Tree tomatoes differ from ordinary tomatoes in that they are smaller in fruit size and sometimes have a sweeter or more pleasantly acidic flavour. Slightly larger than cherries, cherry tomatoes make a tasty addition to a variety of dishes, especially salads.

Cherry tomatoes can be grown not only in the summer in a greenhouse or in the open ground, but also in the cold season at home, in a room, on a heated balcony or on a windowsill. When grown indoors, cherry tomatoes can be harvested after 3 months.

Indoor cherry tomato varieties

Special varieties of indoor cherry tomatoes have been developed for indoor growing. They differ in shape, colour and flavour, but have in common a fruit weight of up to 25 g.

The general characteristics of the indoor cherry tomato are: fast growth, short stature (maximum 0.5 m), higher yields, and ripening of the fruit no later than 3 months after germination.

In the room, it is best to sow low-growing varieties to ensure that they have sufficient growing power and minimal support. Choose compact, early maturing varieties. The following varieties have done well for indoor growing:

• Minibel,

• Bonsai,

• Vilma,

• Cherry Liza F1,

• Venus,

• Siam,

• Pygmy.

Soil preparation for cherry tomatoes

You can prepare your own substrate or use a commercial vegetable substrate. For homemade substrate, it is better to take ordinary garden soil from a place where you have never grown vegetables of the potato family (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, aubergines, bell peppers, bell peppers, tobacco), mix it in equal parts with humusy soil and river sand, and supplement the mixture with wood ash (approx. 100 g per 1 kg) and very finely chopped eggshells (10-15 g per 1 kg).

Spring tomato plants are best grown in simple boxes with sides about 7 cm high. A thick plastic film can be laid in the bottom (to prevent spillage of soil and water dripping) and the prepared soil can be poured on top of it (about 5 cm) and lightly compacted. Seedling pots or plastic cups with a capacity of about 150 ml are also suitable.

Preparing cherry tomato seeds for sowing

When the soil is ready, you can start preparing the seeds. Take them out of the packet and examine them carefully: those that look small should be scratched out. Select large, well-developed, well-shaped and full-sized seeds for sowing.

It is advisable to disinfect seeds before sowing, even if you collected them yourself. To do this, dissolve potassium permanganate in water (half a teaspoon per 1 litre), place the seeds in a cheesecloth bag and soak them in the solution for about 15 to 20 minutes.

A branded fungicide solution can also be used for disinfection. Afterwards, remove, rinse with warm running water, wrap in a damp cloth and leave for 1 day to swell. If you leave the seeds for 3 to 2 days, they will germinate and can then be sown for seedlings.

Sowing cherry tomato seeds at home

Create a furrow about 1 cm deep in the soil or substrate. Sow the seeds to a depth of 0,5-1 cm, spacing the seeds approximately 1,5 cm apart and keeping the rows 5 cm apart. After sowing, moisten the soil with a spray, cover the sowing containers with cling film and take them to a dimly lit but very warm place until the seedlings have emerged.

To ensure that the seedlings germinate all at the same time and emerge as soon as possible, it is advisable to place the boxes in the warmest part of the room.

Winged tomatoes will grow best in a south-east or south-west facing window. As soon as the first seedlings appear, the film should be removed and the boxes should be moved away from the heating radiators.

The room temperature should preferably be between 18-23°C. If it is too hot, the tomatoes will flower, but there will be few seedlings. In winter, the air in the room tends to be dry, so the plants should be sprayed with water from time to time and the room should be ventilated.

Home care of cherry tomatoes

Proper care is very important when growing cherry tomatoes indoors. After all, the plants do not get enough natural light in winter and the air in a heated room can be too dry and hot. Therefore, cherry tomatoes on the windowsill in winter need supplementary light, watering, timely watering and fertilisation with organic matter.

Strongly ventilate the room more often. Cherry tomatoes like fresh air, but do not allow draughts.

Additional lighting for cherry tomato plants

Cherry tomatoes are said to need 12-14 hours of light to grow.

After germination in winter, seedlings really need supplementary light to develop fully and uniformly. For this purpose, both expensive "phyto" lamps and cheaper fluorescent lamps can be used.

If the weather is cloudy, a conventional daylight appliance can be switched on. Checking whether additional lighting is needed is easy. Switch on the light and if you see a difference between natural and artificial light, the seedlings need additional lighting.

It is advisable to provide 1 hour of supplementary lighting in the morning and evening. Once a day, turn the boxes the other way to the light - this will help the seedlings develop evenly.

Picking cherry tomatoes

Pitching is necessary to ensure that the cherry tomato seedlings grow strong and healthy with strong roots. Pitch into individual pots or cups when the seedlings have 2-3 leaves. Nurseries for the subsequent production of the seedlings must be at least 0,2 litres in capacity.

Watering cherry tomatoes

Watering about 2 times a week with warm water is sufficient. It is recommended to irrigate the soil only when it is dry.

Try not to overwater cherry tomatoes to prevent the roots from rotting. Spray the tomatoes from time to time to increase their humidity. It is a good idea to use snowmelt water warmed to room temperature.

Soil should be loosened 1-2 days after each watering. This must be done carefully so as not to damage roots close to the surface.

Fertilising Heirloom Tomatoes

About 1 week after germination, the seedlings can be fertilised. It is best to use a natural organic fertiliser such as chicken manure or cattle manure to fertilise cherry tomatoes.

If these natural substances are not readily available, then mineral complex fertilisers are almost the only option. These are applied to cherry tomatoes every 1.5-2 weeks, diluting the solutions according to the instructions.

Organic fertilisers can be prepared independently: e.g. dissolve 80 g of chicken manure in a bucket of water and 250 g of cattle manure in a bucket of water. Leave to settle for 2 days.

Then mix well and water the tomato soil. Approximately 0,5 litres of this solution per box of seedlings. This can be used every 12 to 13 days for cherry tomatoes.

Harvesting

If the tomato bush has grown tall and is unstable, it should be tied to a support. Mature plants can be tied to the support with a loop, but without closing it. A 20 cm long stick can be used as a support.

Once harvested, only fully ripe cherry tomatoes should be picked from the bushes, as unripe fruit grown at home is unpalatable and almost odourless. However, harvesting should not be delayed as ripe tomatoes will slow down the ripening of the remaining ones. The fruit should be picked singly and not in bunches.