Tomato Inside The House

[josejcapers]

Hi all,

I am planning to plant tomatoes in my home (I mean IN my home). Do you think planting it indoor works, like some indoor plants works? FYI, I am planning to place the pot near my huge french windows in the hall, so the plant would get all the light it could. What do you guys think? Or am I insane?

[rainbowgardener]

In the past, I would have said don't think it will work.

But here:

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/v ... 07&start=0

is a 9 pg thread with pictures, of two of our members who have been growing winter indoor tomatoes and are now eating ripe, indoor grown tomatoes.

But I have to say that I do not think it will work with window light only. You will have to be prepared to add supplemental lighting. Look at the pictures applestar posted. Her plants are in front of windows AND have fluorescent lights shining on them from the other side.

It also matters what variety you grow.

Welcome to the Forum!

[josejcapers]

Thanks for the link, but it was not the 9th page, I found the images on the 8th.

I have an old aquarium lighting that still works, its fluorescent 25W. I think that will be good enough.

I'm not sure about the species, but it sure looks like the fruits in the pictures you linked me to.

Thanks again.

[rainbowgardener]

I just meant the thread is 9 pages long. If I were going to try growing indoor tomatoes, I would want to read all of it. Applestar and gixx are VERY experienced tomato growers and general green thumbs and still it has not been easy. As I read the thread, gixx's indoor tomatoes have now mostly succumbed to disease.

I don't think a 25 W light is going to be enough. Look for shop lights, either the fluorescent tube kind or clamp on "trouble" lights. And think about how your lights can be very close to your plants.

Applestar has proved that tomatoes can be grown to ripeness indoors, without high intensity sodium/ halogen lighting (which is how indoor tomatoes are usually done), but nobody has said it is easy.

[rainbowgardener]

in the winter indoor tomatoes thread already linked, I posted a suggestion that applestar or gixx weigh in here, since they have experience with what you are talking about.

In case you aren't following that thread, here's applestar's response:

I'm waiting for the OP to read this thread and comment,

[gixxerific]

With my experiance I will say yes it can be done. Is it worth it, well that is up to you. The thread listed above is us growing in the winter with less sunlight to begin with. I am using no sunlight, am I getting a bumper crop, not even close. Apple is doing better with sunlight and not having a bad disease like I did. Still not what you would reap from a garden grown plant or plants.

That being said the key word in that was "winter". If you plan to do this in the spring/summer. I would see a bigger potential. Is your window a south facing window. If not the odds go down very fast. As I stated over in the other thread it is all about location. Given the proper requirements you could do well with indoor tomatoes. I'm still working all that out myself. But summer brings warmer temps and longer daylight, both a big plus.

My cold winter basement is not the best enviroment. But if I had a big south facing bay or even a sunroom. It could be used as an indoor greenhouse to an extent. So don't expect miracle but the further you go the more you can reap.

At least that is how I see it.