---
title: "anyone have any tips on growing tomatoes? my first year trying- they…"
description: "anyone have any tips on growing tomatoes? my first year trying- they are in five gallon cloth pots"
url: "https://getplanta.com/community/x8_aVt91R1-MU6xd79uMKQ/xFIrzr2AVRtbX9Yklr8hFm"
community: "Edible Gardening"
author: "keira"
published: "2026-05-17T14:25:39.835679Z"
language: "en"
image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/H9gbnl72de4u1rYNezrgzKQcS_sbzRyMhwJz9UbdERI/3dVhcS9uQr2nVV7K-6IP3Q.webp?size=large"
---

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# anyone have any tips on growing tomatoes? my first year trying- they…

_Posted by keira on 2026-05-17_

anyone have any tips on growing tomatoes?  
my first year trying- they are in five gallon cloth pots

![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/H9gbnl72de4u1rYNezrgzKQcS_sbzRyMhwJz9UbdERI/3dVhcS9uQr2nVV7K-6IP3Q.webp?size=large)

## 4 comments

### ABagel commented on 2026-05-17

Look out for tomato horn worms!! Every day! They are mean, green, and need to be squished. Even if you are on a balcony or whatever.

### Waspinator commented on 2026-05-17

Put a tomato-red cloth over its soil. Tomatoes respond to that color with more vigorous growth. In my experience hornworms aren't bad enough to affect the crop (we lose a handful of tomatoes but still get more than we need), but then again I have a healthy population of parasitoid wasps around. If you want to use natural predation to help manage the caterpillars, plant either an aster or any flower in the Apiaceae (carrots and dills) family near your tomato. Parasitoid wasps love them (don't worry; those wasp species are not able to sting humans.)

#### Waspinator replied on 2026-05-17

And here's what parasitoid eggs look like on a caterpillar. Keep caterpillars that are covered in eggs and you get more helpful wasps

![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/0aEjxie6sp2j8dSN-ejLnU9dTQl1mR1VekkhDobC1Og/TPavrTkTTb6O7JRQgG2ytg.webp?size=large)

### Snowstorm commented on 2026-05-18

Plant marigolds, basil and lavender within 1 foot of the toms as companions that’ll help keep bad bugs away. (I plant my marigolds and basil in my pot with my Toms but I have a 40L pot)

remove the sucker stems (they come out of the main stem at a 45° angle between the main stem and a branch) the zap energy from the plant and you get more bigger Tom’s if you do.

Good luck. They look really healthy!

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