Cherry tomatoes are a miniature variety of tomatoes, distinguished by good yield and excellent fruit flavor.
Compact bushes can be placed in a greenhouse or greenhouse, but it is possible to grow them in pots placed on the windowsill, loggia or veranda.
In more detail, with tips, recommendations, possible subtleties and nuances, read further in the article.
Small but fruitful: the benefits of cherry tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes got their unusual name not only for their appearance, but also for their taste. The fruits of this variety are very fragrant, slightly sweetish, with light fruity notes.
Among the advantages of cherry:
- Excellent yield. At home, up to 20 fruits form on each branch of the bush. They all ripen at the same time, so they are often harvested by whole branches. Up to 1.5 kg of small-fruited tomatoes can be picked from a bush per season..
- Long fruiting period. In the open field, tomatoes bear fruit all summer. The development of the ovaries is inhibited when the temperature drops to 8 degrees. At home, tomatoes can be harvested until deep autumn and even winter, then a period of rest begins for the plants.
- Self-pollination. Tomatoes do not need insects to carry pollen. Sometimes gardeners themselves intervene in the pollination process, shaking the pot or the wires through the inflorescences with a cotton swab to stimulate the earliest formation of ovaries.
- Variety of varieties. Breeders brought dozens of varieties of cherry tomatoes, differing in size, color, flavor nuances of the fruit.
Cherry tomatoes can be bright red, yellow, orange, green, pink, cherry-brown. Compact and fruitful varieties Thumbelina, Cherry, Cherry Lisa, Bonsai, Minibel, Balcony gold, Balcony red, Date, Bead are suitable for growing at home. There are also ampel varieties that are conveniently planted in hanging baskets.
Options for home growing
How to grow cherry tomatoes at home? They can be grown in a greenhouse or open field. Very impressive look tall specimens that are attached to the trellis. Such bushes reach 2.5 m in height.
More compact bushes with a height of 1-1.5 m are often placed in tubs or pots. Such tomatoes successfully grow on verandas, loggias, balconies. Some vegetable growers use tin buckets as a container for tomatoes. It is noted that tomatoes planted in such unusual vessels practically do not suffer from blight, develop well and give a bountiful harvest. At home, cherry tomatoes are placed in high pots. An ideal place for cultivation is the window sill of a sunny window, a glazed loggia or a balcony.
A photo
You can visually see cherry tomatoes at home in the photo below:
How to plant seedlings yourself?
To properly plant and grow Cherry tomatoes at home, you need to know a few simple tips, which we will discuss below. Miniature tomatoes can be grown seeds, sowing them on seedlings, as well as rooting stepchildren. Beginners should try both ways, and then dwell on the one that seems most appropriate. Usually, the sowing of seeds begins in March, in this case the fruiting period of tomatoes will last until December. First you need to sort out the seeds, throwing empty and ugly.
To accelerate germination, seed is soaked in a growth stimulator for 12 hoursthen washed with clean water and wrapped in wet gauze to swell. Ready-mix soils are not suitable for cultivation, they are very poor in composition and will not ensure the normal development of seedlings. The ideal soil consists of a mixture of garden soil, rotted humus, peat and washed sand.
Calcination or spilling with an aqueous solution of copper sulphate will help to disinfect the soil. For greater nutritional value, ash or complex mineral fertilizers are applied to the soil.. It is worth adding shredded charcoal. Soil mixture is thoroughly mixed and loosened. Prepared seeds are sown in containers and sprinkled with a layer of soil with a thickness of 8-10 mm. The soil surface is sprayed with water from a spray bottle, you can spill it with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Containers are closed with film or glass and put in a warm and dark place. After the emergence of seedlings capacity expose to light.
After the appearance of the second sheet of seedlings dive. When diving, it is recommended to gently pinch the root tip to stimulate the development of the root system. Then the surface of the soil is spilled with a warm solution of potassium permanganate and sprinkled with calcined sand. Seedlings need to harden, periodically removing the film from the surface of the container. The temperature in the room should not fall below 22 degrees during the day and 18 at night. The ideal day light for tomatoes lasts up to 16 hours, with the onset of dusk planting will have to highlight the lamps.
You can grow seedlings without picks. To do this, swollen seeds are planted in filled with soil in cups, 2 pieces in one container. After germination and formation of 3 true leaves, the weaker sprout is removed. Soil is poured into the cups as the seedling grows and develops. Propagating tomatoes stepchildren much easier. Shoots, separated from the adult bush, rooted in a container of water. After a week, seedlings can be moved to the pots. Thus, it is convenient to propagate the plants of the variety you like, as well as quickly replace the old bushes.
Home care for tomatoes
Young plants are planted in tall cylindrical containers with a volume of at least 5 liters. In close and small pots to achieve a good harvest will not work. The bottom layer is laid drainage. Tomatoes do not tolerate stagnant water in the soil, with constant pouring, they can stop growing. Tanks are placed in pallets and placed in a well-lit place. Ideal - windows or loggias facing south, southeast or southwest.
Small ampelous varieties are planted in deep hanging baskets, the bottom of which is also filled with a drainage layer. Reduce the frequency of irrigation and maintain soil moisture will help portion of the hydrogel, placed in each container. It is important that the selected basket does not have sharp edges. Overflowing stems may break. Amputee tomatoes are suspended in a well-lit place, protected from wind gusts.
And what needs to be done to grow the cherry at home on the windowsill in the winter? In the cold season over the tomato plantation will have to equip the backlight. With a lack of lighting, the stems turn pale and stretch out, flowering stops and the formation of ovaries. The temperature in the room should not exceed 28 degrees and fall below 18. If the plants live on an open balcony or veranda, with the onset of the first night frost they need to be moved to the room. Tomatoes, placed on the windowsill, like frequent airing and periodic spraying with warm water. In the heat of the window is better to keep open.
Tomatoes like moderate humidity without water and dry soil. Soft water at room temperature is used for irrigation. Watering the plant under the root is not recommended; it is advisable to use a watering can to moisten the soil. Irrigation mode depends on the weather. In dry and sunny it is worth watering the bushes twice a week, in cloudy weather the intensity of watering is halved.
Miniature tomatoes are very sensitive to the nutritional value of the soil. It is not recommended to overfeed bushes with nitrogen-containing fertilizers. They stimulate the growth of green mass to the detriment of the ovaries. Ideal fertilizers for tomatoes are superphosphate, ash and rotted humus. In the period of flowering and fruiting, fertilizing is carried out every 2 weeks simultaneously with watering. In greenhouse conditions, cherry tomatoes can be fertilized with diluted mullein or chicken manure.
So we learned: Is it possible to grow cherry tomatoes on the windowsill and how to do it? By applying these simple tips, you can enjoy real homemade cherry tomatoes.
When grown on a balcony, cherry tomatoes may be affected by pests.. Periodic spraying and frequent airing of the premises will save from aphids and spider mites. In severe cases, the bushes can be sprayed with insecticides suitable for fruit-bearing plants, but you should not abuse chemicals. From late blight help medosoderzhaschie drugs.
Grown bushes need support. Heavy branches tied to strong metal or plastic pegs, ampelous species can be attached to the trellis or leave to fall free. An important point - the formation of the bush. In garden tomatoes of large-fruited varieties, side shoots of stepchildren are usually removed so that the plant does not expend strength on the formation of additional green mass. At home, part of stepchildren should be left.
They give the bush a beautiful shape, moreover, ovaries also form on the lateral processes and fruits are formed. It is worth remembering that beautiful rounded bushes differ slightly lower yields, but they look more decorative.
