Sprinkle them on a salad, roast them for their intense flavor, or simply pop them into your mouth like candy. Choose from a wide variety of sizes – from grape size to golf ball size, shapes – perfectly round to oblong or pear-shaped, and colors – red, green, yellow, and black. Cherry tomatoes are a wonderfully versatile fruit and an easy one to grow. Perfect for beginning gardeners, you can tuck these fruits into any garden design.
Bush or compact varieties do not require extensive supports, making them ideal for container gardens. Many bush varieties are determinate in nature, all of the fruit ripening in a short period. Climbing varieties require caging or other support, as they can grow up to ten feet. They are indeterminate in nature and continually produce throughout the season.
Container garden ideas often include cherry tomato plants. Place containers for easy accessibility to the kitchen, move them about to take advantage of the sun’s exposure or move them for shelter from early frosts. Climbing varieties can be grown in very large containers with the appropriate support. Compact or bush varieties are generally better suited for containers, however.
So Many to Choose From
- ‘Smarty’ is a full-flavored, red grape tomato on a lush, compact plant. One of a handful of compact indeterminate tomatoes, ‘Smarty’ will continually produce high yields all season.
- ‘Indigo Rose’ belongs in this handful of varieties as well. Dark purple, almost black on the top 2/3 blending to deep red on the bottom, this tomato is not only striking but also packed full of powerful anti-oxidants. The flavor is that of your classic heirloom tomato.
Soulmates On and Off the Plate
Basil is one of the best companions for tomatoes, on and off the plate. Not only will it make your meals more delicious and pair so well with the tomatoes you have grown, it does well with them when they are growing as well! Basil repels insects such as flies and horn worms which typically prey on tomatoes. Learn about how you can plant basil here.
- ‘Super Sweet 100’ is the ‘classic’ cherry tomato, known for its large clusters of sweet red fruits.
- ‘Sunrise Bumblebee’ is a sweet, tangy flavor and a colorful surprise. The fruit matures to a bright yellow with red stripes.
- ‘Reisentraube’ is a cherry tomato that is originally from Germany. Its name translates to “giant bunch of grapes,” due to the way they grow. This tomato plant is extremely prolific, and the tomatoes grow in clusters of 20-40 tomatoes.
Indeterminate or climbing varieties will require support such as tomato cages, fences, or railings. They will also provide you highest and most consistent yields, producing fruit late into the season. It is a dependable plant that provides prolific yields.
For a complete listing, consult your organic seed catalog.
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