Cherry tomatoes are the sweetest, most generous tomato you can grow — a single plant can produce hundreds of small, candy-sweet fruit over a long season, and children who will not touch a salad tomato will eat cherries straight off the vine. They are vigorous, mostly indeterminate, plants that keep growing and fruiting until frost, and they are far more forgiving of imperfect conditions than big beefsteak types.
Because cherry tomatoes are so productive, the gardener's job is mostly management: supporting a plant that can reach two metres, watering evenly so the thin skins do not split, and picking often so the plant keeps setting new fruit. They mature in 60–70 days, earlier than most tomatoes, and they fruit over months rather than in one flush. This guide covers starting, staking, pruning and the picking rhythm that keeps a cherry plant productive all summer.
Cherry Tomatoes at a glance
| Growing factor | What this crop needs |
|---|---|
| Sun | full sun |
| Soil pH | 6.0–6.8 |
| Days to germination | 7–14 |
| Days to maturity | 60–70 |
| Spacing | 24–36 inches |
| Water needs | high |
| Cold tolerance | tender |
| Family | Solanaceae |
Starting seeds
Cherry Tomatoes seed is best started indoors. Sow in trays or modules filled with fine seed compost, barely covering the seed, and keep the tray warm and moist — germination takes 7–14 days. Give seedlings as much light as you can once they appear. Our seed-starting calculator can work out your sowing date from your last frost, and the germination-time calculator helps you plan around the 7–14-day germination window.
Because this is a tender crop, timing follows the frost: in Zones 3–6 start indoors and plant out only once frosts are past and the soil has warmed; in Zones 7–9 the warm season is long and a second sowing is often possible; in Zones 10–13, which are frost-free, grow it through the cooler months with afternoon shade in the hottest weather. Check your dates with our frost-date calculator or the last-first frost lookup — and when in doubt, ask your local extension service.
Start cherry tomato seed indoors, germinating in 7–14 days in warm conditions. They germinate readily, and seedlings grow fast, so do not sow too early or they will be leggy and pot-bound before planting out.
Transplanting and planting out
Harden seedlings off for a week before planting out: put them outside for a few hours a day, increasing the time and exposure, and bring them back in at night. Plant out at the final spacing of 24–36 inches apart, in holes the same depth as the pot. Water each plant in well and mulch around (not against) the stems to hold moisture. Our plant-spacing calculator shows how many plants fit your bed at 24–36-inch spacing.
Soil and feeding
Cherry Tomatoes grows best in soil with a pH of 6.0–6.8, so test your soil before you plant — a cheap test kit tells you more than guessing ever will. Work in plenty of compost or well-rotted manure to improve structure and feed the soil life, and make sure the bed drains freely. Our soil-volume calculator and raised-bed soil calculator work out how much soil or compost your bed needs.
Feed generously through the season: work compost into the bed before planting and side-dress with a balanced fertiliser once plants are growing strongly. Hungry fruiting and leafy crops repay feeding with visibly bigger harvests, but too much nitrogen gives leaf at the expense of fruit, so follow the label. Our fertiliser calculator works out how much to apply.
Cherry tomatoes are heavy feeders: rich soil with plenty of compost gives the biggest crops. Feed every couple of weeks once fruit has set, with a tomato feed high in potash rather than nitrogen — too much nitrogen gives leaf and delays fruit.
Watering
This is a thirsty crop. Water deeply and regularly — shallow daily sprinkles encourage shallow roots and stressed plants. Aim to keep the soil evenly moist, especially while fruit is swelling, and mulch thickly to slow evaporation. Water at the base in the morning so leaves dry by evening, which also keeps disease down. Our watering calculator gives a starting point for your bed size and soil, and the watering schedule generator can build a routine around it.
Sunlight and temperature
Give Cherry Tomatoes full sun — at least six hours of direct sun a day, and more is better in most zones. Sun drives flavour and yield in this crop, and plants in shade stay leggy and unproductive. Our sunlight calculator can check whether your spot gets enough sun.
It is tender, so cold is the enemy: a single frost can finish it. Wait until frosts are past and the soil feels warm before planting out, and keep fleece or cloches handy for a late cold snap. In warm zones it will keep producing until the first cold nights of autumn.
