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The consumer has already become accustomed to the endless variety of tomato varieties and hybrids that fill the horticultural market these days, but still always wants something new and unusual. Cherry tomatoes cannot be called a new product; many people became more familiar with them not only during a festive meal, but also by trying to grow them themselves. Well, many people just take a closer look at them, and no, no, and the thought flashes of whether they should try to grow them on their own plot.
Moreover, among these amazing babies there are varieties that can be grown at home, on a windowsill or on a balcony. But wherever you plan to grow them in the future, seedlings cherry tomatoes must definitely decorate your window sills if you decide to take up this crop. After all, cherry tomatoes – even the earliest ripening varieties – cannot be sown immediately in priming in the conditions of our short summer. They simply won't have time to mature. Therefore, it is necessary to take a closer look at the features of growing seedlings of these crumbs.
What are cherry tomatoes?
Among the variety of small varieties, many even experienced gardeners sometimes do not see the difference between cherry, cocktail and currant tomatoes. Or even for simplicity, they are all called cherry tomatoes. But this is not entirely correct, since these types of tomatoes differ not only in size, but also in their internal content.
Currants - the smallest of tomatoes, weighing literally 5-10 g, grow in long clusters of 40-60 fruits each and really resemble bunches of currants. The taste of the fruits is sweet and sour and they only vaguely resemble tomatoes.
Cocktail – represent the newest direction of selection. They are larger in size than cherry tomatoes, from 30 to 60 g, and have a delicious taste due to the increased fructose content and a rather strong aroma.
Cherry tomatoes - in size they are located in the middle between the two above-mentioned types, fruits from 10 to 30 g. But the most important thing that distinguishes them from all other tomatoes, including large-fruited ones, is the double concentration of dry nutrients and sugars in the cell juice. Breeders also managed to develop Cherry tomatoes with strawberry, raspberry, blueberry and melon flavors. Therefore, many people perceive them more as fruits than vegetables. And the wide variety of colors of cherry tomato fruits also contributes a lot to this.
Selection of sowing dates
So, you have decided to grow this miracle vegetable and fruit and please your loved ones with the exotic taste of cherry tomatoes. To determine the approximate timing of planting cherry tomato seeds, you must first decide on the choice of a specific variety.After all, if cherry tomatoes were originally created by breeding scientists in Israel as a result of an experiment on slow ripening in a hot climate, and were therefore distinguished by late ripening and extended fruiting period, now many early ripening cherry varieties have been created.
In addition, you need to think about where you are going to plant cherry tomato seedlings in the future. If for a greenhouse, then the choice of varieties is practically unlimited; if for garden beds, then it is necessary to choose special varieties intended for cultivation in open ground.
Once you have decided on the cherry tomato variety, find out the length of its growing season - it is usually indicated on the bag in the description. Then subtract this number of days from the expected or desired harvest date. Taking another 4-5 days (the average time for seed germination) will give you the approximate time frame for planting cherry tomato seeds for seedlings.
Of course, you may want to get a harvest of cherry tomatoes in May, and theoretically this is quite possible, but only if you use constant additional lighting during the winter months of growing seedlings and have a heated greenhouse. Although, some gardeners have already mastered the technology of growing cherry tomatoes indoors - for this you need to choose only special indoor low-growing varieties.
The harvest will ripen earlier and will be even more abundant.
For most regions, it is optimal to sow cherry tomatoes for seedlings in March.
Containers and soil for sowing
For growing tomato seedlings cherry there are two methods: without picking and with picking. When using the first method, it is assumed that there will not be very many seedlings and seeds, so you can sow directly into separate containers or pots. If you need a large number of cherry tomato seedlings for sale, for treating friends or for your own large plot, then it is better to sow cherry tomato seeds initially in one flat container, in order to subsequently plant them in separate pots.
In the first case, ready-made plastic cassettes or so-called seedlings are perfect for sowing. This is a set of several plastic containers - cups placed in one deep tray. They are convenient for uneven emergence of seedlings - individual cups can be moved to lighter and cooler conditions, while the rest remain basking in the warmth until germination. You can see a photo of such a nursery below.
Garden markets and specialty stores now offer a huge variety of all kinds of soils for planting for all occasions. To sow cherry tomato seeds, it is better to choose either soil for tomatoes and peppers, or soil for growing seedlings. When purchasing, it is best to focus on well-known manufacturers, although in any case, before sowing, it is advisable to calcine any soil in the oven or spill it with a solution of biofungicides (phytosporin or gliocladin).If the soil seems too wet and dense, it is best to add a leavening agent such as perlite or vermiculite.
Seed treatment before sowing
There are many operations that are carried out with cherry tomato seeds to increase their germination, disinfection, as well as increase the durability and disease resistance of future seedlings. The main ones are listed below - this does not mean that it is necessary to apply them all. Choose a few that seem most suitable and simple to you and treat your cherry tomato seeds before planting them.
- Sorting in 3% saline solution - floating seeds are discarded.
- Warming up in hot water - seeds in a fabric bag are placed in a thermos with hot water (45°-50°C) for 20-30 minutes. Then immediately send it to cool under cold water for 2-3 minutes.
- Soaking in a nutrient solution - you can use both home remedies for soaking: honey, aloe juice, wood ash solution, and store-bought bags with microelements and biofertilizers.
