How to Plant Homemade Organic Cherry Tomatoes All Year Round

How to Plant Homemade Organic Cherry Tomatoes All Year Round

As Ron Finley said, “growing your own food is like printing your own money— and it will be much healthier for your body and the environment, since no poisons are used to grow your food at home. That said, why not start growing cherry tomatoes?

The feeling of waking up and finding red tomatoes every morning in your own home is an incredible feeling of freedom.

I think of all the recipes I can make with it. And the best part: growing cherry tomatoes is easy in your house or apartment.

Tips for Growing Organic Homemade Cherry Tomatoes

Contents

How to plant cherry tomatoes.

Cherry tomatoes are fairly quick and easy to grow, even if you’re new to them. They need fewer days to ripen than normal tomatoes. This is a great advantage if you live in a cold climate with a short growing season or if temperatures in your area warm too quickly for fruit to set during the summer.

When to plant cherry tomatoes

Plant cherry tomatoes in the spring, after the threat of frost has passed.

Seeds can also be planted indoors about four weeks before the expected frost date in your area, then planted outdoors when the seedlings are at least 6 inches tall.

Planting site selection

Choose a sunny location with good soil drainage for your tomatoes.

Make sure there are no nearby plants that shade the tomatoes too much once the plants are grown and defoliated in the spring.

Growing in containers is also an option.

Also, practice crop rotation, which prevents the spread of disease and prevents excessive depletion of soil nutrients.

Don’t plant tomatoes in the same spot where other members of the nightshade family (for example, potatoes, eggplants, and peppers) were grown the previous year.

Space, depth and support.

Space the cherry tomatoes at least a few feet apart to allow them to spread out and ensure good air circulation.

Cover the seeds with about 1/2 inch of soil and place the nursery plants at the same depth they grew in their previous pot.

Most varieties of cherry tomatoes are indeterminate, meaning they continue to grow their vines and produce fruit throughout the season. To control them, it is necessary to provide a support structure for the vines, such as a tomato cage.

Light

To grow cherry tomatoes successfully, sufficient sunlight is essential. They need full direct sun for at least six to eight hours a day.

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Soil for tomatoes should be slightly acidic, well-drained, rich and loamy. Do a soil test to determine your soil’s nutrient level and pH. If your garden soil is heavy and poorly drained, you may be better off growing tomatoes in raised beds or containers.

Irrigation.

Tomatoes should be watered deeply and regularly. At no time should you let the soil dry out.

During the fruit development period, keeping the soil evenly moist helps prevent blossom rot.

On the other hand, overwatering can cause tomatoes to split. Drip irrigation is preferred, as overhead watering can cause the spread of tomato diseases such as blight.

temperature and humidity.

Tomatoes are very sensitive to cold. Be sure to harden off seedlings started indoors by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions before planting them out in the garden.

Moisture is generally not a problem for tomatoes. But one factor to keep in mind is that wet weather can make foliage stay wet longer. This can create a climate conducive to fungal and other disease problems, especially if there isn’t good air circulation around the plants.

Fertilizer.

Use a tomato-specific fertilizer when planting. Adding compost when planting can also help boost tomatoes. Then continue to fertilize throughout the season, following label instructions.

Pollination.

Tomato plants are self-pollinating and attract bees and other pollinators to the garden.

Harvest of cherry tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes are usually ready to harvest 50 to 65 days after planting.

You’ll know they’re done when their color changes from green to red, orange, purple, or yellow (depending on the variety) and they easily detach from their stem.

Once a few begin to ripen, continue to check the plant at least every other day for harvestable tomatoes. If left on the plant for too long, they will crack or fall off the stem.

Heavy rains can encourage cherry tomatoes to crack on the vine, so pick ripe tomatoes before it rains. Or, if that’s not possible, pick them right after it rains, as the crushed tomatoes will rot quickly.

Tomatoes can be eaten fresh or cooked. It is best to store them at room temperature and consume them within a few days. They can also be canned, oven-dried, or frozen in various forms, such as tomato paste or sauce.

Cut

Not all gardeners prune their tomatoes, and it certainly isn’t essential.

