First time trying to grow a tomato plant?

I'm going to try to grow ( one ) a tomato plant in a pot on my back deck. My pot is about 12 " deep, and 14" around. Will this be big enough? I filled it with potting soil, now do I need to add a fertilizer before or when I plant the actual plant? I live in Iowa, so I figure I'll plant this thing about Mothers day. Any tips will be greatly appreciated cuz I'm a guy that knows nothing about gardening...

First time trying to grow a tomato plant?
Make sure the plant you get is "indeterminate and not determinate..A determinant plant fruits one time all at once and it is done for the season...An intederminate plant will produce fruit throughout the season a few ripening at a time..If you like nice cherry tomatoes I suggest "husky cherry reds"..available at most garden centers ..they do well in pots and put out tons of tomatoes...Do not put tomatoes outside untill the temperature at night reaches no lower than 5o degrees for it messes up it's photosynthesis and you will obtain only about a 25% harvest...fertilize your tomatoe plant every 10 to 14 days with ALL PURPOSE miracle grow which has alot of nitrogen and works on the greenery and foilage, once you see signs of the first small bloom heads forming..switch over to miracle grow "bloom booster" for this has less nitrogen and more potassium and potash..which works on the blooms, fruits, and root system, which you then need the roots to become stronger to support the fruits properly..here is a picture of my "husky cherry reds" on the porch in a pot..then a picture of my larger garden behind the house...This link tells you about indeterminate and determinate type of tomatoes...The little tags on tomatoe plants at the store usually tell you what kind they are..I suggest buying a plant that has already been started other than planting seeds, especially for a first time tomatoe grower..You can put 2 of the "husky cherry reds in the pot you mentioned, there is two in mine in the picture..Just plant them near the sides opposite of each other..Husky Cherry reds are an indeterminate tomatoe





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Reply:no, your pot is not. get one about twice that size and mix soil compost, cow manure and 1cup lime. powdered lime. plant 75% of the plant because it will root all the way up the stem, and you will have a stronger root system. fertizile with miracid 2 weeks after planting. it is an acid base fert, and tomatos like acid growing conditions. good luck.
Reply:You're off to a good start with the pot. If the soil is rich, dark stuff, no need for any fertilizer yet. You can use small amounts of Miracle Grow once the plant gets going, but we stop once fruiting starts. You may need to get a tomato cage, a wire thing about 3 1/2 feet tall. Direct sunlight is generally best, but 5-6 hours per day also OK.