/money, hence OP should ask hydroponics shop to provide her all necessary info to choose within the aforementioned triangle before investing anything.

Also, the greenhouse does not eliminate pests, but reducing the amount of pests that you need to organically eliminate (mechanical/with hand, or spray with neem oil, or putting cayenne pepper or DE on soil, etc). Indoor gardening indicate small scale, so these method seems doable. I also haven't had any problem spraying neem oil on plants in my living room.

Smaug September 13, 2016

Well, the question was just if it's possible, but the poster made it clear that they were a beginner, and this is simply not a good project for a beginner. She should find a project that has a reasonable chance of success with a reasonable commitment of time and money. Hydroponics stores usually have displays of tomatoes and such because the local police tend to frown on public marijuana displays, but that's what actually supports the consumer hydroponics industry, and that's one of the few things that pays enough per acre to make it worthwhile.

Smaug September 13, 2016

Well, the question was just if it's possible, but the poster made it clear that they were a beginner, and this is simply not a good project for a beginner. She should find a project that has a reasonable chance of success with a reasonable commitment of time and money. Hydroponics stores usually have displays of tomatoes and such because the local police tend to frown on public marijuana displays, but that's what actually supports the consumer hydroponics industry, and that's one of the few things that pays enough per acre to make it worthwhile.

SKK September 11, 2016

Google the question. http://www.wikihow.com/Grow-Tomatoes-Indoors

Smaug September 11, 2016

It could be done, but you'd have to be doing it for the experience; as a practical way of getting tomatoes, it won't work well unless you have really extraordinary conditions. Of particular difficulty indoors, tomatoes need a lot of air circulation; not only are they wind pollinated, but they're subject to various fungus diseases. You'll also need good humidity, or they'll surely be victims of spider mites and probably whitefly, which will be near impossible to treat. Not to mention way more light than is usually available indoors- artificial light is difficult for tall plants because of the inverse square property of light propagation, and enough lights to grow tomatoes would get very expensive. Of course, if you have a greenhouse you have a far better chance, but then you probably wouldn't be asking this question of total strangers on a food site if you did.

PHIL September 11, 2016

I have had some success with cherries. You can grow the in s hanging basket. Need lots of light

Cary September 11, 2016

It is possible but very difficult: you will need an artificial light set-up to start, on nearly round the clock. I would suggest you to a gardencenter or hydroponics expert in your area, or online, rather than a cooking blog. Although many of us do garden as well this is a pretty complicated endeavor.

mainecook61 September 11, 2016

I agree that this is a difficult endeavor. I suspect that you might also struggle more with pests, like white fly or spider mite. That said, there are varieties of tomato that are more suited to container growing than others. They are determinate---that is, they don't get huge and vine-y like many varieties (indeterminate). You might look at the "greenhouse varieties" section of the Johnny's Selected Seeds catalog and you might also ask the people there for advice.

Is it possible to grow a tomato plant inside?

12 Comments

Popular on Food52