How to grow cherry tomatoes at home?

How to grow at home or on the balcony?

Small but productive: the benefits of cherry tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes got their unusual name not only for their appearance, but also for their taste. The fruits of this variety are very aromatic, slightly sweet, with light fruity notes. Among benefits of cherry:

1. Excellent yield. At home, up to 20 fruits are formed on each branch of the bush. All of them ripen at the same time, so they are often harvested with whole branches. During the season, up to 1.5 kg of small-fruited tomatoes can be harvested from the bush.
2. Long fruiting period. Outdoors tomatoes bear fruit all summer long. The development of ovaries is inhibited when the temperature drops to 8 degrees. At home, tomatoes can be harvested until late autumn and even winter, then the plants enter a dormant period.
3. Self-pollination. Tomatoes do not need insects to carry pollen. Sometimes the gardeners themselves intervene in the pollination process, shaking the pot or wires along the inflorescences with a cotton swab to stimulate the early formation of ovaries.
4. A variety of varieties. Breeders have bred dozens of varieties of cherry tomatoes, differing in size, color, flavor nuances of the fruit.

   Cherry tomatoes can be bright red, yellow, orange, green, pink, cherry-brown.

   For growing at home, compact and productive varieties Thumbelina, Cherry, Cherry Lisa, Bonsai, Minibel, Balcony gold, Balcony red, Date, Businka are suitable. There are also ampelous varieties that are convenient to plant in hanging baskets.

Home growing options

How to grow cherry tomatoes at home? They can be grown in a greenhouse or outdoors. Tall specimens that are attached to trellises look very impressive. Such bushes reach 2.5 m in height. More compact bushes with a height of 1-1.5 m are often placed in tubs or pots. Such tomatoes grow successfully on verandas, loggias, balconies. Some growers use tin buckets as a container for tomatoes. It was noted that tomatoes planted in such unusual vessels are practically do not get sick with late blight, develop well and give a bountiful harvest.

At home, cherry tomatoes are placed in tall pots. The ideal place for growing is a sunny window sill, a glazed loggia or a balcony.

You can clearly see cherry tomatoes at home in the photo below:

How to plant seedlings yourself?

To properly plant and grow cherry tomatoes at home, you need to know a few simple tips, which we will talk about below. Miniature tomatoes can grow by seeds, sowing them on seedlings, and also rooting stepchildren... Beginners should try both methods and then settle on the one that seems most suitable. Usually, sowing seeds begins in March, in which case the tomato fruiting period will last until December. First you need to sort out the seeds, discarding the empty and ugly ones. soaked in a growth stimulator for 12 hours, then washed with clean water and wrapped in damp gauze to swell.

For growing ready-made soil mixtures are not suitable, they are very poor in composition and will not provide the normal development of seedlings.

The ideal soil consists of a mixture of garden soil, rotted humus, peat and washed sand. Disinfect the soil will be helped by calcining or spilling an aqueous solution of copper sulfate. For greater nutritional value, ash or complex mineral fertilizers are added to the soil. It is worth adding chopped charcoal. The soil mixture is thoroughly mixed and loosened.

The prepared seeds are sown in containers and covered with a layer of soil 8-10 mm thick. The surface of the soil is sprayed with water from a spray bottle, you can spill it with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. The containers are closed with foil or glass and exhibited in a warm and dark place.

After emergence, containers are exposed to light.

After the appearance of the second leaf, the seedlings dive. When diving, it is recommended to gently pinch the root tip to stimulate the development of the root system. Then the surface of the soil is poured with a warm solution of potassium permanganate and sprinkled with calcined sand.

Seedlings need to be hardened, periodically removing the film from the surface of the container. The room temperature should not drop below 22 degrees during the day and 18 at night. The ideal daylight hours for tomatoes lasts up to 16 hours, with the onset of dusk, the landing will have to be illuminated with lamps.

You can grow seedlings without picking. For this, the swollen seeds are planted in cups filled with soil, 2 pieces in one container. After germination and formation of 3 true leaves the weaker sprout is removed... Soil is poured into the cups as the seedling grows and develops.

