Cherry Tomatoes - Tips for Growing Cherry Tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes are a favorite of many gardeners, and really deserve a place in most tomato gardens. They will bear fruit when other varieties won’t and are a nice change of pace from the typical large tomato that is the typical prize most gardeners seek.

These indeterminate tomatoes will just keep growing all season long, so some type of tomato cage or other support is a necessity for growing cherry tomatoes. It needs to be one of the larger tomato cages as it is not uncommon for these plants to grow taller than 6 feet in height. You can also use a tomato stake but be aware that these can get to pretty impressive heights. If a cage isn’t the right choice for you consider a tomato trellis.

Hot Weather - Generally speaking, the smaller tomato varieties will set fruit and keep it on the vine in warmer temperatures than the larger varieties. This makes them a favorite in the warmer growing areas, as they set mature earlier, and produce later than most. For extra early tomatoes you can try planting cherry tomatoes in a hanging planter so the roots warm up more quickly, and you will see fruit earlier than the garden, But the small root system of a hanging planter will not really support a full grown cherry tomato plant, so expect it to fall behind and die early in a planter.

SunSugar Hybrid Tomato $3.45 Store: Henry Fields Seed and Nursery Co. Organic Yellow Pear Cherry Tomato $2.95 Store: Gardens Alive! Start Smart Tomato - Red Cherry, Large Fruited - 710mg $1.00 Store: MasterGardening.com Tomato - Cherry - Gardeners Delight $1.59 Store: Nature Hills Nursery

Fall Tomatoes - One technique used in some of the warmer areas like Texas is to grow them as a spring crop, but when they stop producing because of the temperatures climbing into the 90’s and 100’s, keep watering them and get them through the summer. When the cooler temperatures return in the fall, you have a huge tomato plant that can set literally dozens of fruit in a few weeks, and you have a fall bonanza of tomatoes. Just be prepared and have the plant securely staked or caged, as the additional weight of all that fruit can cause it to fall to the ground.

Varieties - In addition to the heirloom cherry tomato, you can find some hybrids that bring more flavor, or a wide range of colors, like Sungold, Yellow Pear, or Red Pear. One favorite that grows much as the cherry tomato is the Sweet 100, or the related Sweet One Million. These are hybrid varieties that are much the same, with their sprawling indeterminate growth pattern, and somewhat smaller fruit than an heirloom cherry tomato, but much sweeter. These are a favorite of the kids, who will often eat the as the pick them right off the vine.

Grape tomatoes are similar in size, are shaped like grapes, but some don’t care for the flavor. They are a favorite in the grocery stores because they ship well.