There’s something so amazing about plucking a fresh cherry tomato from the vine and popping it straight in your mouth, still warm from the sun. In my opinion, homegrown cherry tomatoes just can’t be beat. They’re so much sweeter than any you’ll find in the store, and when you learn how to grow cherry tomatoes at home, you’ll soon feel the same way!
In this guide, I’ll explain everything you need to know to grow delicious cherry tomatoes in your home kitchen garden. Whether you’ve got two green thumbs or you’re new to gardening, you’ll find everything you need here for the perfect homegrown cherry tomatoes.
Choosing the Right Variety of Cherry Tomatoes to Grow
The first step is choosing the right cherry tomato varieties for your garden. As you’ll soon learn, there are hundreds of different varieties available, all with different colors, shapes, flavors, and growth habits. Keep these factors in mind when you’re making your decision:
- Climate: Some varieties of cherry tomatoes are better suited for specific climates. For example, Sweet 100 and Sun Gold are known for their adaptability to different weather conditions.
- Space: If you have limited space or are growing tomatoes in containers, compact varieties like Tiny Tim are a good idea.
- Flavor preferences: Different varieties offer a range of flavors from sweet to tangy to smoky. Choose a variety that matches your taste preferences.
- Disease resistance: Look for varieties that are resistant to common tomato diseases to ensure a healthier and more productive plant.
- Growth habit: You may remember from our post on tomato cages that it is very important to take note of the category your specific tomato variety falls under. This is very important with cherry tomatoes- choose a determinate variety and you’ll be hit with lots of ripe tomatoes at once. These typically feature long clusters of tomatoes that will turn from green to red all at once. Choose indeterminate varieties, and you’ll have a steady supply of sweet, delicious little fruits from the first cherry tomato ’til the end of the season!
Here are a few of my favorite varieties to get you started.
Sweet 100
If you’re looking for a plant that produces a lot of tomatoes with a delightfully sweet flavor, Super Sweet 100 might be the seed for you! It’s a super easy variety to grow, too. These vigorous plants can yield hundreds of small, red cherry tomatoes that are perfect for snacking and salads. They grow well in various climates and are resistant to many common tomato diseases.
Sun Gold
Sun Gold cherry tomatoes are prized for their vibrant orange color and exceptionally sweet, tropical flavor. They are a favorite among home gardeners for their high yield and early ripening. They’re perfect if you want a burst of sweetness in your favorite dishes.
Yellow Pear
Yellow Pear cherry tomatoes have a distinctive pear shape and a mild, slightly tangy flavor. They are a fun and visually appealing addition to any garden, producing abundant clusters of bright yellow tomatoes. These are ideal for adding color to salads and garnishes.
Grow Rainbow Cherry Tomatoes
Looking to get a beautiful mix of colors, just like the packages of multicolored tomatoes at the store? The best way to achieve a beautiful assortment of ripe cherry tomatoes like this is to select several varieties, each with a different color. Choose the sun gold or yellow pear mentioned above for lighter hues, add in some classic red tomatoes like the Super Sweet 100, and then round it all out with some purple cherry tomatoes!
Some seed suppliers also offer seed blends to achieve a mix of cherry tomatoes, like the one seen above by Eden Brothers. However, if it’s only one household consuming your garden’s cherry tomatoes, one plant of each color is more than enough. That means you’ll need to make sure you’re just planting one seedling of each- something you can’t achieve with a blended seed mix.
How to Plant Cherry Tomatoes: Preparation
Before you tuck your seed or seedlings in the soil, it’s important to plan out your garden and prep your soil. Here’s what you need to know.
Best Time to Plant Cherry Tomatoes
The best time to plant cherry tomatoes is after the last frost date in your area, as tomatoes are warm-season plants that thrive in temperatures between 70-85°F. For most regions, this means planting out in late spring to early summer.
If you’re starting seeds indoors, sow them 6-8 weeks before the last expected frost date to give the seedlings a head start. Transplant the seedlings outdoors when they are 6-8 inches tall and the soil temperature is consistently above 60°F.
Soil Requirements for Growing Cherry Tomatoes at Home
Cherry tomatoes prefer well-draining, fertile soil with a pH level between 6.0 and 7.0. The ideal soil composition includes:
- Organic matter: Enrich the soil with 2-3 inches of compost or well-rotted manure to provide essential nutrients and improve soil structure.
- Drainage: Ensure good drainage by incorporating sand or perlite if your soil is heavy and clay-like. Cherry tomatoes do not tolerate waterlogged soil, which can lead to root rot and other diseases.