It is much easier to propagate tomatoes by stepchildren. Shoots, separated from an adult bush, take root in a container of water. Already after a week, the seedlings can be moved to pots... Thus, it is convenient to propagate plants of the variety you like, as well as quickly replace old bushes.

Caring for tomatoes at home

Young plants are planted in tall cylindrical containers volume not less than 5 l... In cramped and small pots, a good harvest will not work. A drainage layer is laid out on the bottom.

Tomatoes poorly tolerate stagnant water in the soil, with constant flooding, they can stop growing.

The containers are placed on pallets and placed in a well-lit area. The ideal option is windows or loggias facing south, southeast or southwest.

Small-fruited ampelous varieties are planted in deep hanging baskets, the bottom of which is also filled with a drainage layer. A portion of the hydrogel placed in each container will help to reduce the frequency of watering and maintain soil moisture.

Importantso that the selected basket had no sharp edges... Stems overhanging the edge can break. Ampel tomatoes are hung in a well-lit place, protected from gusts of wind.

And what should you do to grow cherry at home on a windowsill in winter?

In the cold season over a tomato plantation will have to equip the backlight... With a lack of lighting, the stems turn pale and stretch, flowering and the formation of ovaries stop.

The temperature in the room should not exceed 28 degrees and fall below 18. If the plants live on an open balcony or veranda, with the onset of the first night frosts, they must be transferred to the room. Tomatoes placed on the windowsill like frequent airing and periodic spraying with warm water... It is better to keep windows open in hot weather.

Tomatoes love moderate humidity without flooding and drying out the soil. For irrigation, soft water at room temperature is used. Watering the plant at the root is not recommended; it is advisable to use a watering can to moisten the soil. Watering regime depends on the weather. In dry and sunny conditions, it is worth watering the bushes twice a week; in cloudy weather, the intensity of watering is halved.

Miniature tomatoes very sensitive to soil nutrition... It is not recommended to overfeed the bushes with nitrogen-containing fertilizers. They stimulate the growth of green mass to the detriment of the ovaries. Ideal fertilizers for tomatoes - superphosphate, ash and rotted humus.

During the flowering and fruiting period, fertilizing is carried out every 2 weeks simultaneously with watering. In greenhouse conditions, cherry tomatoes can be fertilized with diluted mullein or chicken droppings.

So we found out: is it possible to grow cherry tomatoes on a windowsill and how to do it? With these simple tips, you can enjoy real homemade cherry tomatoes.

How to grow at home or on the balcony?

When grown at home or on the balcony cherry tomatoes can be affected by pests... Periodic spraying and frequent airing of the room will save you from aphids and spider mites. In severe cases, the bushes can be sprayed with insecticides suitable for fruiting plants, but you shouldn't abuse chemicals... Copper preparations help against late blight.

The grown bushes need support. Heavy branches are tied to strong metal or plastic pegs, ampelous species can be attached to trellises or left to subside freely.

An important point is the formation of a bush. Garden tomatoes of large-fruited varieties have lateral stepson shoots are usually removedso that the plant does not waste energy on the formation of additional green mass. At home, some of the stepsons should be left.

They give the bush a beautiful shape, besides, ovaries are also formed on the lateral processes and fruits are formed. It is worth remembering that beautiful rounded bushes are slightly less productive, but they look more decorative.

You've probably seen in stores more than once cherry tomatoes... They usually sit in a small basket and look great. These vegetables can decorate many dishes and add a piquant touch to them. These tomatoes, which are rather small in size, have a very pleasant sweetish taste with a slight sourness. Having tried them once, you will certainly have a desire to grow such vegetables yourself, and it is quite possible to do it. These tomatoes can be grown at home on your windowsill., but in order for the harvest to be good, you should know a few nuances.

