Alternatively, you can start with this smaller system. This Indoor Garden Kit features a modern LED Grow Light with 4 dimmable levels, 3 timing modes and a height adjustable grow light stand. It is a funky, modern set up that is perfect for starting to grow tomatoes indoors without sunlight on your kitchen bench or any other space.
Hydroponic Systems: Check out a couple of our preferred hydroponic systems for growing tomatoes indoors below. Both of these systems are a size needed for tomatoes.
Alternatively, you can start with this smaller system. This Indoor Garden Kit features a modern LED Grow Light with 4 dimmable levels, 3 timing modes and a height adjustable grow light stand. It is a funky, modern set up that is perfect for starting to grow tomatoes indoors without sunlight on your kitchen bench or any other space.
Hydroponic Systems: Check out a couple of our preferred hydroponic systems for growing tomatoes indoors below. Both of these systems are a size needed for tomatoes.
Introduction
In recent years, the trend of growing fruits and vegetables indoors has gained immense popularity and one of the easiest plants to grow indoors is the humble tomato.
Growing tomatoes indoors all year round is possible, and growing tomatoes without sunlight and bees is also achievable.
The fun of growing your own tomatoes indoors goes beyond the convenience of having fresh produce at your fingertips; it’s a rewarding experience that allows you to witness the entire growth process, from seed to harvest.
Imagine having a ready supply of tomatoes – for cooking, for eating – at your fingertips.
In this article, we’ll delve into the art of growing tomatoes indoors, exploring the benefits, essential steps, and tips for a successful indoor tomato garden.
Benefits of growing tomatoes indoors
Growing tomatoes indoors can be a fun hobby and has the following benefits:
Year-Round Supply of Tomatoes: One of the best advantages of growing tomatoes indoors all year round is the ability to enjoy an endless supply of juicy tomatoes. By providing a perfect and controlled environment, you can extend the growing season and ensure a constant supply of fresh, flavourful tomatoes (of different sizes and varieties), regardless of the weather outside.
Varieties: You can try a huge number of different varieties when growing tomatoes indoors. Some varieties can’t be grown in your local area but with controlled conditions this is possible indoors.
Space Utilisation: Indoor gardening allows individuals with a limited amount of outdoor space to still indulge in the reward of growing their own tomatoes all year round. Whether you have a small apartment, balcony or a sunny windowsill, tomatoes can thrive in pots, containers, and hydroponic systems, making them an ideal choice for any urban gardeners.
Controlled Environment: Growing tomatoes indoors provides the opportunity to control various environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, moisture and light. This allows you to create the optimal conditions and promote healthier plant growth and ultimately lead to a more bountiful harvest.
Interesting and Beautiful Plants: Tomatoes, especially when in bloom or fruiting, are simply beautiful plants. They will add an interesting feature to your indoor garden.
Steps to growing tomatoes indoors
Choose the Right Variety: Start your indoor tomato garden journey by selecting the right tomato variety. Compact and dwarf varieties such as cherry tomatoes are perfect. But don’t let size limit your imagination. As long as you have the space (and more importantly the height) available, some of the larger varieties can also be grown indoors. Just consult your nursery or the seed packaging to understand factors like space, available light, and your taste preferences when choosing the variety.
Select A Suitable Container: Opt for containers with good drainage to prevent soggy roots which can lead to root rot. Choose pots or containers with a size appropriate for the selected tomato variety, ensuring they have enough soil and space for root development into a mature plant. Again, don’t be limited, growing tomatoes indoors can be achieved in pots, old tins, hanging baskets, hydroponic systems – your imagination is the only limit.
Use A Quality Potting Mix: A well draining, nutrient-rich potting mix is essential for the success when growing tomatoes indoors. Select a mix specifically formulated for container gardening, as it provides the necessary aeration and drainage for healthy root development. Most potting mixes contain nutrients to start your plants off.
Provide Adequate Light: Tomatoes thrive in full sunlight, so it’s crucial to ensure they receive sufficient light indoors. Think of nice sunny corners and windowsills. If natural sunlight is limited, supplement with artificial grow lights. Position the lights about 6-12 inches above the plants and adjust the duration of light exposure based on the tomato variety.
Maintain Optimal Temperature and Humidity: Tomatoes prefer warm temperatures, ideally between 70-80°F (21-27°C). Additionally, maintaining a humidity level of around 60-70% can assist with healthy plant growth. Proper ventilation helps control humidity and prevents the development of fungal diseases. If your indoor tomatoes need more humidity, you can stand them on a saucer filled with stones and water but don’t let their roots sit in the water.
Watering and Feeding: Consistent watering is vital for growing tomatoes indoors. Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged, as overwatering can lead to root issues. Fertilise the plants regularly with a balanced, water-soluble fertiliser to ensure they receive essential nutrients for robust growth. Remember, you want to eat the fruit produces so the more organic the fertiliser the better.
Support and Pruning: As your tomato plants grow, provide support by staking or using cages to prevent the plants from toppling over under the weight of the fruit. Prune the plants to encourage air circulation, reduce the risk of diseases, and focus energy on fruit production.
Top gear for growing tomatoes indoors all year round
Seeds: This is where you can let your imagination run wild. Browse the shelves at your local hardware store, supermarket or nursery to see what varieties are available.
Pots: Check out a couple of our preferred pots for growing tomatoes indoors below.
Lights:
Bokeedo produce a full spectrum grow light bar suitable for providing all the necessary light for a large indoor tomato garden. Using a full spectrum light will allow you to grow tomatoes indoors without sunlight all year round.
