Patio tomato refers to a tomato cultivar especially bred for suitability to grow in limited spaces such as hanging baskets and containers on patios and balconies. There are hundreds of patio tomato varieties of different colors and sizes. What is common among them is the short height and ability to grow in confined spaces. Patio tomatoes are easy to grow and often require minimal maintenance and care in order to be highly productive. Furthermore, some cultivars of patio tomatoes are bred with disease and pest resistance.
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What is a Patio Tomato?
Patio tomatoes are tomato plants that maintain a short enough height and compact stature to thrive and be manageable in a variety of small space cultivation. They usually grow to between 2 ft. and 3 ft. or 60cm and 91cm tall. Apart from being a source of food, they also serve ornamental purposes especially when cultivated in hanging baskets and containers on the patio or balcony.
Contrary to what may be assumed, patio size tomatoes are a legitimate member of Solanum lycopersicum species. They also belong to the broad Nightshade family which shares family membership with peppers, eggplants, potatoes and other tomato types. Many regular tomatoes with tall growing habits such as prolific vines, also have patio tomato versions developed for the purposes of productive growth in confined spaces. For example, it is possible to find patio tomato versions of regular tomatoes such as grape, plum, beefsteak, peardrop and cherry tomatoes.
Patio tomatoes are typically F1 hybrid determinate or semi-determinate plants which are often referred to as bush tomatoes. They are bush tomatoes because of their compactness, prolific foliage and short height. Despite these particulars, patio size tomatoes are highly productive so as to produce hundreds of fruit per plant throughout the season. It must be noted, however, that patio tomatoes tend to ripen all at once. This is the growing habit of most determinate tomatoes. For this reason, the grower must anticipate a glut of tomatoes at maturity time and some may need to be home processed for freezing, for example.
Although there has been rapid breeding of a wide range of modern hybrid patio tomatoes due to the fast expanding market, there exist some open pollinated and heirloom patio tomato varieties as well. Examples include the Red House Free Standing heirloom patio tomato which grows to only 3 ft. or 91cm (see varieties section).
Patio Tomato vs Cherry Tomato
Although many people tend to incorrectly conclude that cherry tomatoes are Patio tomatoes, a comparison between Patio tomatoes and cherry tomatoes reveals that not all cherry tomatoes are Patio tomatoes. However, some cherry tomatoes are indeed Patio tomatoes.
As earlier mentioned, Patio tomatoes are distinctly compact, bushy, short in height and of a determinate habit. On the other hand, as noted by the University of Florida Gardening Solutions, the majority of cherry tomatoes are indeterminate, with large, sprawling vines that require pruning and support.
Nonetheless, there are some determinate cherry tomato varieties which are also patio size tomatoes. Examples would be the Patio Choice Red Cherry Tomato, a compact, self-supporting bush cherry tomato and the Patio Choice Yellow Cherry Tomato of similar characteristics. Compared to other Patio tomatoes, cherry tomatoes suitable for patio cultivation are much smaller in size, some as small as 1 inch or 2.5cm in diameter.
Grown in containers or hanging baskets, patio cherry tomatoes will also do well from an ornamental point of view compared to other patio tomato cultivars because of their size and color varieties such as red and yellow.
In comparing Patio tomato vs cherry tomato, what is important to remember is that Patio tomatoes encompass a wide variety of small space suitable tomatoes which include some but not all cherry tomatoes.
Patio Tomato Varieties
As earlier mentioned, there are many hybrid Patio tomato varieties available and these continue to grow as home gardening in small spaces also continues to trend. Below is our list of some Patio tomato varieties to consider growing.
Patio Choice Yellow Cherry Tomato Variety
Patio Choice Yellow is a fairly new Patio tomato introduced to the market in recent years. This is a small determinate F1 hybrid patio cherry tomato suitable for growing in small spaces, hanging baskets and container gardens. The well rounded tomato fruit grows to only 1 inch or 2.5cm in diameter.
