TOMATO, CHERRY/SMALL-FRUITED

VARIETY: Firefly, Lollipop, Chocolate Cherry, Matt’s Wild Cherry

BLOOM COLOR: yellow

FOLIAGE COLOR: green, can be darker green or purplish on the underside of the leaves - leaves and stems usually have hairs

VEGETABLE COLOR/SIZE: varied including red, pink, brown, purple, orange, yellow, and multicolored

BOTANICAL NAME: Solanum lycopersicum

ANNUAL OR PERENNIAL?: annual

WARM SEASON OR COOL SEASON?: warm, not frost-tolerant

PLANT SIZE: 3 to 5 feet tall; 1 to 3 feet wide

LIGHT NEEDS: at least 6 hours of full sun per day, more sun is better

WATER NEEDS: normal (about an inch of water total per week)

FERTILIZER NEEDS: heavy (either a balanced or a higher phosphorus content fertilizer about twice a month)

IDEAL SOIL CONDITIONS: well draining soil

PLANT SPACING FOR TRANSPLANTS: leave about 2 to 3 feet between plants

PLANT SUPPORTS NEEDED?: possibly, plant leaves should be kept off of the ground - cages are a common support method

 

WHEN TO PLANT OUT: after all danger of frost has passed and soil temperature is above 60 F - bury the plant deeper in the soil than it was in the pot, more roots will grow off of the area of the stem that is under the soil

CAN IT BE PLANTED IN A CONTAINER?: yes

DURING GROWTH: even watering will help avoid cracking of tomatoes better than an excess of water (watch out during big summer rainstorms)

WATCH FOR THESE PESTS/DISEASES: tomato hornworm, blight, tomato mosaic virus

TIME TO HARVEST: 60 to 75 days

HARVESTING: harvest individual fruits when ripe, plants may continue to produce fruit until first frost with continuous harvesting