Cherry Tomatoes
The best sweet varieties to grow, from the legendary Sungold to cherries for pots and kids
Cherry tomatoes are the sweetest, most rewarding tomatoes you can grow. They ripen earlier than big slicers, crop by the hundreds over a long season, shrug off problems that ruin larger fruit, and grow happily in pots. The flavor is candy-sweet straight off the vine, which makes them a favorite with kids and a perfect first crop for beginners. This guide covers the best varieties and how to grow them, with a picker to match a cherry to what you want.
Cherry Tomato Picker
Tell the tool what matters most and which color you want, and it will suggest a cherry tomato to grow. Every variety here is a real type widely available in the US.
Which cherry tomato should I grow?
Want sowing and harvest reminders tuned to your zone? Open the Planting Season app.
Why grow cherry tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes earn their place in almost any garden. They are the sweetest tomatoes you can grow, with sugars that big tomatoes rarely match. They yield enormously, hundreds of fruit from a single plant over a long season. They are the earliest tomatoes to ripen, so you are eating homegrown fruit weeks before the slicers come in. They are forgiving, setting fruit and shrugging off cracking and disease better than large types. They thrive in pots and hanging baskets, and their sweet flavor makes them the tomato kids will actually eat off the vine.
Growing cherry tomatoes
Give cherry tomatoes full sun, at least 6 to 8 hours a day, and rich, well-drained soil. Plant seedlings deep, burying the stem to the first set of leaves so it grows extra roots. Water in well and mulch to keep soil moisture even.
Most cherry tomatoes are indeterminate vines that grow tall and keep fruiting all season, so they need a tall stake, a sturdy cage or a string trellis put in at planting time. The exception is Tumbling Tom, a trailing determinate type grown to cascade from hanging baskets and pots without support. Keep watering even through the season, both to feed the heavy crop and to stop the fruit splitting.
Cherry tomatoes in pots and hanging baskets
Cherry tomatoes are some of the best tomatoes for containers. Tumbling Tom is bred to cascade over the edge of a hanging basket or pot, perfect for a balcony or porch. Full-size indeterminate cherries like Sungold also grow well in pots, but they need a container of at least 5 gallons and a tall support to climb.
Water container cherries daily in summer heat, sometimes twice a day, because pots dry out fast and uneven watering is the main cause of split fruit. Feed weekly once flowering starts, since frequent watering washes nutrients out of the pot.
Splitting and cracking
Cherry tomatoes split when watering is irregular, especially after rain or a heavy soak following a dry spell, because the fruit takes up water faster than the skin can stretch. Water evenly, mulch to buffer soil moisture, and pick ripe fruit promptly before forecast rain. Crack-resistant varieties such as Sun Sugar and Sweet Million split far less, which is worth knowing if your watering is hard to keep steady.
Harvesting for maximum sweetness
Cherry tomatoes are sweetest picked fully ripe and warm from the vine in the afternoon sun, when their sugars peak. Wait until the fruit is fully colored and gives slightly to a gentle squeeze, then twist it off with the little stem cap. Picking early or refrigerating dulls the flavor, so eat them fresh and at room temperature.
Best cherry tomato varieties
These are the cherry tomatoes worth growing, from the legendary Sungold to a trailing type for baskets.
| Variety | Color | Habit | Days | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sungold | Orange-gold | Indeterminate | 65 | Widely named the sweetest cherry tomato of all. A glowing orange fruit eaten by the handful straight off the vine. |
| Sun Sugar | Orange-gold | Indeterminate | 62 | As sweet as Sungold with a crack-resistant skin. A great choice if your watering is hard to keep even. |
| Sweet 100 | Red | Indeterminate | 65 | Long trusses of small, very sweet red cherries. Reliable and prolific, a classic snacking tomato. |
| Sweet Million | Red | Indeterminate | 65 | Improved Sweet 100 with crack resistance and even sweeter fruit over a long season. |
| Yellow Pear | Yellow | Indeterminate | 75 | Mild, sweet, pear-shaped yellow cherries. Pretty in salads and very heavy cropping for months. |
| Black Cherry | Dark | Indeterminate | 70 | Dusky purple cherry with a deep, complex, almost smoky flavor. A standout for fresh eating. |
| Tumbling Tom | Red | Determinate, trailing | 70 | Trailing dwarf bred for hanging baskets and pots. Cascades of small sweet-tart fruit in a small space. |
When to plant by zone
Plant cherry tomatoes after your last frost, once nights stay above about 50F and the soil is warm, starting seed indoors 6 to 8 weeks earlier.