The tomato plant itself is compact and bushy, growing to a height of between 15 inches and 18 inches or 38cm and 46cm tall. This variety is ready to harvest at 45 days after transplant and 65 days after sowing seed. It is considered a fast grower and high yielding variety. On average it sets as many as 100 fruits.
At harvest, Patio Choice Yellow cherry tomato fruits are picked when they turn golden yellow as shown in the image. This tomato cultivar is also a 2017 All-America Selections (AAS) winner. It has a mild and sweet flavor.
Patio Choice Red Cherry Tomato Variety
Patio Choice Red Cherry tomato is almost similar to the foregoing yellow variety save for the color. Patio Choice Red ripens with a bright red color. It is a Patio tomato suitable for container growing and basket hanging. This determinate cherry tomato grows to 18 inches or 46cm tall.
It produces small 1/2 ounce or 14 gram fruits at 65 days from seed and 45 days from transplant. Patio Choice Red is a hybrid cherry tomato variety that is also disease resistant. Patio Choice Red cherry tomato starts off green before turning color to red when ready for harvest. Just like the yellow cousin, it has a sweet flavor. Both tomatoes can be used in recipes at once for the color contrast.
Altino Patio Tomato Variety
This is the Altino F1 hybrid Patio tomato, a cocktail tomato variety by Pro-Veg Seeds out of the UK. It is one of the many Patio tomato varieties that continue to be developed to meet the growing demand for Patio tomatoes. Altino is a determinate tomato which is suitable for growing in hanging baskets and containers. It is a heavy producer which produces fruit with a good balance between sweetness and acidity.
The tomato is used in salads and cooking. Altino fruits are uniform and smaller but slightly bigger than cherry tomatoes. Each fruit weighs between 1 Oz. and 1.5 Oz. or 30 grams and 40 grams
Romello Patio Plum Tomato Variety
The Romello Patio tomato variety produces mini plum type tomatoes 0.56 Oz. to 0.28 Oz. or 16 to 18 grams in weight. Romello is a 2014 AAS winner which is also bred by Pro-Veg Seeds out of the UK. In the United States this Patio tomato variety is marketed as Fantastico.
It is an F1 hybrid determinate tomato that grows to a height of 9.8 inches to 12 inches or 25cm to 30cm tall and 20 inches or 50 cm wide. Romello tomato fruit is considered sweet and it has some tolerance to late blight fungal disease . The tomato ripens with a bright red from a green color when not ripe.
Sweetheart of the Patio
This Patio tomato variety perhaps needs no introduction because its name speaks for itself. It is one of the most cultivated Patio tomatoes perfectly suitable for hanging baskets and containers. The determinate tomato plant produces red cherry looking tomatoes when ripe.
The fruit grows to between 24 inches to 36 inches or 61 to 91cm in height. Average fruit is 1 oz. or 28 grams. This is a very sweet tomato which can be picked off the vine to enjoy as a snack.
Red House Free Standing
The Red House Free Standing also known in short as RHFS is an heirloom Patio tomato cultivar that has found its way into the hands of many home growers through the Seed Savers Exchange (SSE) in the United States. Today there are many other suppliers of this variety on the open market.
RHFS is a semi-determinate potato leaf dwarf tomato. The fruit has a slightly flattened big round shape and weighs up to 9 ounces or 250 grams. The plant grows to 14 inches or 35cm high. It ripens from green to red with an intense red. Its interior is very meaty with fewer seeds and juice compared to other varieties. Red House Free Standing Patio tomato is thus also suitable for making paste or rich salsa thanks to its fleshy interior. It is considered a very flavorful tomato.
Patio Tomato Recipes
Patio tomato plants produce fruit that is suitable for a wide variety of culinary applications. Depending on variety, Patio tomatoes have similar applications to regular indeterminate tomatoes raised in normal spaces. These range from making paste, sauces, soups, salads and use in sandwiches. Certain varieties such as the Patio Choice Yellow can even be oven or sun-dried.
