3 things

• a warm greenhouse with lots of light

• plenty of regular fertilizer

• someone who knew how to properly water them in that setting (you'd think that would be obvious but you'd be surprised how easily that can be messed up)

Yes, greenhouse growing is very different from out on the deck in containers. ;) A controlled environment does wonders...sometimes. And a little growth hormone - used by some greenhouses - doesn't hurt either.

Dave

PS: Those plants are sold to be transplanted into the ground or into larger containers, not left in those containers. But I wouldn't envy the buyer. Problems await down the line because of the stresses those plants will have to endure when transplanted at that age and level of development.

Ralph, I saw the exact same thing last year at our local Publix. I think the plants were Better Bush or some compact variety like that, but they were in tiny pots about the size you mentioned, and even worse, they had 3 plants to a pot! They were full of foliage, flowers and fruit. Even then, when I had little tomato experience, I knew they were "mistreating" those tomato plants.

And Dave -I agree with your note about the stress a plant of that age would go through if it were transplanted. For that reason I would never touch plants like that.

I agree with digdirt in a way. I prefer to grow from seed. I have experienced way too many pest & disease issues with store bought plants in the past. Also, like he says, they do not take well to transplanting.

Only way I'd try growing in pots that small would be by making them into a self watering system. If you could run a drip line to them that watered several times a day it might work. Otherwise they would be wilting in no time at all. I've done the twice a day watering bit and it isn't fun for me or the plants.

Thank you all for your input.

I'm a hydro grower and I regularly grow tomatoes in 1-gallon pots in perlite.
The "secret" is giving the plants the proper nutrient at the proper EC (concentration) and pH. My tomatoes' roots grow no larger than a softball, but that's because I give them 100% of what they need 24/7.

The plants you saw at the nursery were most likely fed a diet similar to the one I feed mine. That diet, by the way, will be hard --if not impossible -- to duplicate in soil.

Hope that helps.