Tiny, tasty, and remarkably easy to grow, cherry tomatoes offer everyone the chance to channel their inner farmer. You may grow these bright beauties on an acre of land in the country or in a container on a patio in the city, and enjoy your own farm-to-table fruit. Cherry tomatoes are pretty easy to grow as long as you follow a few basic criteria, but with names like ‘Golden Sweet,’ ‘Isis Candy,’ and ‘Black Cherry,’ the toughest part will be choose which one to plant.
When to Plant?
Plant cherry tomatoes when the danger of frost has gone in the spring. You can also start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before your area’s projected frost date and then plant the seedlings outside when they are at least six inches tall with 2-3 sets of true leaves.
Where to Plant Cherry Tomatoes?
The first step in producing cherry tomatoes is to choose a location for your garden. The demands of the plant are the same whether you grow in the ground, in raised beds, or in containers. Tomato plants want warmth, so find a location that receives at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight each day. It is preferable if the soil is somewhat acidic, loose, and well-drained. Tomatoes grow best in loam and sandy loam soils, although they will grow in practically any soil type except hard clay. If your garden spot has a lot of clay, you may want to amend your soil with sand, sawdust, peat moss, or other matter.
Apply a tomato-specific fertilizer when planting and continue to fertilize according to the label directions throughout the season.
How to Space and Support Cherry Tomato Plants?
Tomato plants need enough air circulation and space to grow. Check the plant tags for spacing recommendations if you bought your plants from a nursery. These instructions provide the appropriate spacing between the centers of two plants. If you started from seeds and don’t have a plant tag as a guideline, the rule of thumb is to space long-vined, indeterminate varieties about 3 feet apart, while bushier determinate plants can be spaced 2 feet apart.
Tomato plants need a support structure as they develop and spread, such as pegs, a cage, or a trellis. Choose which system you will use before you plant, and then install that support when you plant. This will allow the tomato plant to grow up and around the stake or cage instead of you trying to fit a support around an overgrown, mature plant, damaging roots and vines as you go.
How to Water Cherry Tomato Plants?
Tomatoes, like other plants, need continuous hydration; keep the soil moist enough to avoid withering but not so wet that the roots get soggy. Garden tomatoes require generally 1 to 2 inches of water per week, but that can change depending on weather conditions (such as excessive drought) and the size of the plant. Drip irrigation is beneficial while the plants are young because it helps to prevent powerful streams of water that damage the soil. Water more slowly and deeply as the tomato plants grow. Regular watering is particularly critical in the summer heat, when moisture fluctuations and dry soil may cause blossom-end rot and fruit breaking.
If you plant tomatoes in containers, keep a tight eye on your watering schedule since containers dry up faster than garden soil.
How to Prune Cherry Tomatoes?
While not everyone prunes their tomatoes, it is an additional step that may help the plants produce more fruit. Pruning simply means you remove the suckers, or small stems, growing from the main stem. Suckers tend to produce foliage but not a lot of fruit, so without excess foliage the plant can focus its energy and nutrients on the fruit-bearing stems. Any stems that drag on the ground should also be pruned since they are prone to diseases and pests.
How to Harvest Cherry Tomatoes?
Your hard work in the garden will pay off around 50 to 65 days after planting, when the color on the tomatoes turns from green to a rainbow of orange, red, yellow, or purple, depending on the variety. Ripe tomatoes readily separate from their stems. Every other day, check your plants for additional harvestable fruit. Overripe tomatoes may split, rot, and fall to the ground if not picked.
Related Questions
-
What is the best container to grow cherry tomatoes in?
Choosing a container
Select a planter with enough space for growth. Look for 3 to 5 gallon containers, they are perfect for cherry tomatoes and will have enough room for any support the plants may need. Make sure your container includes drain holes, just like any other gardening pot. -
What is the best month to plant cherry tomatoes?
Plant cherry tomatoes when the danger of frost has gone in the spring. Seeds also can be started indoors about four weeks before your area’s projected frost date and then planted outside when seedlings are at least 6 inches tall.
-
Are cherry tomatoes easier to grow?
Cherry Tomatoes are the easiest tomatoes for beginners to grow. They produce crop after crop and have very few problems! These are a handful of our favorites. 100 tomatoes that are incredibly sweet.
-
Which cherry tomatoes are the easiest to grow?
6 easy-to-grow cherry tomato varieties
- Baxters Early Bush Cherry (heirloom) takes 72 days from seed to fruit.
- Gold Nugget (heirloom) takes 60 days from seed to fruit.
- White Cherry. 75 days to fruit from seed. …
- Wild Cherry. 75 days to fruit from seed. …
- Tiny Tim.