- Nutrients: Garden soil with adequate nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium is crucial. Conduct a soil test to determine nutrient levels and amend the soil with appropriate fertilizers if needed. Follow up with a balanced fertilizer throughout the growing season every couple of weeks.
Remove any weeds, rocks, or debris from the planting area to reduce competition for nutrients and water, and use a garden fork or tiller to loosen the soil to a depth of 12-15 inches. This helps improve root penetration and drainage.
Other Growing Requirements to Consider
We’re almost done! Here are some more considerations to provide the ideal environment for growing delicious mini tomatoes.
- Sun: Most cherry tomato varieties require full sun for best results and optimal sweetness
- Companion plants for cherry tomatoes: Grow your cherry tomatoes next to basil, nasturtium, and marigold for the perfect combination for plant health and natural pest control.
- Airflow: Provide adequate spacing between your plants and trim excess plant material around the base of the vines to keep things tidy. Without enough airflow between plants, it’s easier for diseases to take hold.
- Support: Plan ahead about what type of supports your plants will need- there are many different options! Check out our post on DIY tomato cages and trellises for ideas.
Starting from Seeds vs. Buying Tomato Seedlings
Another thing you have to consider is whether to plant tomato seeds or to start with seedlings from a nursery that are already a few inches tall. Planting seeds is cheaper, and nurseries often have a better selection of seeds compared to seedlings, so you’ll have more options to choose from. On the other hand, seedlings are easier – they’re already healthy and ready to go straight into your garden, and you don’t need any equipment. The choice is yours!
Growing Cherry Tomatoes at Home from Seed
Start your seeds indoors in early spring or about 6-8 weeks before the last expected frost date in your area. This gives the seedlings ample time to grow strong before transplanting outdoors. Use seed trays, small pots, or even an egg carton to start your seeds. Make sure you’re using a seed-starting mix, and fill each compartment with it.
Plant the seeds about 1/4 inch deep. Plant two seeds per container to ensure at least one successful seedling. Lightly cover the seeds with soil and gently water them. Place the containers in a warm location with temperatures between 70-75°F, and keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Use a spray bottle to mist the soil surface, preventing the seeds from being disturbed by a heavy stream of water.
How to Plant Cherry Tomatoes
Before transplanting the cherry tomato seedlings outdoors, they need to be hardened off. Gradually expose them to outdoor conditions over 7-10 days. Start by placing them in a shaded area for a few hours each day, gradually increasing their exposure to sunlight and outdoor temperatures.
Dig holes slightly larger than the root balls of the seedlings. Space the plants 2-3 feet apart to allow for adequate air circulation and growth. Gently remove the seedlings from their containers, being careful not to damage the roots. Plant them deep enough so that the first set of leaves is just above the soil surface. This encourages strong root development.
Caring for Your Cherry Tomato Plants
Once you get your cherry tomatoes in the ground, the fun really starts! Here’s what you need to know about caring for your cherry tomato plants for vigorous growth and an abundance of sweet, delicious fruit.
Supporting Your Cherry Tomato Plants
Most cherry tomato plants grow vigorously and require some sort of staking to keep the main plant supported. Support your cherry tomato plants with stakes, cages, or trellises to keep them upright and off the ground. I love the suggestion in this article over at Fine Gardening to use sturdy metal fencing panels weaving the vines through the squares. This seems like a great way to keep plants tidy and secure.
Watering Your Cherry Tomato Plants
Water the plants thoroughly after transplanting. Maintain consistent soil moisture, especially during dry periods, but avoid waterlogging. Mulching around the plants can help retain soil moisture and suppress weeds.
Fertilizing Your Cherry Tomato Plants
Give your tomato plants a week to adjust to their new environment before fertilizing. After that time, use a nitrogen-rich fertilizer to support abundant plant growth and healthy foliage. Once you see the first yellow flowers, you can switch to a fertilizer that supports abundant crops and fruit production.
Pruning Your Cherry Tomato Plants
Pruning serves two main purposes when it comes to cherry tomatoes- keeping the plants in control, and keeping them clean and disease-free. Prune the lower leaves, especially any that reach the soil. This will help provide airflow and can prevent pests from having a convenient path up to the plant. In the image below, you can see we did a decent job of keeping leaves off the ground, but not vines. Some say you should definitely trim any vines growing low enough that end up touching the soil. Personally, it didn’t cause us any issues, but I would prune them anyway just to keep things easier to manage.
