If you read about "baby tomatoes" or "grape-sized tomatoes", don't be fooled. Most cherry and grape tomatoes grow on very large plants with great long sprawling vines. The tomatoes are little, sure: but the plants are huge. They aren't at all well-suited to container growing.

The tomato seeds we list are for small plants (not just small tomatoes), and are all very well suited for container growing. Some have small tomatoes too (Red Robin, for instance) but others (such as Patio F Hybrid) have full-sized tomatoes. We're proud to be able to offer container gardeners such a good choice of varieties. In fact, we are not aware of any other seed company, anywhere, that sells this many tomato varieties suitable for container-growing. We hope you will grow and enjoy more than one variety.

Growing directions. (From Cornell University's Cooperative Extension Website - will open in new window: close window to return here). I have never had any insect problems on tomatoes, not in containers, and not in my in-ground gardens either, so I think you can probably safely ignore that part of the growing directions. You can also ignore pruning directions, and the directions they give for supporting tomatoes too. These are not really relevant to container-grown tomatoes. I include information on support with the varieties for which it is advisable.

Tomatillos are grown much like tomatoes, except that the plants are not as large as a full-sized tomato plant. I have not had any pest or disease problems when growing tomatillos - you probably won't either, especially not in a container.

You can browse down through the tomatillo and tomatoes, or you can go directly to a variety by clicking here:

Tomatillo, Toma Verde	Tomato, Glacier	Tomato, Bush Beef Steek	Tomato, Patio Hybrid
Tomato, Red Robin	Tomato, Silvery Fir Tree	Tomato, Tiny Tim	Tomato, Tumbler
Tomato, Bush Goliath	Tomato, Window Box Roma	Tomato, Yellow Canary Hybrid

Tomatillo, Toma Verde - Item #TV101 Physalis ixocarpa Toma Verde is an apple-green tomatillo which grows on a bushy spreading plant. The tomatillos are enclosed in a biege-colored paper husk, which splits open when the tomatillos are ripe. You can eat the tomatillos when they are the size of cherry tomatoes (removing the husk which is not edible), or you can eat them when they are larger, almost the size of a tennis ball (by which time they will have split the husk themselves and probably fallen from the plant). They require about 60 days after planting outside to produce tomatillos. We had lots of tomatillos from just one plant last year, and they were really very nice. They are used primarily for salsa, of course, but I also roasted them with other vegetables, and used them in stir-fries - they were excellent cooked in those ways too. So far as I know, these are essentially problem-free plants. You can "grow them like tomatoes" - see the directions for growing tomatoes, referenced above. Like tomatoes, the only edible part of the plant is its fruit. Leaves, stems, and husks are not edible. Recommended container size: Minimum depth and diameter of 12". A five-gallon bucket would work well for a tomatillo plant. Quantity - 40 seeds Price - $ 1.40

Tomato, Glacier - Item # TOM101 Determinate Lycopersicon lycopersicum Glacier is a very, very early tomato, having ripe tomatoes in about 58 days after transplanting it outside, and it will set fruit in quite cool weather. It also bears fruit straight through the season, unusual in such an early tomato. I grew it last year and was amazed to have my first ripe tomato June 8, after a very rainy and cold spring. Our last killing frost had been June 4! (I cannot guarantee of course that your Glaciers will ripen tomatoes as early as that.) Glacier's tomatoes are red and about the size of a golf ball. The first few tomatoes did not have a very good taste, but the rest were just fine: very good tomato taste. (I had not realized before last year that the first few tomatoes of any variety don't taste as good as later tomatoes.) Glacier isn't a pretty plant in any way: but it sure does have early tomatoes in adverse weather conditions! My Glaciers grew to be about 30" tall, and required support (I used three stakes). Recommended container size: I grew Glacier in a 14" diameter, 14" high pot and that was plenty large enough. Quantity - 10 seeds Price - $ 1.50

Tomato, Bush Beaf Steek - Item # TOM102 Determinate 62 Day determinate. Popular in the north do to its earliness productive and large fruit size. Bush Beaf Steek produces and abundance of larger cluster's of 6-8 oz. of nice red beef steak shaped fruit Recommended container size: 12" diameter, 12" high pot, or a little larger. Quantity - 10 seeds. Price - $1.50

Tomato, Patio F1 Hybrid - Item # TOM103 Determinate Lycopersicon lycopersicum. The very compact plants, about two feet tall, are a very reliable producer of lots of tomatoes the size of tennis-balls (or larger), and have attractive dark green foliage. Although the plants are determinate, they produce so many tomatoes that the sheer weight of the fruit may pull the plants over, so it's best to give them some support - a stake or two will suffice. Tomatoes are ripe in about 70 days after transplanting out. Recommended container size - 12" in diameter, and 12" deep - or a little larger. Quantity - 10 seeds Price - $ 1.75

