Growing Cherry Tomatoes from Seed

Growing cherry tomatoes from seed is an economical way to put extra nutrition into your family's menu while giving you the satisfaction of producing a plant from seed.

You don't have to have a large garden to have cherry tomatoes this summer, all you need is an area large enough to hold a mature tomato plant, water, soil and the desire for growing cherry tomatoes from seed or in containers. These mouthwatering little gems add to your salads, create great snacks for the family and contain loads of nutrients.

When to Grow cherry tomatoes

Begin your indoor farming journey about 2 months before the last frost in your area by finding a container for your baby plants. This doesnot have to be large since you will eventually transplant the small tomato plants. Create furrows in potting soil that are 1/4 inch deep. You can drag the tip of a pencil to make the groove.

Drop the seeds into the grooves, 1/2 inch from each other. Make the second groove an inch away. This gives you enough room to scoop the tiny plant out for replanting once it's large enough to transplant. Water the containers and put in a warm area. The seeds need 75 to 80 degree temperatures to germinate.

After about 10 days, you will notice the small tomato plants peeking through the ground. Let them continue to grow but now put them in an area that receives bright light. Set them in a covered aquarium in the sun to give them adequate sun and warmth or use a grow bulb. You'll need to let your babies grow for another month before you transplant into their final container. Keep them warm, in the sun and make sure the soil remains moist but not wet.

Tips for Growing from Seed

The first leaves of cherry tomato plants that poke through the ground are the cotyledon leaves, not true leaves. You need to let the plants grow long enough to develop its first set of true leaves. Once these develop and the plant looks strong and healthy, it's time to transplant the cherry tomato plants to a larger container.

cherry Tomato seedlings

Soil

You can use potting soil and transplant the tomatoes to larger containers. Peat pots work well for this since you can simply put the pots in the soil for the final planting. It's still too cold to put the plants outside if your area is still subject to frost.

Diseases

You need the soil for the small plants kept moist but not wet. Make sure that you have adequate drainage for the plants or they'll damp off. This occurs if the soil is water soaked. The seedlings are thin and limp and are susceptible to all types of fungi and bacterial infection. They need adequate water but not too much and plenty of sunshine to avoid this problem.

Allow the plants about another month of growth before you transplant them to the final location outside. They should be approximately 3 inches tall and the weather should be past the point where there's a possibility of a frost.

Put the small plants in the ground 24 inches apart. Trim away the lower branches of the plant and put the plant in the soil, so you bury the trimmed area, it develops new roots and makes a stronger plant.

Watering

Growing Cherry Tomatoes from Seed requires watering the soil thoroughly once every other day, less if there is adequate rain. The soil should be dry to the touch but moist if you poke your finger into it. As the plant grows, you will need to provide some additional nutrition. A good tomato fertilizer applied every two weeks. Don't over-fertilize or you will have more foliage than tomatoes. When the plant is large enough, Put a tall stake in the pot and tie the cherry tomato plant to it for support.

You will have an abundant harvest from growing cherry tomatoes from seeds from a small packet of seeds and a little loving care. The effort is more than worth the bounty of fresh cherry tomatoes you will harvest.

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