Enjoy homegrown cherry tomatoes from your garden or container plants, no matter where you live.
They are prolific producers, mature faster thanstandard tomatoes, and are easy to grow.
The tomatoes are super juicy, extra flavorful, and they are eye candy too.
Credit: Getty Images
Cherry tomatoes come in practically every color of the rainbow.
There are both indeterminate and determinate cherry tomato varieties.
Indeterminate tomatoes produce fruit for several months, while determinate tomatoes produce a single heavy crop.
Good soil, consistent watering, and regular fertilization are equally important for a good crop.
Tomato plants need good air circulation withroom to spread out.
Decide which method you will use before you set out your plants, then place that support before planting.
Ripe tomatoes easily detach from their stem.
Check your plants every other day for more harvestable fruit.
If left unharvested, over-ripe tomatoes might split, rot, and fall to the ground.
Light
Cherry tomatoes needfull, direct sun exposureto thrive, at least six to eight hours daily.
In areas with extreme summer heat, cherry tomatoes benefit from some afternoon shade.
Tomatoes do not tolerate heavy clay soils.
Before planting,amend the soilor grow tomatoes in containers.
Water
Tomatoes need consistent moisture.
Keep the soil moist but not soggy.
As the tomato plants mature, water regularly, slowly, and deeply.
Irregular moisture levels and dry soil lead to problems such as blossom-end rot and fruit splitting.
Temperature And Humidity
Tomatoes are not cold-hardy.
In high humidity, cherry tomatoes need moderate temperatures between 70 to 80F.
Extremely hot weather suspends fruit set.
In Southern climates, cherry tomatoes often grow as a fall and winter crop.
Continue to fertilize throughout the season, following label instructions.
It involves removing the suckers, or small stems, growing from the main stem.
Suckers tend to have foliage, but not a lot of fruit.
Pruning lets the plant focus its energy and nutrients on the fruit-bearing stems without excess foliage.
To ensure that the cherry tomatoes have the expected quality, buy fresh seeds from a seed company.
Choose a pot 18 inches wide, with large drainage holes.
Fill it with high-quality potting mix and compost.
Fertilize the plants every two weeks with an organic, water-soluble tomato fertilizer.
Pay attention to your watering schedule because containers will dry out more quickly than garden soil.
Harvest all the cherry tomatoes before the first frost.
Prevent pest infestations by watering the base of the plants and maintaining healthy soil and full sun exposure.
If infestations persist, useinsecticidal soapto treat pests.
Remove other occasional pests,such as hornwormsandcaterpillars, by hand.
Cherry tomato plants are also susceptible to fungal pathogens, water molds, and bacterial pathogens.
Bacterial wilt grows in the soil and, since it has no cure, spreads when not managed.
Blight is another fungal disease, often appearing on older foliage, thatturns the leaves yellow or brown.
Maintain healthy soil or use a fungicide to treat the infection.
Always use sterilized garden equipment to prevent diseases from spreading.
This disease also produces smaller foliage and stunts growth.
Remove infected portions of the plant or use an insecticidal soap or horticultural oil to stop the whitefly infestation.
This disease resembles late blight.
Also, poorly drained soil increases the likelihood of rot developing.
Maintain proper air circulation and well-draining soil to care for cherry tomato plants.
If the problem persists, use a fungicide or copper spray.
This pops up if the plant has experienced a rapid change in its water supply.
There may also be black spots inside the fruit.
Cherry tomatoes are round whereas grape tomatoes are oval.
Cherry tomatoes cangrow indoorsyear-round.
Select compact varieties that do well in containers.
The plants need plenty of sunlight and warmth, just like tomatoes that are grown outdoors.
Temperature and pest control are easier when growing cherry tomatoes in your home.
North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.Solanum lycopersicum.
Wang D, Wang Y, Zhenzhen Lv, et al.
Analysis of Nutrients and Volatile Compounds in Cherry Tomatoes Stored at Different Temperatures.Foods.
2022;12(1):6-6. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12010006