Pests and diseases
The pests and diseases to watch for with Cherry Tomatoes are aphids, hornworms, flea beetles and whiteflies.
Aphids cluster on tender new growth and under leaves, sucking sap and leaving sticky honeydew.
Hornworms are big green caterpillars that can strip a plant overnight.
Flea beetles chew tiny shot-holes in young leaves.
Whiteflies cloud up from the undersides of leaves when disturbed.
Prevention beats cure: rotate crops so the same family does not grow in the same bed year after year, clear debris at the end of the season, and inspect the undersides of leaves weekly. Our pest identifier helper can help you name a pest from its damage, and the plant-disease checker can narrow down a leaf problem.
Companion plants
Good companions for Cherry Tomatoes are marigolds, basil, onions and lettuce.
Marigolds are the classic companion: their roots and scent deter several soil pests, and their flowers bring in pollinators and beneficial insects.
Basil is said to improve the flavour of its neighbours and its scent confuses some pests; it also makes good use of the same sunny, well-watered bed.
Onions help mask the scent of their neighbours from pests, and their upright leaves take little light from the plants beside them.
Lettuce is a shallow-rooted, quick crop that fills the gaps between taller plants without competing hard for nutrients.
Plant companions in the same bed rather than in a separate corner — that is how they do their work. Our companion-planting finder can suggest more pairings for your bed.
Harvesting
Cherry tomatoes are ready about 60–70 days after sowing, and the picking season is long: a healthy plant keeps fruiting until frost. Pick when the fruit is fully coloured and comes away with a gentle tug — under-ripe cherries are tart and never sweeten properly off the vine. Pick every day or two in peak season; ripe fruit left on the plant splits after rain and slows new fruit set. Snip whole trusses with secateurs when several fruit on a truss are ripe.
Taste as you go: different varieties ripen to red, orange, yellow or even black, and colour is a better guide than size. At the end of the season, pick green fruit before frost and ripen them indoors, or roast them green. Because cherry plants produce so much, plan to use the glut — roast and freeze them, make sauce, or dry them. One plant feeds a family; two plants feed a street.
Common problems and fixes
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Fruit splits after watering or rain | uneven watering; thin skins | Water evenly, mulch thickly, and pick ripe fruit before rain. |
| Leaves develop dark spots | blight | Remove spotted leaves at once, water at the base, and clear plants at season's end. |
| Flowers drop without setting fruit | cold nights or extreme heat | Be patient — fruit set resumes when nights warm; shake plants gently to aid pollination. |
Fruit splits after watering or rain
Likely cause: uneven watering; thin skins. Splitting is the cherry tomato's signature problem: the thin skin cannot cope with a sudden rush of water after a dry spell. The fix is steady moisture — water deeply and regularly, mulch to hold it, and pick nearly ripe fruit before a forecast downpour.
Leaves develop dark spots
Likely cause: blight. Blight shows as dark spots on lower leaves that spread upward fast in wet weather. Strip affected leaves immediately, water only at the base, mulch to stop soil splash, and give plants room for air.
Flowers drop without setting fruit
Likely cause: cold nights or extreme heat. Tomato flowers drop when nights are cold or days are extremely hot, and cherry tomatoes are no exception. It is usually a weather problem, not a plant problem: keep watering even, avoid high-nitrogen feed, and fruit set will resume when conditions settle.
Frequently asked questions
How long do cherry tomatoes take to grow?
Cherry tomatoes take 60–70 days from sowing to the first ripe fruit — earlier than most tomatoes. Once they start, they keep fruiting for months, right up to the first frost, so the total harvest from one plant can be enormous.
Do cherry tomatoes need pruning?
Yes, if they are indeterminate, which most are. Remove suckers weekly, take off the lowest leaves up to the first fruit truss for airflow, and tie the main stem to its support.
Why do my cherry tomatoes keep splitting?
Splitting is caused by uneven watering: the thin skin cannot stretch when a dry plant suddenly takes up water. Water deeply and regularly, mulch thickly, and pick ripe fruit before heavy rain.
How many cherry tomato plants do I need?
One plant is usually enough for a household — a healthy cherry tomato can produce hundreds of fruit over a season. Plant two if you want to preserve or share, and give each plant 24–36 inches of space and a strong support.