The lack of a summer cottage is not a reason to give up the pleasure of planting vegetable crops, caring for them and harvesting. They can be grown at home, without tiring trips to the country. For example, there are varieties of small-fruited tomatoes for cultivation in an apartment or on a balcony.
Cherry tomatoes on the windowsill will bear delicious fruits and also decorate the house. They can be grown at any time of the year, so they are also suitable for those gardeners who miss their beds in winter.
History of cherry tomatoes
A new variety of tomatoes was ordered by Israeli breeders in the early 70s of the XX century. The main goal of the scientists was to obtain a new variety of vegetables that are resistant to weather changes. Also, miniature vegetables played a role in cooking. Small tomatoes were supposed to become the hallmark of the national dishes of the countries of the Mediterranean region. Scientists coped with the task, as a result, the world received a unique variety of tomatoes of red, orange, yellow and even black shades.
Interesting! The name stuck with a new variety of tomatoes due to the similarity with large cherries.
Undersized
For small greenhouses, you can also find successful and productive tomatoes. Determinant cherry varieties are suitable for low greenhouses and greenhouses.
Arctic
Low-growing variety of superearly ripening. The bushes are about 40 cm high. Unpretentious in care, pinching is not required. Fruits are small, up to 15 g. Ripe tomatoes have a raspberry-red color.
The video tells about this variety of cherry tomatoes:
ladybug
The bushes reach a height of 30-50 cm. The high-yielding early ripening variety ripens in 80 days. Unpretentious in care, tying is not required. For 1 sq.m. 6-7 bushes can be placed. Disease-resistant, does not require chemical treatment.
Key features
Vegetables are grown in different ways. Cherry tomatoes grow and bear fruit equally well in open or closed ground, greenhouses and at home. Breeders have developed special varieties of vegetable crops for hanging pots and flowerpots.
- Depending on the varietal variety, vegetable bushes grow from 30 centimeters to 3 meters.
- The shape of the bush can be straight, creeping or vines.
- In the growing season, inflorescences appear on the plants in the form of small clusters, blooming with small yellowish flowers.
- After flowering, ovaries form in the bunches.
- All cherry hybrids have the ability to self-pollinate.
- After harvesting, the harvested seeds can be stored for up to 7–8 years.
- The size of the fruit depends on the varietal variety of the crop. The smallest fruits reach a weight of 5 grams, the largest vegetables grow up to 50 grams.
- The composition and taste of the fruit are also different from the usual varieties of tomatoes. The flesh of miniature vegetables is sweeter and more tender than that of their large-fruited relatives.
- The ripening time of vegetables also depends on the varietal variety. On average, it takes about 3 months from the moment of planting the seeds to the full ripening of the fruits.
Important! After sowing quality seeds, the first shoots appear on the 5-6th day.
Care secrets
Watering
The drying out of the soil is not to the liking of Cherry - the tomatoes immediately crack. Excess water gives rise to wateriness, freshness and bursting of fruits, as well as diseases of the bushes.The soil is irrigated in the evening. Watering is combined with loosening, 5 liters of liquid per bush.
Top dressing
Cherry blossom tomato
During the growing season cherry tomatoes fed three times:
- 10 days after planting, feed with a liquid mullein in a ratio of 1:10, add superphosphate (20 g) per 10 liters of liquid. A liter jar of the mixture is poured under the root.
- The next feeding is carried out after 2 weeks. Under the plantations, 10 g of saltpeter, 25 g of superphosphate, 15 g of potassium salt are fertilized per 1 m2 of area. The site is loosened, the soil is intensively watered.
Interesting. In addition, foliar feeding of Cherry with complex fertilizers is carried out, if necessary.
Formation of a tomato bush
For most plants, this is one of the conditions for generous fruiting. In the garden, tomatoes are grown in 1 stem, side shoots are periodically removed.
