Growing Cherry Tomatoes Outdoors

Before working their way into almost every type of cuisine, tomatoes were originally found only in South America. Today, there are over 10,000 cultivated varieties!

Best Cherry Tomato Varieties to Grow Outdoors

There are over 10,000 varieties of tomatoes, making it hard to recommend just a few! We’ve screened the most popular container varieties for flavor, compactness, and suitability for indoor or outdoor growing.

The big decision is between growing a vine or a bush variety. While they might not seem that different on the surface, there are surprisingly big implications!

Cherry Tomato Bush Types - Easier, Faster, and Lower Maintenance

These are also called “determinates” because they grow to a predetermined size. Once they reach this size, they produce lots of fruit at once and then start to decline. The benefit is that they don’t need pruning or trellising and are naturally tidier in small grow spaces. The downside is that they are shorter-lived and generally produce only one good crop.

Cherry Tomato Vine Types – Longer-Lived with Continual Harvests

These will keep on growing—and producing tomatoes—as long as conditions are good, hence they are called “indeterminate.” As vines, they need support and regular pruning to stay contained, but we love how tomato production is spread out and lasts for years. Keep in mind that these do best with a bit of space and will gladly take over an entire window.

Best Setup for Growing Cherry Tomatoes

To grow cherry tomatoes outdoors, you’ll need:

Planter for Tomato Plants:

A ceramic self-watering planter (preferred) or a pot that is at least 8" / 1 gal is the perfect planter for tomato plants.

Soil:

Standard Potting Mix

Plant Food:

At the start: Herb Blend. This should be high in nitrogen (with NPK numbers like 10-5-5).

Ongoing: Vegetable Blend. This should be high in phosphorus and low in nitrogen (with NPK numbers like 4-10-6).

Grow Light:

A strong grow light that can provide the equivalent of 7+ hours of direct sun [DLI of 21+ mol/m²/day].

Jump to: Our product recommendations

Growing Cherry Tomatoes in a Pot: Preparing Your Planter & Watering Schedule

Cherry tomato plants do well in moist soil conditions. If the soil dries out completely, the roots will die back, making it tough for the plant to recover. On the other hand, if the roots are exposed to standing water for too long, they can rot.

A ceramic self-watering planter filled with a standard potting mix self-regulates to keep the soil at consistent moisture levels for your plant to thrive (and no watering guesswork for you).

To set one up:

1. Fill up the planter with dry soil from the bag, gently tamping down the top.
2. Dump the soil into a large mixing bowl and add water until the soil is moist but not sopping wet (about ½ cup).
3. Mix in 1 tablespoon of Herb Blend Plant Food.

If you are using a regular pot instead, it should be a little bit bigger (at least 8″ / 1 gal) and will need drainage holes to prevent overwatering. Let the top of the soil dry out between watering.

How to Grow Cherry Tomatoes: Seeds, Seedlings, Cuttings, and Nursery Plants

New tomato plants can be started from seed, propagated from an established plant, or purchased live at many garden centers. We prefer to sprout from seed or propagate from a stem cutting, as it results in plants that are adapted to your growing conditions and limits the chances of bringing home pests.

How to Plant Cherry Tomato Seeds

Cherry tomatoes grow quickly from seeds. Plant 1 site in an 8″ / 1 gal container. In larger containers, space sites 8″ apart. For each site, plant 3 seeds 1/4 inches deep. Keep the soil warm (65-90°F, ideally 85°F). Sprouts typically appear in 10 days but can be as quick as 7 days or as long as 15 days depending on your conditions.

Propagating Tomato: How to Clone from a Stem Cutting

If you already have a tomato plant you love (or a friend does!), you can easily “clone” it with just sharp scissors and a clean glass of water. Cut a couple of 6” shoots of new growth (avoid anything woody), remove the lower leaves, and place the stem in a glass of 3” water. Place the glass on a bright windowsill and change the water every few days. In a couple of weeks, roots should emerge, and you can transplant them into your container. While using additional rooting hormones won’t hurt, it’s not necessary with tomato plants.

1. Cut a 6” section of new growth.
2. Remove leaves halfway and place the stem in water on a sunny windowsill.
3. Wait 7 days for a few ½ inch roots to form, then carefully transplant into its final container.

How to Transplant Tomato Seedlings

Live starter plants give you a big jump start on your first harvest. When choosing a plant at a garden center, select the bushiest plant available—tall and lanky ones tend to be weak growers. Inspect the plant for pests and ensure the leaves are dark green, without holes, spots, or curled edges. It's best to quarantine your plant for about a week after bringing it home to ensure it's pest-free before introducing it to your other plants.

1. Remove some soil from its final planter—leave enough space for the bottom of the seedling to be just above the soil surface. Trim the bottom set of leaves; new roots will grow from these spots, resulting in a healthier plant.
2. Place the seedling in its final container, ensuring the trimmed spot is buried. You can bury the plant deep or lean it to the side, depending on your planter. Fill around it with soil so that it’s snug but not compacted.