Tomato, Red Robin - Item #TOM104 Determinate Lycopersicon lycopersicum. A true miniature with great "real tomato" taste (unlike many other miniature tomatoes). This is a very cute little plant - everyone likes it. Will only grow to about one foot high. Has the ability to set fruit under fairly low-light conditions, making it a good choice for indoor growing. Also great for tucking into mixed containers. I grow Red Robins in the winter in a large bay window, supplementing winter's scanty sunlight with fluorescent lights. In summer, I grow Red Robins in flower boxes on my front porch, along with nasturtiums or other flowers. Red Robin is a stocky little plant: no support is required for it. The picture was taken on January 15, 2005: the pot is 10" in diameter and 7" high. The plant is growing in our bay window, with the theory being that fluorescent lights supplement the short days of winter sunshine. But this winter, so far we have had essentially NO sunshine, only gray skies and heavy cloud cover or freezing rain, snow, etc. The plants in my bay window are getting natural light, but no sun to speak of. So I'm leaving the lights on all day. But still - even in these very poor conditions - look at all the little tomatoes! Red Robin grown outdoors in summer will do better than this, of course. Recommended container size: 6" to 10" pots. Quantity - 20 seeds Price - $1.85

Tomato, Silvery Fir Tree - Item #TOM105 Determinate Lycopersicon lycopersicum. This rare Russian heirloom dwarf tomato grows to about two feet high and has very unusual foliage which makes it a great choice for a decorative planter. The leaves are lacy, almost fernlike, delicate, and silvery. Silvery Fir's tomatoes are red, good tasting and very early: maturing in about 58 days after tranplanting outside. A stake or two to support Silvery Fir would probably be a good idea. Recommended container size: 12" or larger pots. Quantity: 10 seeds. Price - $2.25

Tomato, Tiny Tim - Item # TOM106 Determinate Lycopersicon lycopersicum Tiny Tim will mature at from 10" to 18" tall, and bears bright red tomatoes, about 3/4" in diameter. Tiny Tim tolerates cool spring weather well, and will have mature tomatoes about 60 days from transplanting outside. Tiny Tim shouldn't need support. Recommended container size: 8" or larger pot, or as part of a larger mixed container. Quantity - 10 seeds Price - $ 1.40

Tomato, Tumbler - Item #TOM107 Determinate Lycopersicon lycopersicum A great choice for windowboxes or hanging baskets, or try them in one of our flower pouches. Tumbler Tomato was developed to cascade from hanging baskets as well as for good taste. It bears nicely flavored cherry tomatoes. Very productive. A determinate 50 Days. Recommended container size: 8" to 10" pot, or hanging basket. Tumbler Tomato could cascade over the edge of a large mixed container, too. Quantity - 15 seeds. Price - $1.80

Tomato, Bush Goliath - Item # TOM108 62 DayDeterminate These 3 1/2' plants were developed for patio and deck gardens. These plant produce many sweet 3-4" tomatoes right up to frost VFN. Recommended container size: Use at least 5-7 gallon sized containers Quantity - 10 seeds Price - $ 1.80

Tomato, Window Box Roma - Item # TOM109 Determinate Lycopersicon lycopersicum Very compact plants, about 12" to 15" tall, produce small pear-shaped (Roma) tomatoes. Good for sauce or salads or just for eating out of hand. Support not required. Quantity: 15 seeds. Recommended container size: 8" to 12" pots, or in windowboxes, or as part of a larger mixed planting. Quantity - 15 seeds. Price - $ 1.80

Tomato, Yellow Canary Hybrid - Item #TOM110 Determinate Lycopersicon lycopersicum. The "sister" to Red Robin, Yellow Canary Hybrid is a true miniature tomato, growing only to about one foot high. It's very early, and produces lots and lots of good-tasting sweet little yellow tomatoes. It's a great choice for indoor growing. Also great for tucking into mixed containers, especially for flower boxes or hanging baskets. Like Red Robin, Yellow Canary is a stocky little plant and no support is required, although Yellow Canary does tend to trail more than Red Robin does: it would a better choice than Red Robin for a hanging basket or if you want a little tomato to trail over the edge of a container. A support can be helpful though, as you can see in the picture. The picture shows a Yellow Canary growing indoors in winter, in northern Pennsylvania, on a bay window ledge, with fluorescent lights supplementing the scanty sunlight of winter. The pot is 7" high and 10" in diameter. The support you can see in the picture is a wooden spoon, upended in the soil! I don't want this plant to trail very much as the window ledge is fairly crowded with plants. Yellow Canary will, of course, do much better than this when grown outdoors in summer. Recommended container size: 6" to 10" pots. Quantity: 10 seeds. Price - $1.70

Tomato, Siberian - Item #TOM111 57 Days Indeterminate An early Russian variety, Siberian is able to set fruit even at very cool temptures, but is not frost hardy. The bright red fruit are small to medium in size and quite early. Recommended container size: Try in a 3-5 gallon container for this dwarf tomato. Quantity: 10 seeds. Price - $1.75

Tomato,Czech's Bush Item #TOM112 Determinate These stocky plants produces heavy yields of 4-6 oz. round red fruit early in the season. May need a short stake for suport. A good flavor. This plant is nice for containers and other tight spaces. Recommended container size: 12" to 15" pots. Quantity: 10 seeds. Price - $1.70