Harvest
Cherry is harvested at the stage of biological ripeness. When ripe at home, tomatoes lose their taste. Before the cold snap, just right to dig up a couple of crops with unripe tomatoes and plant them in containers, place them on the window to prolong the fruiting at home.
Harvesting Cherry
Advantages and disadvantages
In order to avoid mistakes in cultivation, before planting cherry tomatoes, it is necessary to find out all the positive and negative characteristics of the variety.
Benefits:
- Hybrid varieties of crops are highly resistant to weather conditions. Cherry bushes are capable of bearing fruit before the onset of frost. If grown in greenhouses, harvesting is stopped at the end of December.
- Plants are not picky about planting and growing conditions.
- Due to the dense skin, ripe fruits are stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
- The ability to transport ripe vegetables to remote regions.
- The universal purpose of ripe fruits. Cherry tomatoes are recommended to be consumed both fresh and processed.
The main disadvantage of cherry tomatoes is the mandatory presence of supporting structures for the bushes. Also, when ripe, vegetables tend to fall off and crack.
Important! Cherry tomatoes have acquired natural immunity to many fungal and viral infections. But diseases and pests characteristic of the nightshade family can harm plants and crops.
Growing up at home
The technology is similar to cultivation in unprotected soil and a greenhouse. The difference lies in the use of containers - pots up to 20 liters. When growing Cherry tomatoes indoors, follow the rules:
- They focus on low-growing varieties, the height of which is 40 cm.
- When growing in a pot, one culture is left in the apartment for normal growth.
- Tomato bushes are systematically watered and loosened. In the flowering phase, ovary pollination is required.
- They are fed with complex fertilizers every 14-20 days.
- Bushes do not stepchildren. However, with excessive branching of tomatoes, unnecessary branches are cut off.
Important! If cherry tomatoes are properly looked after, they get a decent harvest.
Benefit and harm
Cherry contains a huge amount of vitamins and substances useful for the human body.
See also the Description, characteristics and cultivation of the tomato variety Drochelok
Vegetables are useful primarily for those who care about a healthy diet and want to lose weight. Indeed, 100 grams of fresh vegetables contains only 15 kilocalories.
Expert opinion
Stanislav Pavlovich
Gardener with 17 years of experience and our expert
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Due to the high sugar content in the pulp, it is not recommended to abuse cherry tomatoes for people with diabetes. Also, cherry is carefully included in the diet for allergic diseases and individual food intolerance.
Harvesting
Experts advise harvesting cherry tomatoes only when the fruits are fully ripe. Already in mid-June, with proper care, the first ripe berries will appear.
Ripe cherry tomatoes
Attention! Timely collection is the key to a delicious harvest. If the tomato is not ripe, it will be sour, and if you miss the moment of good ripeness, then the tomatoes will fall off.
Every amateur or specialist in tomato cultivation must allocate a small area for this variety of tomatoes. The process of growing cherry is not only exciting - the taste will also delight even the most sophisticated person.
Ripening classification
In order to choose the right cherry variety for a certain climatic zone, you need to know the ripening dates of the fruits.
Early ripe
Early varieties of vegetables ripen in 75–95 days. After sowing, shoots appear within a week. Suitable for cultivation in regions with a short summer period.
Mid-season
Medium-ripening vegetables are harvested 2.5–3 months after the start of active growth. Such tomatoes are recommended to be cultivated in temperate climates. For regions with short summers, greenhouse growing of vegetables is suitable.
Late ripening
Late-ripening vegetables fully ripen 4 months after planting the seeds. Such varieties are cultivated in southern climates or equipped greenhouse complexes.
Cherry tomato varieties
Thanks to the painstaking work of breeders, more than 100 varietal varieties of cherry tomatoes have been bred, differing in description and characteristics.
Determinant varieties
Low-growing bushes are planted in greenhouse complexes, home and greenhouse conditions. Although the bushes are miniature, they require additional support due to the thin stems.