The following are some recipes to try out that can accommodate Patio tomatoes.
Garlic Roasted Cherry Tomatoes Recipe
Patio cherry tomatoes can be used to produce roasted cherry tomatoes that are garlic flavored following this recipe. This Patio tomato recipe produces a low carb and gluten free side dish. Furthermore, the roasted cherry tomatoes will have many other applications.
These include as toppings on pizzas, with pastas or with some grilled white meat such as chicken, fish or recipes with pork chops. Although this recipe specifically mentions cherry tomatoes, you could also use other Patio tomatoes which are fleshy and have less juice such as the Red House Free Standing and beefsteaks. There are no strict hard and fast rules here. Chances are that any Patio tomato variety you have will work just as good with this recipe. The recipe takes a total of 25 minutes to make and feeds 4. View Recipe.
Beefsteak Patio Tomato Salad Recipe
If you happen to grow beefsteak Patio tomatoes such as the Bug League, this recipe is well suited. It calls for 3 big size meaty tomatoes which is typical of beefsteaks. The salad is ready in just 15 minutes and there is no heat involved in making it.
The tomatoes are first cored and sliced into wedges before they are drizzled with the dressing. Other ingredients that go into this recipe include red-wine vinegar, olive oil, and ground pepper among others. This recipe feeds 4. View Recipe.
Stuffed Patio Beefsteak Tomatoes Recipe
This recipe presents another opportunity to utilize any patio beefsteak tomatoes. It is also suitable for use with any bigger size Patio tomatoes which may not necessarily be beefsteak. Meaty Patio tomatoes would be best suited for this recipe as the flesh is curved out first to enable the stuffing.
So a good fleshy tomato is needed which maintains its shape even after the coring of the inside pulp. This is also a fitness oriented recipe as it produces a dish which is made using very lean beef as part of the stuffing. Other ingredients that go into this Patio tomato recipe are cooked quinoa, garlic, reduced fat parmesan cheese and green bell pepper among others. The stuffed tomatoes are baked in the oven for 20 minutes. View Recipe.
Oven Dried Patio Tomatoes Recipe
This Patio tomato recipe is helpful in addressing one of the most common situations with Patio tomatoes – overabundance. Patio tomatoes, being determinate tomatoes, ripen at once in numbers. You could easily run out of what to do with them.
Oven drying Patio tomatoes is an effective way of dealing with the glut. Any Patio tomato variety can be dried using this method, however, less time is required to dry varieties which are less juicy compared to those with a higher water content. Although cherry tomatoes are used in this recipe, you can successfully dry meaty tomatoes such as beefsteaks. When ready to use, the dried tomatoes are rehydrated by soaking them in water or wine. Use them with pastas, pizzas as toppings, omelets and in soups. View Recipe.
Toasted Patio Tomato Sandwich Recipe
This recipe produces scrumptious classic tomato sandwiches in 20 minutes which feed 4 people. Not only does the recipe use tomatoes it also calls for a variety of tomatoes. You can mix sliced patio beefsteaks, green tomatoes, black tomatoes and cherry tomatoes of all colors to make a colorful sandwich.
For freshness and flavor pick the tomatoes off the vine from your Patio tomato plant. Other ingredients that go into the recipe include toasted multigrain sourdough bread, basil, mayonnaise, butter and black pepper. Although not included, if you wanted you could add a twist to the recipe by using purple lettuce and/or green lettuce. Variations like these are ideal especially where your Patio garden has produced so much tomato. View Recipe.
Growing Patio Tomatoes in Pots
Growing patio tomatoes in pots is for the most part similar to growing regular determinate tomatoes in the ground. Tomatoes are warm season crops. You can start your Patio tomatoes from seed indoors about 6 to 8 weeks before the end of winter using a kit (example). As warmer temperatures arrive, the transplants are moved to growing containers on the patio. Patio tomatoes equally need maximum sunlight and this should be positioned where they receive the maximum exposure of at least 6 hours per day.