| Region / Zone | When to plant |
|---|---|
| Cold North and Midwest and Northeast (zones 3 to 6) | After last frost, May to early June |
| Mid-Atlantic and Upper South (zones 6 to 7) | After last frost, April to May |
| Deep South (zones 8 to 9) | Spring and again in fall, skipping peak summer heat |
| Florida and frost-free South (zones 9 to 10) | Cool dry season, roughly August to February |
Grow cherry tomatoes in the App
Add your cherry tomatoes, pick the variety from the in-app dropdown, and get sowing, transplanting and harvest reminders tuned to your zone.
Open the App →Plan your varieties in the app
This guide helps you choose a cherry tomato. The Planting Season app helps you grow it. When you add a tomato you pick the variety from the in-app dropdown, and the app tracks it from seed to harvest with reminders tuned to your region. Pair a sweet cherry like Sungold for snacking with a slicer for sandwiches and keep them on one plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the sweetest cherry tomato to grow?
Sungold is the cherry tomato most often named the sweetest of all, a glowing orange-gold fruit you eat by the handful. Sun Sugar is just as sweet with a crack-resistant skin, and Sweet 100 and Sweet Million are very sweet red cherries that crop heavily. Use the picker on this page to match a sweet cherry to the color you want.
What is the best cherry tomato for pots?
Tumbling Tom is the best cherry tomato for pots and hanging baskets. It is a compact trailing determinate type bred to cascade over the edge of a container, giving cascades of small fruit in a small space. Full-size indeterminate cherries also grow in pots, but they need a 5 gallon container and a tall support.
Why are my cherry tomatoes splitting?
Cherry tomatoes split when watering is irregular, especially after rain or a heavy soak following a dry spell, because the fruit takes up water faster than the skin can stretch. Water evenly, mulch to buffer soil moisture, and pick ripe fruit promptly before forecast rain. Crack-resistant varieties like Sun Sugar and Sweet Million split less.
Are cherry tomatoes good for beginners?
Yes. Cherry tomatoes are the most forgiving tomatoes to grow. They ripen earlier than big slicers, crop heavily and reliably, shrug off problems that ruin larger fruit, and grow happily in pots. The sweet flavor also makes them a favorite with kids, which makes them a great first crop.
Do cherry tomatoes need staking?
Most cherry tomatoes are indeterminate vines that grow tall and need a stake, tall cage or string trellis put in at planting time. The exception is Tumbling Tom, a trailing determinate type grown to cascade from hanging baskets and pots without support.
When are cherry tomatoes ripe and sweetest?
Cherry tomatoes are sweetest picked fully ripe and warm from the vine in the afternoon sun, when their sugars peak. Wait until the fruit is fully colored and gives slightly to a gentle squeeze. Picking early or refrigerating dulls the flavor, so eat them fresh and at room temperature.
How many cherry tomatoes does one plant produce?
A single healthy indeterminate cherry tomato plant can produce hundreds of fruit over a long season, often more than a household can eat fresh. One or two plants is plenty for most families, which is part of why cherries are such a rewarding, high-yielding crop.
When do I plant cherry tomatoes?
Plant cherry tomatoes after your last frost once nights stay above about 50F and the soil is warm, starting seed indoors 6 to 8 weeks earlier. In the Deep South plant in spring and again in fall, and in frost-free Florida grow through the cool dry season from about August to February and skip the hottest summer.
Source: university extension tomato growing guidance.
See also: How to Grow Tomatoes and Tomato in the Plant Library