Features of growing and care

In order for your cherry tomatoes to grow without causing any particular problems, and bring a good harvest, several nuances should be taken into account:

1. First you need choose the right pot for this plant. They should be cylindrical for better root filling. It is not advisable to use pots, the shape of which resembles a rectangle or square. And after the containers are selected, it is necessary to fill in the nutrient soil in them.
2. A southern or eastern window sill is perfect for placement, since the plant loves light very much.
3. Also tomatoes will need supplementary lighting, as otherwise they begin to throw off the buds. For this, it is desirable to use a blue-red shortwave source.
4. Seeds are sown in pallets, after which they are covered with polyethylene film (glass). They are kept in a place where it is dark and quite warm, ranging from 25 to 30 degrees. When the first shoots appear, the film is removed, and after 2 real leaves grow, the plants must be dived into the pots, where they will grow.
5. Once the tomatoes are transplanted to a permanent location, they must be properly cared for, which is very similar to that used for simple tomatoes grown outdoors. Plants need timely watering, pinching, prevention and treatment of diseases, fertilization, garter to the support.
6. If you have the desire and experience, then these plants can be grown hydroponically.

Optimum humidity

Cherry tomatoes, of course, love moisture, but it should be borne in mind that an excess of it can lead to a rapid build-up of stepsons and green mass in the plant. When the weather is cloudy, these plants need to be watered 2 times less than usual. In tomatoes of this type, the pistils are spliced ​​with the stamens (because of this, they are self-pollinated), however, if the soil moisture is very high and the air temperature is kept at 30 degrees, then the ovaries are extremely poorly formed. You can improve the situation with a brush. She just needs to walk over the flowers, which will significantly increase the number of ovaries.

Breeding features

The stems and cuttings of this plant root very simply and easily. Therefore, it is not necessary to grow cherry tomatoes from seeds. You can easily move them out of your garden. You can also root shoots or stepchildren.

In order for the stepsons to take root, as quickly as possible, very little fertilizer for the flowers must be added to the water poured into the glass. And if they are provided with good indoor conditions, then their rooting will occur after only 7 days. So, just an excellent seedling in the spring is obtained from plants that you rooted in the fall. And these seedlings can be obtained in just half a month. Plus, this type of seedling begins to bear fruit after just a month, and that's all, because they are part of an adult, well-developed plant.

Also, another advantage of this type of plant reproduction and planting them in open ground is that they have time to give a crop long before late blight begins to actively spread.

A few tricks

There are several tricks in growing cherry tomatoes:

1. So, you can plant newly rooted shoots in June for the second time, and they will actively bear fruit until mid-autumn.
2. German gardeners know one trick that allows them to exclude the pulling out of seedlings if they do not have enough light. And this is very easy to do. You will need a soft brush that you need to gently brush over the leaves and tops of the shoots from time to time. As a result, the hairs are slightly damaged. located on their surface, due to which the seedlings begin to grow much slower and bush.
3. Some gardeners also grow cherry tomatoes in buckets made from iron. Such plants are not planted in open ground. The fact is that thanks to such an unusual capacity, tomatoes are not infected with late blight. And this is because iron can significantly inhibit the growth and development of this fungus.

Hybrids and varieties for the windowsill, as well as the loggia

• Cherry Lisa F1;
• F1 bead;
• Baby;
• Minibel;
• Date F1;
• Craiova;
• Bonsai;
• Thumbelina;
• Pygmy;
• Greenfinch F1;
• Cherry Lycopa.

The choice of soil mixture and feeding features

Surely a large number of people who decide to grow cherry tomatoes on their windowsill find it very difficult to resist the bright packages of fertilizers that are available in literally every store. After all, it seems to them that without them the plant simply cannot grow normally and bring a good harvest. But here it is worth considering that abundant feeding of plants can do them very great harm.

And you should also know that the substances contained in fertilizers can accumulate in the fruits, as a result of which they become poisonous. And in order for cherry tomatoes to grow well, it will be enough to choose the right planting soil and feed them with any WMD once every 2 weeks, or use simple plant tinctures for these purposes.

The soil mixture is prepared simply. To do this, you need to mix sand, compost, peat, garden and turf soil. It is also recommended to add a little charcoal.

According to many experts, conventional mechanical mixing of the soil is less effective than that which is carried out with spraying of layers. Due to this, the soil is restructured, and as a result, when watering, the liquid will be more evenly distributed over the substrate.

Using the above tips, you will certainly be able to grow strong and healthy cherry tomatoes that will delight you with their harvest for a long time.

