Growing Cherry Tomatoes
How to Grow Cherry Tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes are one of the easiest, most productive tomatoes you can grow. They thrive in containers, gardens, balconies, and warm climates.
1. Choose the Right Variety
Great beginner-friendly options:
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Sweet Million – very productive, classic flavor
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Sun Gold – super sweet, golden-orange
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Black Cherry – rich, smoky flavor
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Super Sweet 100 – long trusses, tons of fruit
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Tiny Tim – compact, great for containers
2. Planting Conditions
Sunlight
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6–8+ hours of full sun daily
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More sun = more fruit and better flavor
Soil
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Loose, well-draining, and rich
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Ideal pH: 6.2–6.8
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Mix in compost or aged manure before planting
Temperature
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Best growth at 20–30°C (68–86°F)
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Don’t plant outdoors until nights stay above 13°C (55°F)
3. Planting
Starting Seedlings
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Start seeds indoors 4–6 weeks before moving them outside
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Transplant when seedlings are 15–20 cm (6–8 in) tall
Plant Deep
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Bury 2/3 of the stem when transplanting
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The buried stem grows extra roots → stronger plant
Spacing
4. Watering
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Keep soil consistently moist, not soggy
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Water deeply 2–3 times per week
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Avoid splashing leaves (reduces fungal problems)
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Mulch to hold moisture
Sign of underwatering: wilting midday
Sign of overwatering: yellowing leaves, swollen stem base
5. Support / Staking
Cherry tomatoes grow fast and heavy with fruit.
Use:
Tie loosely with garden tape.
6. Feeding
Start feeding 2 weeks after planting:
Best Fertilizers
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Balanced (10-10-10) early on
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Switch to low-nitrogen, high-phosphorus/potassium (like 4-6-8) when flowering
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Compost tea or seaweed extract works great
Avoid too much nitrogen → leafy plant, little fruit.
7. Pruning (optional but helpful)
For indeterminate varieties:
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Remove bottom leaves touching the soil
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Pinch off suckers growing between main stem and leaf
This increases airflow and boosts fruit production.
Determinate/bushy varieties generally do not need pruning.
8. Common Problems & Solutions
Blossom End Rot
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Caused by irregular watering
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Solution: water consistently, add calcium if needed
Cracking
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Happens after heavy rain
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Harvest early and let ripen indoors to avoid splitting
Leaf Spots / Fungal Issues
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Improve airflow
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Mulch
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Water at the base, not overhead
Pests
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Hornworms → hand-pick
9. Harvesting
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Pick when fully colored and slightly soft
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Sun Gold and Black Cherry taste best when very ripe
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Harvest regularly to encourage more fruit
10. Growing in Containers
Cherry tomatoes love containers!
Container Size
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Minimum: 5 gallons (19 L)
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Bigger = better
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Drainage holes are essential
Soil
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Use potting mix, never garden soil
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Add compost and perlite
Fertilizing
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Container plants need feeding more often (every 1–2 weeks)
When transplanting cherry tomato plants into the garden, remove all but the top set of leaves on the plant and bury the entire stem all the way up to those leaves. This is step is important in growing cherry tomatoes, because it will establish a bigger root formation for the yet-to-be-huge plants. The entire stem that was burrowed will develop into one big root from which side roots are spawned. This will allow the plant to gather additional nutrients in the ground as well as make it stronger.
Tomato cages are recommended for growing cherry tomatoes because they will help capitalize on plant size and fruit production. A primitive cage can be homemade from fencing material or PVC pipes. A properly sized cage should be at least two feet across and six feet tall. Other types of support like stakes could also be used, but whatever you do use, be sure to set them up early- driving stakes into the plant roots right when they're about to fruit is not a very good idea!
Most cherry tomatoes varieties are extremely prolific, so fertilize often and regularly, about every 2 weeks or so. Water-soluble fertilizers like MiracleGro penetrate deep into the ground to maximize nutrient uptake from the roots. Thus they’re the easiest fertilizers to use when growing cherry tomatoes. Increase fertilization when the fowers first set to increase fruit production.
Preserving Your Harvest
We all know that cherry tomatoes make fabulous snacks when picked fresh out of the garden, but they also taste great when preserved. Dried cherry tomatoes are prepared by cutting each tomato in half and adding salt and seasoning (if desired). The tomato halves are then dried in a dehydrator, after which they could be stored for quite a while.
Dehydrators take the water content out of the tomatoes to make them preservable. The process also condenses tomato flavor, making dried tomatoes intensely flavorful. If you think fresh tomatoes taste good, then just wait until you taste them dried!
Regular dried cherry tomatoes can be preserved in olive oil and are great for Italian cuisine. Super sweet varieties like Sun Gold and Sweet Hundred taste almost like raisins when dried and are great for snacking. All in all, the experience of preserving your own harvest makes all serve to make growing cherry tomatoes more enjoyable.
Growing Tomatoes in Pots VIDEO:
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