Some gardeners prefer not to prune suckers, but I find that cherry tomato plants can become far too large and unruly if they are left unpruned. Suckers are the new growth tips that form between a tomato leaf and the main stem. As soon as you see a new stem forming, it’s best to pinch it off. This will allow the plant to focus more of its energy on a smaller amount of fruit, yielding better flavor. It’ll also save you from creating a tomato jungle too large to tame- take it from me and my example below!
How to Grow Cherry Tomatoes in a Container Garden
Cherry tomatoes can make great container plants! However, it is essential to keep a few details in mind. First of all, be sure to check the growing information to determine the size and type of variety (indeterminate or determinate). Determinate varieties are the best option for containers as they stay smaller. However, with the right structures in place and some care and attention to pruning, indeterminate varieties can also be grown in containers.
The next thing to consider is the containers you choose to use. Be sure they have drainage holes to maintain proper soil moisture levels. Without proper drainage, fungus and root rot can become an issue. Furthermore, ensure the containers are large enough for your plants. For smaller, determinate varieties, a 5-gallon pot should be sufficient. For larger varieties, however, you’ll want something more like a 10-15 gallon pot.
Check out our post about how to grow tomatoes in pots for more guidance on growing tomatoes in your container garden!
Common Cherry Tomato Problems and What To Do About Them
Unfortunately, there are always pests and diseases to contend with when you garden at home, and tomato plants attract their fair share of them. I cover some of the most common issues below. However, I know there are some tricky problems out there! Check out this article by University of Maryland Extension for information on lots of other issues.
How to Deal with Aphids on Your Cherry Tomato Plants
Aphids are small, pear-shaped insects that can be green, yellow, black, or red. They typically cluster on the undersides of leaves and stems, sucking the sap from the plant. Aphids cause leaves to curl, yellow, and distort, and can also transmit plant viruses.
If you see aphids on your cherry tomato plants, spray the plants with a strong jet of water to dislodge aphids. You can also wipe them off with a damp cloth or your fingers, or apply neem oil or insecticidal soap to infested plants, following the product instructions.
You can also try using nasturtium as a sacrificial plant- aphids love it. They’ll go for your nasturtium first, keeping your tomatoes out of harm’s way!
How to Deal with Tomato Hornworms on Cherry Tomato Plants
Tomato hornworms are large, green caterpillars with white stripes and a horn-like tail. They can grow up to 4 inches long and are often well-camouflaged against the foliage – sometimes you don’t even see them until half of your cherry tomato plant has been demolished!
Regularly inspect your tomato plants for these caterpillars, especially if you see any signs of your plant’s leaves being eaten. Check the stems and the undersides of the leaves – once you learn what you’re looking for these giant caterpillars are hard to miss! Pull them off your plants carefully.
Blossom End Rot
This common tomato problem can be fixed quite simply. You’ll know you have a calcium deficiency in your soil if you start to notice your tomatoes turning black and rotting from the bottom end up. I dealt with a pretty bad case of blossom end rot last year and found a suggestion for a homemade calcium spray using eggshells. After dousing the soil, the problem went away! You can also plan ahead for this problem by adding crushed eggshells to your soil throughout the year.
Harvesting and Storing Your Cherry Tomatoes
After months of patiently waiting, you’ll finally come to the time when your cherry tomatoes are ripe and ready to harvest! You can pick them any time after they have a tiny bit of red on them – they’ll continue to ripen indoors. It’s best to harvest regularly to keep the plant producing throughout the growing season.
If you end up with way too many cherry tomatoes (trust me, it happens), you can easily freeze them whole. Just wash the fruit and pull off the stems, then throw fully-ripe fruit into a freezer bag, whole. I love to thaw them directly into a saucepan with fresh garlic and olive oil – let them burst as they heat up and they’ll make a delicious sauce, which you can throw over a plate pasta. So simple and delicious!
Get Your Garden Going with Tasty, Sweet Cherry Tomatoes!
Cherry tomatoes are an easy, delicious addition to your garden. Whether you’re growing from seed or starting with some seedlings from the nursery, these versatile, sweet fruits are easy to grow, and even easier to eat! Good luck, and don’t forget to let us know how you go! Next, be sure to check out our “Garden to Table Recipe Swap” for ideas of what to do with your bounty! If you haven’t started a kitchen garden now is the time! Check out our guide to starting a kitchen garden and get going! If you’re more of a flower gardener, that’s cool too! Check out our post on how to start a cut flower garden for fresh bouquets all season long!