Video review

Among the huge selection of different varieties of tasty and healthy tomatoes, Cherry can be distinguished - a variety that was bred in the mid-70s by scientific breeders. Its main feature is the delicious sweet taste, the small size of the tomato, and the arrangement, not in pairs or singly, but in clusters. A big advantage here was also the fact that today it is quite possible to grow Cherry tomatoes on the balcony and windowsill, and with proper care and perseverance, you can get a very good harvest. So everyone who does not have their own personal plot can make such a mini-garden right on their loggia or balcony.

What is needed to grow cherry tomatoes on a windowsill?

To get a bountiful harvest of tasty and juicy tomatoes, you should carefully study the secrets of their cultivation, since without this it is not easy to succeed. Only knowing the breeding characteristics of the variety, the rules and time of sowing, the composition of the soil, the irrigation regime and the degree of lighting can a good result be achieved.

An important role is also played by the seeds of cherry tomatoes, which must be of high quality and live. The experience of many gardeners who grow Cherry right in their apartments suggests that everyone, with a responsible approach, can grow them. To do this, you just need to properly prepare the place, which should be dry, warm, ventilated and well-lit by the sun throughout the day.

Cherry tomatoes varieties that can be grown on the balcony:

• Pearl;
• Rowan miracle;
• Bonsai;
• Golden bunch;
• Little Red Riding Hood;
• Totem;
• Pinocchio;
• Balcony miracle;
• Minibel;
• Mio;
• Teenie Tim;
• Acrobat.

Regardless of the characteristics of each of the varieties, all fruits have a pronounced taste, while having the same mineral and vitamin composition.

Despite the fact that cherry tomatoes are high in sugars, small tomatoes are low in calories and therefore do not contribute to weight gain. At the same time, it is undesirable for people who suffer from peptic ulcer disease to eat them.

But for everyone else, our compatriots can confidently recommend eating tasty small tomatoes.

Features of planting and growing cherry tomatoes

Knowing the basic secrets of growing cherry tomatoes, a person will be able to properly observe all the conditions that will contribute to good fruit setting and high yields in general. First of all, it should be noted that, like other varieties of Cherry, they can be tall, medium and low-growing, not counting also the hybrid and varietal characteristics of each of them.

So, here you can give general recommendations, adhering to which the chances of getting tasty and juicy berries will significantly increase. Of course, all operations must be performed with soul, but those who are going to grow Cherry tomatoes probably love to do this business. Having set a goal and painted out step by step all the operations performed, one can hope for undoubted success in the form of a good harvest of delicious tomatoes. And proper care of Cherry tomatoes will ensure undoubted success and the opportunity to treat your relatives with delicious vegetables.

Here's what you need to take into account when growing this tomato variety:

• Land for planting is usually taken in a ratio of sand and black soil 1: 4 or 1: 3
• Cherry tomato seeds are not soaked before planting, but are immediately placed in boxes, cups or other containers prepared for planting, embedding them in the ground not very deeply. It is recommended to cover the ground with transparent cling film.
• After the first shoots appear, the film is removed, but not earlier than 5 days after planting.
• For better germination of seeds, immediately after planting them in the soil, the ground is watered with warm water
• After the sprouts have grown 5-6 cm, thinning is done, however, if not all of the seeds have sprouted, thinning may not be required.
• Plants are periodically watered, the soil is kept loose (for air access to the roots).
• In order for Cherry tomatoes grown at home to give a bountiful harvest, they need to be fed periodically, but not more often than 1 time a week.
• If tall varieties are planted, then it is imperative to put pegs to which the plant will bind.

More information for a good harvest of cherry tomatoes

It should be noted that all Cherry tomatoes, varieties of which are intended for cultivation at home, usually bear fruit 2-4 months after planting. At the same time, ripening occurs quite quickly, and with good fertilizers and abundant watering, the bush can bear fruit for 5-6 months. It is important to know that Cherry tomatoes are not pinned, and for a good harvest, the main leaves of the bushes cannot be cut off. During the period of ovaries, you do not need to feed, since this should be done at the very beginning of planting, when the shoots are stretching and the development of the ground part, and also after the fruits have set and turned into small green berries.

