TheNaturePlanet

Who wouldn't want to grow a bunch of small tomatoes on the balcony? But to make sure your cherry tomatoes grow well and produce plenty of fruit, managing the environment is key! Today, I'll talk in detail about temperature, light, watering, and soil—so even beginners can easily get started.

Temperature:

Seed Germination:
To make the seeds germinate quickly, the temperature needs to be right! Keep the environment at 25-30°C, and the seedlings should sprout within 3-5 days. You can cover the pot with plastic wrap to keep the warmth in, but remember to lift it for ventilation every day!

Seedling Stage:
Once the seedlings grow their true leaves, keep the temperature between 20-25°C during the day, and don’t let it drop below 10°C at night. A slight temperature difference helps the seedlings grow stronger and prevents them from becoming leggy.

Flowering and Fruiting:
At this stage, temperature directly impacts fruit set. Daytime temperatures of 25-28°C are ideal for flowering and pollination, and nighttime temperatures of 15-20°C help accumulate nutrients. A 10°C temperature difference between day and night results in sweeter, fuller fruits. During summer, make sure to provide some shade for the balcony, and in winter, cover the plant with a plastic bag for warmth.

Light:

If your home doesn’t have enough natural light, don’t worry—use grow lights! Provide 4-6 hours of supplemental lighting every day, keeping the light around 30 cm away from the plant. This simulates natural sunlight, and your tomatoes will still produce plenty of fruit.

The more light they get, the faster they ripen and the sweeter they become! In summer, if the midday sun is too strong, provide some shade to avoid leaf burn. Otherwise, let them enjoy the sun!

Watering:

Water When Dry:
Water when the top 2 cm of the soil is dry. Water slowly until it starts to drain from the bottom of the pot. Never water every day! Standing water in the pot can cause root rot, so be sure to empty any water in the saucer.

Sweetness Boosting Tip:
Control watering: Cherry tomatoes are quite drought-tolerant! During fruiting, try watering less often, around once every 7 days, as long as the soil isn’t dry or cracked. Reducing water will concentrate the sugars in the fruit, making them much sweeter than store-bought ones.

Soil and Nutrients:

Soil:
Use loose, breathable potting soil with a pH of 6.0-6.8 (slightly acidic is best). If making your own mix, try a ratio of 3 parts peat moss to 1 part perlite, and add some well-rotted sheep manure as base fertilizer. The roots need to breathe! Be sure to choose a pot with drainage holes, starting at a 15 cm diameter. A pot that's too small will limit growth.

Fertilizing:
During the growing season (when the plant is putting out leaves and branches), apply diluted nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer 1-2 times per month. Water around the edges of the pot, being careful not to get fertilizer on the leaves. During the fruiting period, focus on boosting phosphorus and potassium! Use potassium dihydrogen phosphate diluted at 1:1000 to water the roots once a week. This will help the fruit grow large and plentiful and prevent flower and fruit drop.

Variety Selection:

Recommended Dwarf Varieties:
Dwarf varieties, like cherry tomatoes and dwarf red bell tomatoes, are perfect for pots. They grow to only about 30 cm tall, don’t require a trellis, and won’t become too leggy. A small 15 cm pot is enough, and even when full of fruit, they won’t topple over. Beginners can’t go wrong with these varieties!

Be Cautious with Indeterminate Varieties:
These varieties can grow over 1 meter tall and require larger pots, trellises, and constant pruning and topping. They tend to become messy in small spaces like balconies, making them harder to manage. Beginners are advised to start with dwarf varieties.

Reminder:

Once your cherry tomatoes start fruiting, if the branches are too crowded with fruit, remove some of the smaller or weaker fruits. Leave 2-3 well-formed fruits per branch. This allows the nutrients to focus on fewer fruits, helping them grow larger and more evenly. After they ripen, harvesting a bunch as decoration also looks great!