Alternatively, you can start with this smaller system. This Indoor Garden Kit features a modern LED Grow Light with 4 dimmable levels, 3 timing modes and a height adjustable grow light stand. It is a funky, modern set up that is perfect for starting to grow tomatoes indoors without sunlight on your kitchen bench or any other space.
Hydroponic Systems: Check out our preferred hydroponic system for growing tomatoes indoors below. This system is the size needed for tomatoes
Temperature and Humidity Readers: Check out a couple of our preferred temperature and humidity readers for growing tomatoes indoors below. These are an excellent way to check on and optimise your environment for growing tomatoes indoors. I love that they both connect to an app to give you past performance and other information.
Don’t forget to check out some of our other handy our articles including:
* 9 essential indoor gardening tools for ridiculously easy gardening
* What is the best potting soil for indoor plants – 4 important facts
* Best fertilizer for indoor plants: enjoy watching your plants thrive
Tips for success when growing tomatoes indoors
Pollination: Indoor tomato plants may require manual pollination because bees and other insects that normally naturally pollinate plants may not be present. Stand plants next to each other and gently shake them or use a small brush to transfer pollen between flowers. This will allow you to grow tomatoes indoors without bees.
Monitor Pests and Diseases: Keep a watchful eye for these common indoor plant pests such as aphids or spider mites. Regularly inspect the plants for signs of diseases, and promptly address any issues to prevent the spread.
Rotate Plants: If you have multiple tomato plants, rotate their positions periodically to ensure each receives the right amount of light and nutrients.
Grow lights for growing tomatoes indoors without sunlight
Obviously, the best light for any plant is sunlight, in just the right amount to support growth, reproduction and the general health of your plant.
However, if you really want to grow tomatoes indoors, that’s ok.
To be successful growing tomotoes indoors without sunlight, you may need to purchase a grow light.
Whether you live in a home or apartment with restricted sunlight, or in a climate that only gets sunny conditions for a few months of the year, a grow light is a simple and effective solution.
Seedlings and young tomato plants require about 18 to 22 hours of supplemental light per day when growing indoors. Plants with fruit that are coloring and ripening don’t need as much light and can be moved to alternative locations.
What to look for in a grow light
Type
There are so many types of grow lights to consider, from single lightbulbs that fit regular light fittings to multi-spectrum light panels that hang above your plants.
There are also self-contained LED indoor growing kits.
The size of your plants, the amount of natural sunlight needing to be supplemented, and where your plants are located need to be considered before you make your choice.
Size
Do you have one plant or are you planning an indoor tomato garden? Are you settling up a dedicated space for your tomatoes or are you planning to move your tomatoes around to suit the light conditions and your taste?
To decide what size grow light you need, think about how many plants you are planning to keep.
Look for something light in weight and more portable if you are planning to move your light from place to place.
Ease of use
From installation to day-to-day operations, check the instructions are clear and that the grow light is not going to be too much effort to operate daily. Also, be mindful of how much noise your grow light might make.
Invest in a timer:
You might want to invest in a timer to ensure that your grow light comes on and goes off at the appropriate times. These are also useful to make sure your herbs are receiving the same amount of light each day.
5 Indoor grow light system ideas
Want to see some indoor grow lights? From small and simple to larger units suited to the more serious indoor gardener, this YouTube video by Garden Answers walks you through 5 different systems.
Growing tomatoes with grow lights
Full-spectrum grow lights are the best for growing tomatoes indoors without sunlight.
Sunlight contains the full spectrum of light including all colors of the rainbow: red to yellow to blue to violet.
Indoor tomatoes and indeed most indoor plants grow best under full-spectrum grow lights because they produce a balance of cool and warm light replicating sunlight.
If possible, place your grow lights directly above your indoor plants. Again mimicking the natural environment with the light coming from overhead. This also encourages your indoor plants to grow upwards and evenly.
If you are supplementing the natural light from a window, it is fine if the artificial light is coming from an indirect angle.
Growing tomatoes with grow lights is easy.
Place plants within a foot of the bulbs or follow the instructions provided with your lights.
Start by having the lights on for 12 to 16 hours a day for indoor tomatoes that prefer full sun and adjust the number of hours downward for plants that prefer partial sun environments.
If you don’t want the hassle of buying and setting up special grow lights, there are new all-in-one indoor growing systems that combine lights with a planter and sometimes even a hydroponic system.
Here are some of our favourite grow lights to help your indoor tomatoes live life to the fullest.
This Indoor Garden Kit features a modern LED Grow Light with 4 dimmable levels, 3 timing modes and a height adjustable grow light stand. It is a funky, modern set up that is perfect for growing tomatoes indoors without sunlight on your kitchen bench or any other space.
Bokeedo produce a full spectrum grow light bar suitable for providing all the necessary light for a large indoor tomato garden.
If you want to make growing herbs tomatoes without sunlight super easy, try this hydroponic all in one kit by Vegebox. From seeds to mature plants, this kit will support their growth.
Final thoughts
Growing tomatoes indoors is a fun and fulfilling endeavour that allows individuals to experiment with different varieties and enjoy the taste of fresh, home grown tomatoes throughout the year. By following these essential steps and tips, you can create a thriving indoor tomato garden, providing a source of joy, satisfaction, and delicious produce right at your fingertips.
But, if your indoor environment is less than optimal, don’t worry.
Growing tomatoes indoors without sunlight is still possible.
Either way, growing tomatoes indoors all year round will mean you will have a ready supply of fresh tomatoes on your hands. And, if you end up with too many fresh tomatoes, give some to your friends – they will love you for it!
Make sure you hang around and check out our other indoor gardening blog posts.
Remember, life is better with indoor plants!
Credits: Main photo by Maurice DT on Unsplash