Growing in suitable containers

The choice of suitable pots should be taken very carefully, since the good condition of the plant directly depends on the condition of the root system. In principle, the containers should not be very deep, since pots 10-15 cm deep, but up to 20 cm wide are suitable here. The main factors that affect good fruiting are also the degree of illumination and the optimal temperature. The most suitable place for growing a crop is a wide window sill, but if there is an insulated loggia, then it is also perfect for these purposes.

Tasty and healthy Cherry tomatoes, the cultivation of which is available to everyone today, are grown today by many of our compatriots, and many of them willingly share tips and little secrets of a good harvest. Thanks to the long harvesting cycle, a person can always serve fresh and tasty tomatoes to the table, which have a pleasant aroma and delicious taste. In this case, it is best to remove the brown fruits, which at the same time allows you to accelerate the ripening of other fruits. If the weather is cloudy for a long time, then many home gardeners recommend switching on a table lamp to better illuminate the plant, which contributes to good plant growth.

Delicious and healthy fruits of cherry tomatoes are available to everyone

With a careful study of the peculiarities of growing this variety of tomatoes, one can come to the conclusion that, in principle, there is nothing complicated in this. Many thousands of our compatriots turn their balconies and loggias into a kind of winter garden. Only instead of flowers, you can see ovaries of small bright-red fruits here. And how pleasant it is to eat tomatoes grown on your windowsill, since their delicious aroma can never be compared with purchased factory vegetables.

In conclusion, it should be noted that with a responsible approach and careful study of all the necessary tips and recommendations, the chances of getting an excellent result are significantly increased. The most important thing is patience, which will surely pay off with an abundant and tasty harvest, which all family members will surely appreciate. Bright and colorful Cherry tomatoes, photos of which can be found on the network, will best prove the fact that it is quite possible to get a bountiful harvest.

Features of growing tomato seedlings at home - read this article on our website!

Cherry tomatoes on the balcony - video

The lack of a summer cottage or vegetable garden is not an obstacle to growing your own harvest of berries and vegetables. Today there are many varieties of crops intended for cultivation on the windowsill or balcony of a city apartment. One of the options is small cherry tomatoes, the green bushes of which also serve as a decorative function.

Vegetable characteristics

Cherry is a type of tomato. They are smaller, have a more pronounced aroma, and a delicate, sweetish aftertaste. Some argue that this vegetable has a fruity flavor, which makes it delicate.

Miniature bushes can be grown in greenhouses, as well as in ordinary flower pots on the windowsill or balcony of a city apartment. Despite the small height of the bush in comparison with the bush of ground tomatoes, cherry demonstrates a high yield. Up to 25 fruits are harvested from the bush. It is also convenient that they ripen almost at the same time, so you can harvest with whole branches. With proper care for the season, one cherry tomato bush yields up to 1.5 kg of harvest.

Like most balcony crops, cherry tomatoes are self-pollinating. Some gardeners, in order to speed up and better pollination, shake containers with bushes a little or manually, using a cotton swab, transfer pollen from plant to plant. However, with the right variety, such manipulations are unnecessary.

The fruits of tomatoes have different sizes and shapes, the differences also concern the colors (from bright red, scarlet to yellow-orange) and taste characteristics. All this is possible thanks to the crossing of various varieties and the breeding of new ones.

Which variety should you choose?

Indoor tomato varieties must be self-pollinating. They can tolerate shade, and also do not grow more than 1-1.5 m. Of course, it is important for a gardener to get a large harvest.

Among the varieties suitable for growing at home, there are usually several.

• "Likopa F1". The name of the fruit is due to the high content of lycopene in them. Ripens within 90 days, the tomatoes are bright red, sweet and sour, suitable for canning and fresh consumption.

• "Maxik F1". The bushes of this variety are compact due to the reduced distance between the nodes. The fruits are smaller in comparison with the variety discussed above, they have a more pronounced sweet taste. The ripening period is also 90 days. Suitable for conservation.

• "Kira F1". Bright yellow fruit, sweet taste, more fruit-like. Fruiting 90-95 days after germination. They can be consumed fresh, as well as stored in a cool dry place for up to 2-3 months.

