Indeterminat tomato plants are fast growing. In just a couple of months they can grow 6, 7 or even 8 foot tall and several feet in diameter (side growth). Therefore, one has to prune it systematically from early on, when space limitation dictates. Most pruners keep 2 or at the most 3 branches and trim any side growth to keep the size in check. You can even top them .

But perhaps, for a container garden growing in a balcony an indeterminate vining tomato plant is not the best option. There are many determinant and bush types that can be grown with less challenge and work.

How to prune ? The best way to start is to Google search and go to videos section. There are many videos on YouTube.

And get ready to read more comments right here by pros and cons.

Would you tell us first the size of the container? That will determine if this will even become a problem for you as small containers will already limit the plant growth substantially. Then how you are supporting the plant - cage (what type/size) or stakes? The type of support you have for it will make a big difference in how and how much you prune it.

As already mentioned the location you are working with is your primary problem, not the plant, and there are many better fitting alternative available for the future. But this one isn't impossible to do, just a challenge. :)

The basic nature of any vine means the more you prune its width the taller it gets to compensate so if you keep it to 1 stem it will be very tall, 2 stems a bit shorter, 3 stems a bit more shorter, etc. So define the width of the area you have to work with and choose # of stems accordingly. I'd suggest 4 if possible.

Then focus on keeping the leaf branches shortened to 1/2 length and approx. 1/2-3/4 of the suckers that develop on those 4 stems removed. But not all of them. As those stems get to the top of your support they will lay over the top and drape back down so at that point height quits being an issue. If width becomes a problem at that time (after they drape) then you can cut off the growth tips of those stems.

Not an ideal situation so not an ideal solution either but assuming the container is big enough for the plant you will get some fruit.

Hope this helps.

Dave

Plant one with smaller size. The determinate type.

Why not check out Dwarf tomatoes? There's a huge variety available now with some large tomatoes on short plants which are ideal for containers!

Linda

Seysonn, do you know of any determinate varieties with black/purple fruit coloring, nice, smoky rich flavor, cherry or grape size, and will produce until frost? So far it's been easier to find indeterminate varieties that do that.

I have watched several youtube videos on pruning, but only a couple on growing in smaller spaces, and not much in the way of deciding between the one or two stem idea.

I have a 15-gallon laundry tub that I will drill holes in the bottom of, it is 20in wide at the top and I think about 18in deep.

One nice thing is that because I have a balcony, I can easily tie a very tall cage/trellis to the balcony railing, which is metal and very sturdy. I spend time every morning and evening babying plants that don't need it lol so I'm actually looking forward to having more pruning to do haha.

Since I haven't decided how to prune it, I haven't decided how to support it. right now my tomato plant is about 1/2in tall, so I have a bit of time to plan properly.

I have been leaning towards getting 4 very tall electric conduit pipes, screwing them into the side of the pot, and using wire or string to create a cage. What do y'all think of this? Or should I start another topic for that question?

The reason I'm considering this particular support idea is because I will need to be able to dismantle the whole trellis/cage when tomato season is over to make room for other plants, it's also cheap, but I'd have to figure out the right way to tie the twine/wire, pick the best kind for the situation, etc. So I guess we'll see.

Dave, Thank you so much for that advice on how vines grow! I wasn't considering that so now I know that I for sure don't want a single stem pruning method.

So I wonder how much space four semi-pruned stems will take up? I'm trying different ideas in my head to have the plant use up the 9 or so feet of vertical space but not a ton of horizontal space.

Linda: Do you know any dwarf varieties of grape or cherry tomatoes that have black/purple fruit and a rich flavor? I know it's very popular to grow the big tomatoes, but they don't do well in my area, and I actually like the cherry and grape tomatoes most of all.

Dwarf Rosella Purple is supposed to be as tasty as any black tomato, but it's larger than a grape or cherry tomato.

I really like cherry tomatoes too, and there are several early red and yellow varieties that do well in containers, but apparently no black ones.

You might like the taste of black cherry, chocolate cherry or black plum, but they all seem to be indeterminates. At least it will be fun to grow them on your balcony! One suggestion would be to grow them on strings that can be lowered and curled around, as they do in commercial greenhouses.

Linda

http://www.heirloomtomatoplants.com/Small%20Plants,%20Patio%20Garden%20Plants.htm

There are two black varieties listed here that are short, although larger than a cherry.

Linda