Cherry Tomato Growing Tips

Love the idea of growing tomatoes, but not sure where to start? Grab a pot and some cherry tomato seedlings. They're amazingly easy to grow, and even one plant will bear a steady crop of bite-size fruits all season.

There are a few varieties you can choose from when planting cherry tomatoes. A popular variety of cherry tomatoes is Sweet Million, which bear long clusters of sweet yet tomatoey red fruit; SunSugar, which produces super-sweet, richly flavored golden fruit; and an heirloom called Black Cherry, whose tomatoes have a complex, rich, sweet flavor.



All three are what are called "indeterminate" varieties, meaning they will continue to grow taller and produce more until the plants are killed by frost, which — if they really like where they are — means the plants may grow to 6, 8, or even 10 feet tall. If you don't want to deal with that much plant, you can ask if your local organic garden center has any dwarf or patio varieties of cherry tomatoes for sale.

Red or yellow pear tomatoes are fun because of their shape (they have necks just like their namesakes), though their skins tend to be a little thicker than your average cherry tomato. You can also often find grape tomato plants, which bear very sweet oblong fruits similar to those sold in supermarkets.

Once you've chosen your variety, you'll just need to grab some supplies.


 

What You'll Need

• Cherry tomato plants

• Tomato cages (For a good crop, go with the largest size; the wire mesh supports the plant as it grows.)

• Potting mix

• Tomato plant food

• 5-gallon buckets

    
If you'd prefer something more aesthetically pleasing than a bucket, there are many different planters, pots, and even ready-made self-watering models available at your local garden supplier. Choose one that holds about 5 gallons; a round 5-gallon flower pot is about 12 inches tall and 12 inches across at the top.
 

How to Plant

1. If your container doesn't already have them, drill ¼- to ½-inch holes every few inches around the bottom edge, plus another few in the center bottom so excess water can drain.
2. For best fruiting, pick a location where the plant will get at least eight hours of direct sun each day. You can actually skip the tomato cage — and save a little cash — if you have a spot close to a balcony or railing, which you can use to support the tomato vines.
3. If you do go with a cage, insert the pointy end into the planter, and then fill the planter with potting mix.
4. Water until the potting mix is evenly moist. Top it off with a little more potting mix, adding enough so it comes to about ½ inch below the rim of the planter and making sure the soil surface is level.
5. Dig a small hole in the center of the planting mix. Carefully remove your tomato plant from its original pot (unless the pot is designed to dissolve), and slide it into the hole, planting it deep enough so only the top four to six leaves show once you cover it back up with potting mix.
6. Water every two or three days to keep the soil evenly moist (in hot, dry weather you may need to water every day). Feed your plant fertilizer once a week, according to directions.
7. As the plant grows, the branches will start to poke through the holes in your tomato cage. Push them back inside so the plant doesn't droop.

Harvesting