How to Grow Cherry Tomatoes Inside the Home

Grow cherry tomatoes indoors

Few things taste better than a tomato fresh from the garden. For some people, that taste seems out of reach because they do not have the space to garden, or it is the wrong season to grow vegetables outdoors. Growing cherry tomatoes indoors is an easy solution to both of those problems, since they take up little space and have been known to produce well most of the year under the right conditions.

Things You'll Need

• Container
• Potting soil
• Tomato seedlings
• Fertilizer
• Water
• Stake

Instructions

1. Fill a container with a high quality potting soil that is loose and will drain easily. Good soil is a rich black color and never feels overly dry. Loose soil is not clumpy or overly sandy when you sift through it. Make sure that the container has drainage holes in the bottom.

2. 

   Potted tomato seedling

   Plant the seedlings in the container so that just the roots are under the soil. Do not bury any part of the stem, as this can lead to rot.

3. Water the soil enough to make it moist several inches down without leaving it soggy.

4. Fertilize with a general-purpose formula by mixing the fertilizer according to package directions and applying lightly to the soil around the plant. Continue to fertilize lightly every two weeks.

5. Place the container in an area where it will receive at least six hours of sunlight per day. A south-facing windowsill works well.

6. Place a stake in the pot as the plant grows larger to help keep it upright when heavy fruit begins to develop.

7. Water the plant every other day to keep the soil evenly moist. The amount of water varies according to pot size, but needs to be enough to wet the soil several inches down. Do not allow the soil to dry out between waterings.

Tips & Warnings

• Pinch off any new growth that appears at a V section where smaller stems are branched off from the main stems. These are known as suckers and will rob the plant of energy.

• Tomatoes are ready to pick when they are bright red and easy to pull from the plant.

References

• Gardening Know How: Growing Cherry Tomatoes
• Gardening Tips: Growing Cherry Tomatoes Indoors