Garden pearl
Matures in 3 months. Ripe vegetables weighing up to 15 grams, pink shades with excellent taste characteristics. With proper care, up to 8 kilograms of vegetables are harvested from the plant.
Cranberries in sugar
A young variety of vegetable culture, developed by Russian scientists in 2012. The first harvest of vegetables is harvested 1.5–2 months after the sprouts appear. The taste of vegetables is sweetish-sour, which is what gave the name to the hybrid. At the stage of maturity, vegetables acquire a bright red hue. The maximum weight of tomatoes reaches 20 grams.
Granddaughter
Tomatoes ripen on 80 days, at the stage of maturity they acquire a red tint. The average weight of vegetables is up to 25 grams, some specimens grow up to 50 grams. Due to its excellent chemical composition, the variety is recommended for baby and diet food.
Basket in the window
Vegetables ripen on 85–90 days of active growth. Due to the miniature bushes that grow up to 35-40 centimeters, the variety is often grown in houses and apartments. Ripe vegetables, weighing up to 20 grams, acquire a bright red hue.
Indigo Cherry Drops
New cherry hybrid with red-black, sweet cherry tomatoes. The maturation period is up to 3.5 months.
Indeterminate varieties
Tall plants reach a height of more than 2.5–3 meters, therefore, they need to be fixed on supporting structures. Tomatoes are recommended for cultivation in greenhouse conditions or in the open field.
Kira F1
Cherry tomatoes of a sunny shade ripen on 110 days. Bushes grow in the form of vines, can reach 3 meters. The yield of the variety depends on the size of the bush. In each cluster-shaped inflorescence, up to 20 fruits, weighing from 20 to 30 grams, ripen.
Cherry pink
Bushes grow up to 2-meter mark with grape-like clusters.
Ripening of tomatoes begins on the 100th day of active growth. Fruits of a red hue with a pleasant, sweetish taste and characteristic aroma.
Black Cherry
A hybrid of American selection with a ripening period of 3.5 months.Ripe vegetables turn black on the skin, but the flesh remains dark cherry in color.
Sweet Pia
A wild variety of Mexican tomatoes. Today it is domesticated. Harvesting begins after 2.5 months of active growth. Ripe fruits weighing 5 to 10 grams acquire a bright red hue and a sweetish taste.
Bourgeois prince
The crop is harvested in 3.5-4 months. Ripe vegetables of a red hue, elongated shape, weighing up to 20 grams with a rich sweetish taste.
Grozdyevye Ildi F1
A hybrid variety with bright yellow fruits weighing up to 30 grams.
Orange grapes
Differs in high yield rates. Each vegetative brush contains over 100 small, orange-colored vegetables.
Outdoor cherry tomatoes
For growing cherry tomatoes in the open field, experts recommend the varieties presented below.
See also Description and characteristics of tomato Sanka
Bead
Cherry hybrid with ripening periods from 80 to 95 days. Ripe vegetables reach a mass of 10 to 15 grams, a golden hue.
Cherry red
Harvesting is carried out in 3–3.5 months. At the stage of maturity, fruits weighing up to 35 grams acquire a red tint.
Honey drop
A yellow variety of cherry tomato with pear-shaped fruits weighing up to 15 grams. The crop is harvested after 3.5 months of active growing season.
White currant
Full ripening of vegetables occurs 3.5 months after the appearance of the first shoots. Fruits ripen, weighing up to 20 grams, of a soft cream shade.
Cherry cocktail
Ripe fruits take on a bright red and orange hue. Harvesting begins 3 months after the first shoots appear.
Royal cherry
Fruit ripeness occurs 80–85 days after sowing the seeds. Ripe vegetables weighing up to 25 grams acquire a dark cherry hue.
The best varieties of cherry tomatoes for balconies and rooms
Thanks to the many years of work of scientists, varieties of cherry tomatoes have appeared for growing at home and on balconies.