But it can help plants produce more fruit than foliage. Pruning simply involves removing the suckers, or small stems, that grow from the main stem. These suckers tend to produce foliage but not much fruit, so without them the plant will be able to focus its growth energy on the fruiting stalks.

Also prune stems that are lying on the ground, as they are susceptible to disease and pests.

Tips for growing cherry tomatoes

Here are 9 practical tips for growing cherry tomatoes all year round:

  • It all starts with the choice of where will you plant your tomatoes. Choose a place where there is plenty of light. If you have to choose between morning or afternoon sun, choose where we have morning sun.
  • Yes, you can start growing tomatoes from seeds only, to make a seed: put each seed on a cotton ball/paper towel and keep it moist every day, with indirect light, until it grows. begins to germinate. It is important to remember that the best place for small seedlings is indirect light, it is only when we are going to plant them that we will put them in contact with the sun.
  • We prepare the ground. Use an agitator (potting) or a hoe (if you choose garden) to work the soil, this will facilitate its rooting.
  • In a bowl, place two fingers of soil, remembering that the bowl must have holes or a mechanism for draining excess water, otherwise mold may appear. In the case of planting in a garden or orchard, make a hole and place the germinated seed.
  • After placing the seedlings in their place, cover the rest of the hole with a little more soil and, if possible, a little potting soil to cover the entire surface. If you have eggs, mash them until they almost become flour and sprinkle this powder on the surface. If you have ground coffee, you can also place it on the surface to give the plants more strength.
  • Check if the soil is wet or dry before watering, as too much water is also bad for cherry tomatoes. The best time to water is at dawn or at night, because the tomato can have water without it evaporating under the heat of the sun.
  • You should not overwet the leaves or splash, as fungus may appear. You have to water directly on the ground!
  • When the tomato plants begin to grow, the plant must be staked, we put a wooden stake, a broom or something that can be used to fix the main stem (with a rope, wire or any other material that does not hurt not the plant). This makes them grow in an orderly and vertical fashion.
  • Also, some branches will need to be pruned if you want the plant to grow vertically. As the plant matures, yellowish leaves begin to appear. Delete them. Then, wait about 65 – 70 days, to have your cherry tomatoes and enjoy them!

How to grow cherry tomatoes in pots

Growing tomatoes in containers is helpful in preventing pests and diseases from reaching your plants, and you can keep your plants in a convenient location for harvesting.

There are a few varieties of small cherry tomatoes bred specifically for container growing, so choose one if possible.

A large pot is essential. Choose one that measures at least 30 cm in height and width. A large bucket will work well as long as several drainage holes are drilled in the bottom. Place the container near a trellis or other support structure. And be very careful with your watering schedule, as flower pots can dry out faster than garden soil.

Propagation of Cherry Tomato Plants

Most people grow tomatoes from seed or nursery stock, but it’s also possible to propagate them from cuttings.

Growing cherry tomatoes from cuttings.

It’s a great way to clone a tomato plant that you love, perhaps because of its vigorous production or because of its flavor. The best time to do this is late spring, when the parent plant is actively growing. The process is as follows:

  • Find a shoot that comes off the main stem with no buds or flowers, and cut off a 6-8 inch portion.
  • Remove the leaves from the lower half of the cutting.
  • Plant the cutting in a small container with moistened potting soil. Place the container in a place exposed to direct sunlight.
  • Keep the growing medium moist but not soggy. Roots should develop within a week or two. If you feel resistance when you gently tug on the cutting, you know it’s rooted. Then it can be transplanted into the garden.

Growing cherry tomatoes from seeds.

It is quite easy to grow cherry tomatoes from seed. But unless you want to grow a lot of cherry tomatoes of the same variety, or want to grow more unusual varieties that are only available from seed companies, buying healthy tomato plants from your local nursery may be the way to go. most practical solution.

Sow seeds 1/4 deep in a container filled with seed mix. Place the container in a warm place with bright, indirect light. And keep the growing medium constantly moist but not wet. Germination usually takes five to ten days. Seedlings can be hardened off and transplanted outdoors when nighttime temperatures are very cool.

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