- Treatment with growth stimulants is the same as soaking, only a variety of growth stimulants are used: Epin, Zircon, HB-101, Immunocytophyte, Energen, Succinic acid and many others. Instructions for obtaining the working solution are usually found on the packaging itself.
- Bubbling is the treatment of cherry seeds in water actively saturated with oxygen or air. This is usually done using an aquarium compressor, the hose of which is placed in a jar of water.
- Hardening - soaked seeds alternate in keeping them for 12 hours, either at a temperature of +20+25°C, or in the refrigerator at a temperature of +2-3°C.
- Germination - after all treatments, cherry tomato seeds are germinated in a damp cloth in a warm place until sprouts appear.
From sowing to the first transshipment/picking
The day before sowing, the prepared soil must be well moistened, mixed and hidden in a plastic bag in order to be sure of uniform moisture before sowing the seeds.
On the day of sowing, fill the prepared containers with soil and plant the seeds at a shallow depth (about 0.5-1 cm), since cherry tomato seeds are slightly smaller than usual. If there are a large number of seeds and using separate containers for planting, it is recommended to sow 2 seeds per cup. And later, after the emergence of shoots, choose one of them, the strongest and strongest, and remove the other.
After sowing the seeds, the containers must be covered with polyethylene or glass to create greenhouse conditions of high humidity and placed in a warm place (+22°+27°C). The crops do not need light at this stage.
If the cherry tomato seeds are fresh and have undergone at least some pre-treatment, germination can begin within a day or two.
Check and ventilate the improvised greenhouse 2 times a day and when the first shoots appear, create completely different conditions for them. They are placed in the brightest place and the temperature drops quite significantly, to +14°+16°C during the day and preferably another 2-3 degrees lower at night. This technique allows you to prevent the seedlings from stretching and has a beneficial effect on the development of the root system of young cherry tomatoes.
Until the first cotyledon leaves fully open, there is no need to water the seedlings. In general, when watering cherry tomato seedlings, the basic rule should apply - it’s better not to add a little than to overfill. Although, with the onset of warm, and, most importantly, sunny weather, daily watering of the seedlings will most likely be necessary. But in cloudy weather, you need to check the soil with your hand every time before watering - if it is even a little damp, there is no need for watering.
When the first two true leaves open, cherry tomato seedlings, if they are grown in one flat container, must be picked and planted in separate pots. Here, the opinions of experts differ: some advise pinching the main root by one third of the length when replanting, others believe that this should not be done, since, on the contrary, this procedure slows down the development of plants. The choice is yours - both options are equally used in growing cherry tomato seedlings at home.
When planting plants in new containers, they can and even should be buried down to the first cotyledon leaves. Tomatoes respond very favorably to this procedure and actively begin to grow additional roots.
If you initially grew cherry tomatoes in separate cups or cells, then they also need to be transferred to large containers without disturbing the original root ball. But the timing of this procedure can be more extended in time, from the first to 4-5 leaves. If roots begin to emerge from the bottom of the cups, transferring the seedlings cannot be delayed any longer. Roots need freedom for active plant development.
From the first transplant to planting seedlings in the ground
About a week after the first transplant, cherry tomato seedlings can be fed for the first time. Until this point, the plants had enough nutrients in the soil. Moreover, when replanting for the first time, it is advisable to add about a tablespoon of vermicompost or other organic fertilizer to each new container along with the soil mixture. In this case, you can wait another 2-3 weeks before the next feeding. If you think that cherry tomato seedlings are stunted or are not happy with their appearance, it is best to use foliar foliar feeding for quick help. To do this, you need to dilute any complex fertilizer with microelements in a sprayer according to the instructions (for cherry tomatoes the presence of boron and iron is required) and spray the growing seedlings with this solution.
The effect of foliar feeding is almost instantaneous, unlike traditional feeding, since nutrients are immediately absorbed by the leaves and supplied to all parts of the cherry tomato plant.
Before planting seedlings in the ground, they need to be fed 2-3 more times. Or you can, if space on the windowsill allows, transfer it several times into large containers, each time adding fresh soil mixed with organic fertilizers (vermicompost, humus). In this case, fertilizing is not necessary.
Before planting in the ground, the age of cherry tomato seedlings should be approximately 55-65 days, but, most importantly, it should have a strong, thick stem, as thick as a pencil and up to 30 cm high. There should be at least eight true leaves. The photo below shows what strong and healthy cherry tomato seedlings should look like.
Two weeks before the intended planting, especially if we are talking about open ground, cherry tomato seedlings must begin to be hardened off. To do this, containers with tomato seedlings are placed outside in good weather at temperatures ranging from +16°C for several hours. Gradually, the time the seedlings stay outside is increased to 12 hours. Cherry tomato seedlings are planted in the ground only when the average air temperature reaches +16°C. Therefore, in the middle zone and further north, it is recommended to grow cherry tomatoes in greenhouse conditions in order to fully enjoy the garlands of delicious fruits.
Conclusion
So sow the seeds, grow seedlings of cherry tomatoes and, gaining additional experience in growing these exotic tomatoes, please your loved ones with delicious and varied dishes and preparations from very healthy, sweet and beautiful fruits.
