How to Grow Cherry Tomato

Growing guide

Overview

Cherry tomatoes are fast-maturing, prolific tomatoes that produce clusters of small fruits 55–70 days after transplant. They are a top choice for beginners, containers, and small spaces because they need only full sun, moderate water, and basic support. Give them the sunniest spot you have and a sturdy cage or stake.

Soil & planting prep

Grow cherry tomatoes in loose, well-drained loamy or sandy soil with a pH around 6.0–6.8. Work 2–3 inches of compost into the bed before planting, and space plants 24–36 inches apart with rows 36–48 inches apart. Set transplants deeper than they grew in their pots, burying the stem up to the first true leaves so the buried stem forms roots.

When to plant

Start seeds indoors 6 weeks before your average last frost date. Harden off seedlings and transplant them outside only after the last frost has passed and the soil has warmed; cherry tomatoes are frost-tender and are not fall-planted. In short-growing zones, wait until nights stay reliably above 50°F before setting plants out.

How to plant

1. Start seeds indoors 6 weeks before your last frost date, sowing them about 1/4 inch deep in warm, moist seed-starting mix.
2. Harden off seedlings for 7–10 days by moving them outside during the day before transplanting.
3. Choose a site with full sun and prepare loose, well-drained soil by mixing in compost.
4. Transplant after the last frost when soil is warm, spacing plants 24–36 inches apart and burying the stem up to the first true leaves.
5. Install a stake, cage, or trellis at planting time and water the root zone moderately to settle the soil.

5 common mistakes to avoid

• Planting outside too early is a classic failure: cherry tomatoes are frost-tender, and cold soil or a late frost stunts or kills them, so wait until after the last frost and warm soil.
• Skipping support at planting time leads to broken stems and fruit on the ground, because cherry tomatoes grow fast and get heavy; add a cage or stake on day one.
• Letting soil swing from dry to soaked causes cracked fruit and blossom-end rot, so keep moisture moderate and even rather than flooding after long dry spells.
• Overfeeding with high-nitrogen fertilizer produces huge leafy plants with delayed fruit, so use a balanced or tomato-formula fertilizer and go easy early on.
• Leaving every sucker and side shoot on a closely spaced plant creates dense, humid foliage and disease, so pinch suckers and thin lower leaves to keep airflow.

Harvesting & storage

Pick cherry tomatoes when they are fully colored and separate from the stem with a gentle tug; red, yellow, and orange types show color, not size. Harvest often to keep the plant fruiting, and use slightly underripe fruit for indoor ripening if frost threatens. Store ripe cherry tomatoes at room temperature for best flavor, not in the refrigerator.

Companion planting

Basil, marigolds, onions, and carrots are common companions for cherry tomatoes. Avoid planting near fennel or potatoes: fennel can inhibit tomato growth, and potatoes share disease issues.

Growing in containers

Cherry tomatoes grow well in containers and are suited to patios or balconies with full sun. Use at least a 3-gallon pot with drainage; larger containers dry out more slowly and support a bigger plant.

Pro tips

Pinch suckers to keep plants manageable in containers. One plant can produce hundreds of fruits. Needs the sunniest spot available.