Patio Tomato Pot Size
The recommended pot size for growing Patio tomatoes is an 18 inch or 45cm diameter container with a depth of at least 12 inches or 30cm. The pot should have drainage holes. It is important to note that only one tomato plant should be planted per each 18 inch pot diameter. Any more than a single plant will result in reduced production as the plants compete to feed.
Apart from an 18 inch pot, alternatively, a 5 gallon fabric container (example) may also be used to grow Patio tomatoes. However, this type of container will not need any drainage holes as excess water will drain through the fabric itself.
Patio tomato hanging basket
Apart from growing Patio tomatoes in pots, it is also common to grow them in hanging baskets. Hanging baskets are often hung on the balcony creating attractive ornaments. However, not all Patio tomatoes are best suited for hanging baskets. Varieties such as Tumbling Tom, Midnight Snack hybrid and Tiny Tim are recommended for growing in hanging baskets. These tomato types tend to cascade from the basket in an aesthetically pleasing manner and are also easier to manage.
Hanging baskets suitable for growing Patio tomatoes should be about 12 inches or 30cm deep. Baskets can be made of reed, plastic or other suitable material. The inside of the basket is lined with coconut fiber liners or simple plastic. In the case of plastic, the lining should be evenly perforated to allow excess water to drain out of the basket. Lining the hanging basket is important in the retention of moisture.
Soil for Patio Tomatoes
Tomatoes are largely not fussy about the kind of soil they are planted in. Any decent soil will do, in most cases. However, the recommended soil mixture for growing Patio tomatoes is ordinary garden soil mixed with compost and peat moss.
This mixture is filled into the growing pots or hanging baskets where the seedlings will be planted. The actual soil formula is 60% garden soil, 20% compost and 20% peat moss. Furthermore, after the seedlings have been planted, the surface of the soil can be mulched to prevent loss of moisture. Preemptive soil amendments using bone meal to prevent blossom end rot caused by calcium deficiency may also be done.
Patio Tomato Plant Leaves Curling
Tomato leaf curl is the rolling or twisting of tomato plant leaves caused by environmental, chemical or biological factors. While leaf curl seems to affect indeterminate tomatoes more compared to determinate tomato plants, Patio tomatoes are also prone to leaf curl depending on the cause. The most common cause of leaf curl in tomatoes is environmental. This includes heat, wind and over-watering. Tomato leaf curl brought about by these causes is temporary and often resolves itself once the heat or wind has gone away.
Patio tomato plant leaves may also curl as a result of chemical causes. Herbicide drift and herbicide residue are potential causes of rolling leaves in Patio tomatoes. Herbicide drift occurs when herbicides from nearby fields are carried by air and land on your Patio tomatoes. Herbicide residue can find its way into your tomato plants through the use of herbicide contaminated compost or manure. Leaves that curl due to chemicals in this way may not be recoverable.
Furthermore, pests such as broad mites may also cause your Patio tomatoes to suffer leaf curling. Broad mites are microscopic pests that attack the bottom of tomato leaves causing irreparable damage. This damage results in the tomato leaves curling. Broad mites are transmitted by whiteflies which tend to be found around tomato plants. Tomato leaf curl caused by broad mites can be resolved through the use of chemicals or other organic interventions depending on the extent of the damage.
There is more to learn and appreciate about tomato leaf curl. For that, we suggest this detailed article that we have prepared on Tomato Leaf Curl Information.
Conclusion
Patio tomato refers to certain tomato cultivars that are suitable for growing in small spaces. They are typically grown in containers and hanging baskets on patios and balconies. While Patio tomatoes are primarily grown for food, they are also good as ornamentals.
There are many tomato varieties that are suitable to grow on the patio. These vary in size, shape and color. Many well known garden tomatoes of indeterminate habit have determinate cultivars that are patio suitable. Examples include some cherry tomatoes and beefsteak tomatoes. Patio tomatoes are fairly easy to grow and produce a lot of fruit all at once. There are many recipes where Patio tomatoes could be used.
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