Where to Grow Your Cherry Tomato Plants

Tomato plants have the highest light needs of any plant, so unless you have an unobstructed south-facing window and plan to grow only during the summer, you’ll need a grow light. Sunlight is free and great for plants, so make the most of any bright window you have, supplemented with a grow light as needed.

For an introduction to grow lights, check out our post on grow lights for indoor gardeners. We also have a buying guide for screw-in types, but to keep things simple in this guide, we’ll provide directions for the 24W Screw-in Bulb by Sansi, a good middle-of-the-road option.

How Bright Should Your Grow Light Be?

Tomato plants need the equivalent of 7+ hours of direct sunlight [DLI of 21+ mol/m²/day] to thrive. The 24W Sansi bulb should be placed 6 inches away from the top of the plant. This will provide a PPFD (the standard measure of brightness) of 500 μmol/m²/s.

How Many Hours of Light Do Tomato Plants Need?

Tomato plants are “long-day” plants, meaning they develop faster with over 12 hours of light and only need 6 hours of darkness to rest. Set your timer to light your plants for 14+ hours daily for the best results.

Tomato Plants Grow Faster in Warmer Temps

Tomato plants are “warm-weather crops” and prefer temperatures around 80°F. They will grow fine in conditions between 60 and 90°F, but can lose their fruit if temperatures drop below 40°F. If they get too hot, they may drop their blossoms, wilt, and stop ripening. Most homes are within a good temperature range, and a south-facing sunny window can help provide the extra heat if needed.

Week 1-2: Check for Sprouts

Seedlings can emerge in as little as 7 days, though 10 days is more typical. If it’s been 15 days and you still don’t have any sprouts, it’s likely that your setup is too cold.

Week 3: Thin Your Seedlings

Thin your planter to only have 1 seedling per site, leaving the largest plant. If you are using the recommended planter (at least 8″ / 1 gal), this means you’ll have 1 plant after thinning. By removing the smaller seedlings, you’re allowing the biggest and strongest one to flourish by reducing its competition for water, food, and space. If your seedlings are under 2 inches, stretching out, or folding over, they likely don’t have enough light.

Month 3: How to Harvest Tomatoes

Tomatoes get sweeter and more flavorful when they ripen on the vine. During this ripening time, reduce the amount of water that the roots receive. Harvest the tomatoes when they develop a deep color and come off the plant with a gentle pull. If the first-picked tomatoes aren’t flavorful enough, wait a little longer to try the rest. You'll develop your feel for the perfect ripeness in no time.

Month 6+: End of Life

With good light, nutrients, and proper pruning, you should be able to get a few harvests from your plant. However, these determinate varieties will eventually reach the end of their life cycle.

Shop This Blog

The right supplies can take the guesswork out of caring for your plants and turn plant care from a daily to a weekly routine. Through our grow tests, we’ve found these products to produce the best cherry tomatoes while also being simple to maintain. While plants are adaptable and can grow in many different conditions, these products are by no means necessary if you already have other supplies.

Best Containers for Growing Cherry Tomatoes: Ceramic Self-Watering Planters

Plants thrive on consistent moisture but can suffer if they’re waterlogged. A semi-porous ceramic self-watering planter regulates ideal conditions. Our favorite is the COSWIP planter. The runner-up is the XS Self-Watering Planter by Wet Pot.

Best Soil for Cherry Tomatoes: Standard Potting Mix

Tomatoes prefer a rich and moist root zone, so we recommend using a standard potting mix. We like this Potting Mix by Rosy Soil.

Best Nutrients for Growing Cherry Tomatoes: Balanced Blend Followed by Vegetable Blend

Start with nutrients high in nitrogen (with NPK numbers like 10-5-5). For this Herb Blend, we recommend: Joyful Dirt All Purpose.

Once they are growing, switch to a plant food that is high in phosphorus and low in nitrogen (with NPK numbers like 4-10-6). For this Vegetable Blend, we recommend: Joyful Dirt Tomato & Herb.

Best Light for Growing Cherry Tomatoes: DIY or Soltech

There’s a small chance that you have the bright windows needed to grow tomatoes without a grow light. For a higher-end option, we love the Aspect Light by Soltech. For a more affordable option, a DIY setup using a 24W Screw-in Bulb by Sansi with a Clamp Light and a Mechanical Timer works well too. Check out our complete guide on a DIY setup for less than $40 or our buying guide for screw-in bulbs for more information.

Week 1-2: Check for Sprouts

Seedlings may emerge as early as 7 days, but typically around 10 days. If you haven’t seen any sprouts by day 15, your setup might be too cold.

Week 3: Thin Your Seedlings

Thin your planter to just 1 seedling per site, leaving the strongest one. This reduces competition for resources, ensuring your best plant thrives. If your seedlings are less than 2 inches tall, stretching, or folding over, they likely need more light.

Month 3: Harvesting Tomatoes

Tomatoes are best when ripened on the vine. Reduce watering as they ripen. Harvest when tomatoes are a deep color and come off the vine with a gentle pull. If the first few aren’t flavorful, wait a bit longer for the others. You’ll soon get the hang of it.

Month 6+: End of Life

With proper care, you should get several harvests, but determinate varieties will eventually reach the end of their lifecycle.