Cherry tomatoes are small tomatoes that grow quickly, ripen early, and are great for you. Cherry tomatoes are one of the most widely grown crops because they are easy to grow and can be harvested in a short time. If you want to grow your own vegetables and fruit, learning how to grow cherry tomatoes is a great start. If you want to grow cherry tomatoes, you have to prepare the environment, grow it, and care for the plant.
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Part 1 of 3: Preparing for Planting
Step 1. Buy tomato seeds or seeds
You can grow cherry tomatoes from seedlings or seeds. Cherry tomatoes will grow faster if you grow them from seed than from seed. Seeds or tomato plants can be purchased at plant seed sellers or nurseries, while tomato seeds can be obtained at nurseries. Some of the cherry tomato varieties that you can choose from include:
- Sungold Plant. This type of cherry tomato grows large and can usually produce fruit more quickly. The fruit is delicious too. Some varieties of cherry tomatoes are called Sungold because the skin tends to crack (crack).
- Sun Sugar Varieties. This variety is very similar to the Sungold plant, but the bark does not break easily.
- Chadwick and Fox are real or heirloom tomato varieties that grow very fast and have a sharp taste.
- The Sweet Treat variety has a dark red color, a sweet taste, and is resistant to various diseases.
Step 2. Buy a tomato cage or wooden stake
Cherry tomato plants can grow quickly so you'll want to provide some support when the vines start to grow longer. You can use a tomato cage or stake. If you want to use a tomato cage, buy a large one at a nursery or home supply store. You should buy the largest tomato cage. Wooden stakes can also be found at nurseries or home supply stores.
- You should tie the tomato tree to the stake when the plant grows big. You don't need to bind it too much if you use cage.
- Do not use a cage made of vinyl or plastic. Both of these materials are toxic to plants and can expose them to lead exposure.
- Keep the plant stems from touching the ground so that air circulation becomes smooth and the fruit becomes healthier and cleaner.
- You can also use cage and stake at the same time. The stake should be placed in the center of the cage.
- Choose a large metal cage. This plant will grow quickly and can cover a small cage.
Step 3. Purchase planting media or plant your seeds in fertile soil
If you are growing tomatoes in pots, do not use soil taken from the garden. Soil taken from outside is at risk of containing pests or diseases that can attack plants. Instead, buy a 20 kg sack of organic growing media to use as a planting medium. If you plant it in the garden, choose a location with fertile soil.
- Fertile soil is usually darker in color and crumbles when grasped. Infertile soil will clump when grasped.
- One brand of planting media that is well-known and liked by many people is Trubus.
Step 4. Plant tomato seedlings in pots or gardens
You can grow cherry tomatoes in the garden or in containers. While growing tomatoes in pots is the more popular option, no method is better than the other. If you prefer to grow it in a pot or bucket, choose a 15 to 23 liter pot or bucket.
Pots made of plastic, foam, or fiberglass are good choices, but you can also use litter boxes or pots made of clay
Step 5. Choose a sunny location
Cherry tomatoes need lots of sun. Choose a location that can get at least 8 hours of direct sunlight a day. Tomato plants should not be shaded by other plants. If it does not get enough sunlight, these plants will wither and cannot produce good quality fruit.
Part 2 of 3: Growing Cherry Tomatoes
Step 1. Start planting when the weather is warm
Cherry tomatoes need a warm glass of glass in order to grow, and can die if exposed to frost (frost). In a country with four seasons, cherry tomatoes should be planted at least a week after the frost ends. If you grow it from seed, you will need 3 months of warm or hot weather to plant and harvest it. The ideal temperature for growing tomato seedlings is around 21 degrees Celsius.
Step 2. Make sure your pot has a drain
The pot you use should have a hole in the bottom for drainage. If not, make a to 1 cm hole around the bottom edge and a few holes in the center. You will have to do a little preparation if you want to grow tomatoes in your garden. Make sure you have chosen an area that gets a lot of sun.
If you want to place your pots indoors or on the balcony, you may need to place a pot tray underneath to prevent water from dripping onto the floor. These pot trays can be purchased at nurseries, home supply stores, and supermarkets
Step 3. Put the tomato cage in the planting pot or box
This step is only necessary if you are using a cage that is inserted into the pot. If you use stakes or grow tomatoes in your garden, you don't need to put the cage in place before the seeds or seedlings are planted. Do not put the growing media into the container before you place the cage. Instead, place the end of the cage into the pot, then insert the planting medium.