For pots
In pots, low-growing varieties of vegetables are grown that can bear fruit until mid-winter.
Baby
The bushes are stretched to a maximum mark of 25 centimeters. At the stage of ripeness, fruits weighing up to 20 grams acquire a bright red color.
Golden bunch
A low-growing hybrid with a harvest time of 90 days after seed germination. When ripe, vegetables become golden in color, weighing up to 25 grams.
Pinocchio
The bushes are undersized, up to 35 centimeters high, at the stage of ripening they are covered with bright red fruits weighing up to 30 grams.
Rowan beads
The maximum plant height is up to 60 centimeters. Tomatoes ripen 3 months after sowing the seeds. Ripe fruits weighing up to 20 grams, bright red with a sweetish taste.
Bonsai F1
Hybrid form for growing at home and indoors. Harvesting is carried out after 3 months of active growth. Ripe tomatoes weighing up to 30 grams acquire a bright red hue and excellent taste characteristics.
For hanging planters
Cherry tomatoes grown in hanging pots are not only a storehouse of healthy vegetables, but also an excellent decor item.
Cherry Fingers F1
The hybrid form grows up to 70-75 centimeters. Ripening occurs in 3.5 months from the day of the first shoots. Fruits are elongated, cylindrical in shape, weighing from 12 to 20 grams, bright red shades.
Ampel Cherry Falls F1
It takes a little more than 3 months for full maturation. The main bush grows up to 15 centimeters, and the hanging lashes reach 1 meter mark. Fruits are round in shape, weighing 15-25 grams, red shades.
Sweet peas
The smallest tomatoes with fruits weighing from 5 to 10 grams. Harvesting begins 2.5 months after planting.
Garden pearl
Pink tomatoes weighing 15–20 grams ripen 3 months after sowing the seeds.
Cherry varieties for greenhouses
In northern regions and in temperate climates, cherry tomatoes are easiest to grow in greenhouse conditions.
Madeira F1
The hybrid form of tomato is unpretentious in cultivation and care. Maturation occurs in 3 months. On the bushes, fruits ripen, weighing up to 20 grams, of a bright red hue.
F1 Citizen
Harvesting is carried out as early as 100 days after sowing the seeds. Ripe fruits of the correct rounded shape, weighing up to 30 grams, a bright red hue.
Kira F1
A tall hybrid tomato ripens 3 months after seed germination. Fruits of golden color, weighing up to 30 grams, with excellent taste characteristics.
Greenfinch F1
The hybrid is distinguished by its original, greenish-yellowish color. If vegetables are left on a branch after ripening, they will take on a standard red color.
The sweetest tomatoes
According to gardeners and farmers, the most delicious and sweet cherry tomatoes grow from the early-ripening variety Slastena-Nastya. The honey drop does not lag behind in taste characteristics.
Harvest varieties
But the most productive are dwarf cherry tomatoes.
Tall
Various cherry seeds are available for sale - both miniature and giants. The choice depends on the preferences of the customer. In most cases, the height will require support in the form of a support to tie the bush.
Greenfinch
The variety belongs to the mid-season variety, focused on growing in greenhouse conditions. "Cherries" are round, small, yellowish-green in color, with a dense skin and delicate taste of the pulp.
Gold bead F1
Domestic natural product, tall bushes with small, orange-yellow fruits. Sweet variety; the taste does not spoil the presence of a dense rind.
Marishka F1
Early ripe cherries bred by Russian breeders. The shape of the fruit is round, medium, the color of the peel is soft pink. Hardy, not afraid of diseases.
Cherry pink
Full compliance with the name of the variety: small, neat "cherries" grow on cuttings, are of medium size and have a harmonious, sweetish-sour taste.
Grozdyevye Ildi
These cherries are from afar, they were invented and bred by foreign botanists. The yellow spherical berries are distinguished by the density of the ovary (up to 100 pieces per cluster) and the piquant, spicy taste of the pulp.
