Sweet, compact and filled with nutrients -- cherry tomatoes are a perfect snack. Growing them in containers means being able to keep them available nearly year-round, since you can move them to protect the plants from harsh winter or summer conditions. Reusing plastic feed bins or other similar containers also saves money and adds new meaning to a “green” garden. 

Instructions: 
1. Wash and rinse the container with a mild detergent to remove any contaminants.

2. Cut the pipe to a length that matches the height of the container minus 1 inch.

3. Fill the container about halfway with empty soda or water bottles. This layer helps the water drain better, preventing compacted soil or drowned roots, as well as making the container lighter for moving.

4. Push the pipe length into the container, leaving it about 1/2 to 1 inch from the bottom. Watering through this conduit helps get the moisture down to the roots.

5. Top the bottles with potting soil, taking care not to fill the pipe. Use a high quality soil -- spending a little extra now will increase the chances of a better crop. Since you have filled the pot part way with bottles, you will need less soil, so the expense will be less as well.

6. Remove the plants from their original pots and loosen the dirt around the roots. If they have grown tight in the pots, pull the roots apart gently.

7. Make an indention in the soil, about 1 inch deeper than the length of the roots. For extra wind and weather protection, you can plant as deep as just below the bottom leaves.

8. Insert the dowel next to the plant and loosely tie the plant and stake together with pieces of pantyhose or yarn. As the plants get taller, attach them to the stake with more ties.

9. Replenish the water in the reservoir formed by the bottles by watering through the pipe. You shouldn’t need to add water more often than once a week, but you can insert your finger into the soil about 1 inch to check the dampness to decide if you need to add water more often.

10. Pick the tomatoes when their color reaches the variety's ripeness hue -- usually a bright red -- and the fruits are plump and firm.

Tips & Warnings

• The large bins from livestock sweet feed make proper homes for up to three plants.
• With fresh, rich soil, you shouldn’t need to fertilize your plants. However, if you choose, you can amend the dirt with compost or other organic material. You can also add fertilizer with extra phosphate and potash.
• Prevent diversion of energy in the plants by pinching off the “suckers” -- the new leaf branches that form at the joint of the main stem and larger branches.
• Cherry tomatoes like sun -- more than eight hours a day, preferably -- but you may want to keep an eye on them if you live in areas like the southwestern United States, where the temperatures often reach extreme highs.