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Q&A for How to Grow Cherry Tomatoes
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QuestionWhen you plant cherry tomatoes from seed, should you thin them out before they get too big?Andrew Carberry is a Food Systems Expert and the Senior Program Associate at the Wallace Center at Winrock International in Little Rock, Arkansas. He has worked in food systems since 2008 and has experience working on farm-to-school projects, food safety programs, and working with local and state coalitions in Arkansas. He is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and holds a Masters degree in public health and nutrition from the University of Tennessee.Yes. When they come up, thin the plants leaving 20 to 24 inches between each.
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QuestionHow large should cherry tomatoes be to sell?Community AnswerAs long as they're ripe, it shouldn't matter too much what size they are. Cherry tomatoes are usually between 1 and 3 centimeters in diameter though.
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QuestionDoes the cherry tomato plant need a lot of sunlight?Community AnswerYes, it needs to be in a location where it can receive at least 8 hours or direct sunlight a day.
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QuestionHow long will my Cherry Tomato plant keep re-blooming?Community AnswerThe plant will produce tomatoes until the first frost.
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QuestionSomething is gradually eating the leaves of my cherry tomato plant. What should I do to stop it?Community AnswerOne type of insect that eats varieties of tomatoes would be the tomato hornworm. You can either pick the large caterpillars off yourself (you can find them a little easier during the morning or evening), or you can use an insecticide.
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QuestionWhy do cherry tomatoes sometimes split open?Community AnswerThey are probably overripe if they split, because overripe tomatoes get very soft.
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QuestionHow tall will the plants get?Community AnswerIn my experience, anywhere from 4 to 10 feet.
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QuestionMust cherry tomatoes be planted in a cage? Please help.Community AnswerA cage is recommended, but you can also use a wooden stake. If you have a balcony, you can use the poles of the balcony. The vine will need support to grow.
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QuestionWhat do brown areas on leaves mean?Community AnswerIt could mean that there is a fungus, it hasn't been exposed to enough sunlight, or it is not being watered enough.
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QuestionCan you grow cherry tomatoes with other tomatoes?Community AnswerYou can grow several types of tomatoes, but you should grow them in separate planters or spaces in the garden.
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QuestionMy tomato plants are huge laden with tomatoes but they don't seem to be turning red - why?Community AnswerIt could be the variety of tomato you have. Some tomatoes turn yellow, or an amber color, instead of red.
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QuestionCan I grow cherry tomatoes without using a pot?Community AnswerYes, as long as they are in a area where they receive a lot of sunlight, and are supported with something such as a post or fence.
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QuestionHow can I tell if my cherry tomatoes are ripe?Community AnswerIf your tomatoes are completely red, pull one off and try it.
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QuestionWill the flowers on my cherry tomatoes wither before they begin to grow a tomato?Community AnswerYes, they will. Sometimes they will stay attached to the bottom of the tomatoes too.
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QuestionDo I need to remove side shoots with cherry tomatoes?Community AnswerYes, you should. Secondary shoots on any tomato plant will not bear fruit. Be sure to only remove the secondary shoots growing in between the main stem and primary shoots.
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QuestionDo cherry tomatoes do well hanging? My plant has grown well and at this stage has flowers. Will it continue to grow, or should it hang?Community AnswerWhen my plant got big enough that it was starting to topple over, I found a large wooden post and just used some torn t-shirt strips to attach it. I use t-shirt strips or rags because they hold better than metal and better accommodate the plant's growing needs. I would suggest this strategy over hanging the plant.
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QuestionHow can I get my tomatoes to produce more fruit?Community AnswerI would recommend using some good fertilizers like Miracle-Gro to encourage more flowers on your plants, which means more tomatoes!
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QuestionWhat does the first bud of a tomato look like?Community AnswerMy cherry tomato flowers are a light yellow. Soon after, there are small green berries that become larger as they grow into tomatoes.
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QuestionCan I dry the tomatoes to get the seeds? And should I soak the seeds in salt water?Community AnswerIf they are not hybrid, you can collect the seeds for planting. No need to soak in any water.
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QuestionWhen should tomatoes be planted outside?Community AnswerBegin planting in warm weather. Cherry tomatoes need warm weather to grow, and they will die when exposed to frost. The last frost date should pass a week before you begin planting. If planting from seeds, you will need two or three months of warm or hot weather to grow and harvest tomatoes. The weather should be around 70 in Fahrenheit and around 21 in Celsius when planting seedlings.
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QuestionWhat is the white foam-like substance I'm finding on my cherry tomatoes?Community AnswerIt must be the excretory product of an insect. It just dries out and then acts as a shelter for the pests. Try to remove them from the affected leaves.
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QuestionWhat do I do with the plant after it has finished fruiting? Can I keep it for another year, or is it no good afterward?Community AnswerIt cannot be kept for another year; the best idea is to dispose of the plant in a compost bin.
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QuestionCan I plant them without a cage or stakes?Community AnswerNot really, although with good planting, tomatoes can support themselves for a certain amount of time. However, they cannot support themselves once they reach a certain height, and certainly not when they start to bear fruit.
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QuestionWhen exactly do I pick them?Community AnswerOnce cherry tomatoes are ripe or red, they can easily be picked from the stem.
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QuestionWhen the tomatoes are planted outdoors, how much water do they need?Community Answer1-2 inches a week depending on your weather, or you could just make sure your dirt is always moist, but not drowning.
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QuestionMy cherry tomato plant has some yellow leaves and some dead ones but the tomatoes are still growing. Can I eat them?Community AnswerUnless you can see (or smell) that the tomatoes themselves have been affected, they should be fine to eat, but if you don't find out what is making your plant sick, it will die soon.
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QuestionCan I use seeds from cherry tomatoes I bought at the supermarket?ArtluvvaCommunity AnswerSome hybrid seeds are sterile, but it is worth trying. I have grown some lovely plum tomatoes from shop-bought tomatoes.
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QuestionShould I pull the suckers off the plants?Community AnswerMost people say to pull them until the plant is about 5 feet tall to have a stronger stem, while others don’t pull them at all.
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QuestionShould I incorporate a cage if my cherry tomato is growing without one or should I just leave it alone?Community AnswerAdd a cage soon, as cherry tomato plants grow very fast and are very tall. Without a cage, it can cause the fruit to get eaten, and the plant will be very hard to manage.
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QuestionWhat time should you begin planting?Don DattlerCommunity AnswerWait until the seedling has at least 4 leaves on it. Then, at least a few days after, harden them off outdoors.
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