Jenn Gerlach

It is easy to grow cherry tomatoes, and they produce prolifically. Many different types of these small, colorful fruits let you create new colors and flavors for your summer salad. Growing your own cheery tomatoes is a great way to save money. Choosing an indeterminate verity will help keep your supply going all season long. How to grow cherry tomatoes In your garden, you can easily grow cherry tomatoes. You can transplant your seedlings to the garden once the danger of the last frost has passed, the soil has warmed up to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and the nights are between 50 and 55 degrees. This will help keep your tomatoes warm enough to grow well. To grow tomatoes successfully, make sure they are planted in full sun. Therefore, you should not shade your plants while they are in full sun during the day if you want them to be as warm as possible. If you live in a southern state with very hot temperatures you may want to have a shade cloth set up for heatwaves. For tomatoes to thrive, it is important to deep water them twice per week at a minimum. It is vital to keep your tomatoes moist so they can absorb nutrients and produce fruit. For tomatoes to thrive, the soil must be nutrient-rich and mildly acidic. During the growing season, till the compost to a depth of 12 inches before planting to build the best soil for your garden, so that nutrients can reach your tomato's roots. The best results come from fertilizing your tomatoes with a tomato fertilizer monthly. Tomatoes will grow well during the summer heat, but they may not ripen until temperatures drop below 70 degrees at night in a heatwave. During the first frost, tomatoes can be harvested from vines and placed in a sunny window to ripen. Make sure you check your tomatoes regularly for pests. Tomato plants have a serious hornworm problem. Plants can be destroyed by these pests if they are not treated right away. Pick them off and kill them is the best method for getting rid of them. You can feed these to chickens if you have any. How to start cherry tomatoes from seed Getting cheery tomatoes to grow from seed is easy. You should start your cherry tomatoes inside about 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost is expected. This will give your cherry tomatoes a kick start so that you can harvest them sooner. It is possible to start your cherry tomato seeds in a larger pot (8-12 inches) 8-10 weeks before the last frost if you have a grow light. Seed starters contain 2-3 seeds per starter. Start your seedlings indoors by placing them in the starter. Sprinkle clean water on the soil and lightly cover it with the soil to moisten. Ensure that your seedlings are kept at a temperature of 70 degrees to promote germination and growth. While you wait for the weather to warm up outside, a seed starter heating pad is a great way to ensure your seedlings grow and thrive. How to encourage a larger harvest of cherry tomatoes Want to spend more time with cherry tomatoes? You can increase the yield of your cherry tomatoes by doing several things. If you are choosing a variety, choose one that is noted for being a large producer, such as Everglades or gold rush cherry tomatoes. It is important to choose a variety that will give you more tomatoes from one cherry tomato plant as opposed to some other variety. Increasing your tomato yield by planting multiple tomato plants together is an excellent way to increase your output. The planting of four tomatoes in a 4-by-4-foot space and burying a bucket with holes in the middle allows you to water your tomatoes easily and increase your tomato yield. The bucket should be buried in your garden, leaving a little space over the soil for filling the bucket. When your climate is overly hot, this may be an effective way to prevent your tomatoes from dying. Partner with green methods to plant your tomatoes. Place trellis along the north side of the tomato patch in order to accomplish this. The green beans naturally fix nitrogen and will be able to provide your tomatoes with nitrogen, while the trellis leaves will reflect the sun back onto the plants and provide your sun-loving tomatoes with warmth. You may need acidic soil to help tomatoes absorb nutrients, but you also need a large amount of calcium to prevent blossom end rot and to boost production. Adding lime, crushed eggs shells, or powdered milk to your tomato patch is a great way to help increase production and grow stronger stems to support your plants While tomatoes are self-pollinating, pollinators are still needed during this process regardless of whether the wind blows. You will attract both pollinators and pests to your garden when you plant tomatoes with flowering plants like marigolds.