Step 4. Insert the planting medium
Pour the planting medium into the pot. Water the planting medium until it is evenly wet. Then add more planting media until it reaches 1 cm below the lip of the pot. The ground surface must be flat.
Use a cup or a planter to water the planting medium
Step 5. Make a small hole in the planting medium or soil
You should make a small hole in the center of the planting medium if you are growing tomatoes in pots. If you plant them in the garden, make holes 70 cm apart for each hole. Insert the tomato seeds into the hole. Each seed should be spaced a few centimeters apart. If you are growing tomatoes from seedlings, make the holes deep enough so that only 4 or 5 leaves are visible on the surface when the hole is covered with soil.
You only need to make a hole a few centimeters deep
Step 6. Close the hole
Use the soil from the former hole to cover the hole. The seeds should be completely covered with soil (if growing from seed), and the seedling should leave only about 4 leaves on the surface (if growing from seed). Level the soil when you are finished sealing the hole.
Step 7. Place the cage in the garden
Place the end of the cage around the area used for growing tomatoes. The seeds or seedlings must be in the center of the cage. If you are using stakes, wait for the seeds to germinate and turn into seedlings before you plug the stakes. Plug the stake with a distance of about 8 cm from the seed. Use a hammer to drive the stake into the ground.
Tomato plants can be damaged if you plug a stake or cage when the plant is large
Part 3 of 3: Caring for Plants
Step 1. Water the plant regularly
Water the cherry tomato seeds or seedlings every two or three days. The soil should be kept moist at all times. If at a certain time the soil feels dry, water the soil or planting medium until it is moist again. The soil should look saturated with water, but not submerged.
Step 2. Fertilize the plant once a week
Fertilizers provide nutrients for plants to grow and develop. Basically, fertilizer works like food. Use organic fertilizer once a week. To apply fertilizer, make a hole in the soil with your finger or a plastic fork a few inches deep. Apply fertilizer with a distance of a few centimeters from the stem of the plant.
- Some well-known organic fertilizer brands for tomato plants include Super Nasa, Ultra Gen, and Greenstar.
- Instructions for use will vary depending on the product used. Follow the directions on the package when you apply fertilizer.
- Organic fertilizers release nutrients more slowly than chemical fertilizers. Chemical fertilizers can burn plant roots, although they are often cheaper.
Step 3. Prune tomato plants if necessary
As the plant grows larger, you will need to do frequent pruning. Do pruning when shoots and branches grow from the main stem, and when the leaves look dry or wilted. Use scissors or small plant pruners.
You'll also need to reinsert any branches sticking out from between the tomato cages into place. Tomato plants can touch the ground if you don't
Step 4. Get rid of pests and diseases
Cherry tomato plants can be attacked by pests, but the most common attack is fungus. Symptoms that are seen when plants are attacked by fungi include yellow leaves, fungal spots, and black spots appear. The stems can also be affected. Remove infected leaves and immediately spray the plant with a fungicide when symptoms appear. Pests that often attack tomato plants are potato beetles and stink bugs. Kill the pests or use a natural insect spray to repel them.
- Some brands of fungicides that you can use include Victory, Promaneb, and Mitracol.
- Some brands of organic pesticides include Pestona and Pentana.
- Plants that have been infected with mold all over are unlikely to be salvageable.
- The fungus can survive in the soil for years. If you have recurring mold problems, remove the cherry tomato plant from the soil. Plant other types of plants or flowers in the area.
Step 5. Harvest cherry tomatoes once the plants are about 6 to 8 weeks old
Plants from seedlings will begin flowering in about a month. If you are growing from seed, it will take you two weeks longer. The flower will turn into a small green fruit. A few weeks later, the cherry tomatoes will be ripe and ready to be picked. Ripe tomatoes will be easy to pick from the stem. When picking tomatoes, do not pull or twist the tree. Pick your tomatoes every day.
- In areas with four seasons, the plant will continue to produce tomatoes until the first frost.
- Freshly picked tomatoes can last for a week if stored in the refrigerator. Tomatoes can also be canned or dried.