• "Balcony miracle". One of the varieties loved by gardeners for its unpretentiousness and high yield. During the season, it is possible to collect up to 2 kg of fruits from the bush, and the bushes themselves are low - up to 45-50 cm in height. Despite the fact that this variety is early ripening, tomatoes can not only be eaten fresh, but also canned.

• "Orange Cap". From the name it is clear that the fruits have a red-orange hue. It has a small height (40-45 cm), looks great in pots. The fruits are small, literally covering the bush.

And also good reviews are received by the hybrids "Yellow Pearl", "Balcony Red", "Bonsai Micro". All these varieties are marked with F1 before the name.

Landing subtleties

For growing on a windowsill, you should choose windows facing the sunny side. Seeds are planted in tall pots. It is also necessary to prepare sticks or special supports for the garter of the grown bushes.

You can grow tomatoes at home by planting seeds or rooting stepchildren of adult plants. Seeds are usually sown in early August, then (subject to the necessary conditions) the crop can be harvested until December. There is another planting date: November - early December, in which case the bushes will bear fruit until March - April.

Step by step, this process involves preparing seeds and soil, planting seeds and covering them, the appearance of green shoots and their diving.

Before planting, the seeds should be prepared. First, you need to sort them out, removing empty and unsuitable for planting. Further, it is recommended to place the seeds in the growth stimulant solution for up to 12 hours. This will stimulate the seed to hatch. After the specified time, the seed must be rinsed in clean water and wrapped in wet gauze until it swells.

At this time, you can prepare the ground. It is better to refuse ready-made earthen mixtures, since their composition is extremely scarce.The best option is a mixture of garden soil, sand, peat and humus. The ratio of sand and black soil is selected as 1: 3, 1: 4. If you use such a composition, do not forget to disinfect it first. The easiest way to do this is to moisten the soil with a copper sulfate solution.

You can also enrich the soil with ash or mineral fertilizing. They should be brought in after disinfection.

The prepared seeds are placed in the soil and sprinkled with 1 cm of earth. The surface is watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or simply moistened with water and covered with plastic wrap or transparent glass.

In this form, the seeds are left in a warm, dark place until germination. When the first green sprouts appear, the film and glass must sometimes be removed (the seedlings should be hardened), and the pots are exposed to the light.

When the second leaf appears, it is recommended to make a pick, pinching the tip of the root. This contributes to the strengthening and growth of the root system. After diving, the tomatoes need to be watered with a warm solution of potassium permanganate, and the surface of the earth should be covered with calcined sand.

You can not make a pick, but grow seedlings in small cups, sowing 2 seeds each. When the seeds sprout and the seedlings have 3 leaves, the weaker sprout is removed.

Another option for growing cherry tomatoes is pinching. To do this, a branch of an adult plant should be placed in water for several days (usually about 5-7 days). As soon as the root appears, you can transfer it to the ground. This method is usually used to renew bushes or in case of obtaining a larger volume of the crop of the variety you like.

Care

You should be prepared that caring for tomatoes is not easy. It is important to observe the light and temperature regime, ensure regular watering, but avoid waterlogging of the soil and stagnant moisture. Of no small importance is the size of the container for growing, as well as the nature and frequency of pinching.

Care for seedlings after a dive implies compliance with a certain temperature regime - during the day it should be at least 22C, at night - 18C. Tomatoes need long, up to 16 hours, daylight hours. In this regard, it is recommended to turn on additional illumination at night.

Additional lighting will also be required when growing tomatoes in the winter. The lack of light is evidenced by the pale shade of the leaves and their elongated shape, the absence of ovaries.

When growing cherry tomatoes at home, you should choose tall cylindrical pots with a volume of at least 5 liters. Tomatoes in small containers or boxes will not yield a good harvest. The use of low containers is fraught with overturning under the weight of the bush and damage to the plant.

For small-fruited ampel varieties, it is better to use hanging pots. It is important to ensure that the edges of the latter are not sharp, otherwise the hanging branches of the tomatoes will be cut off. Place the pots in well-lit places where there are no drafts.

If at night the temperature on the balcony drops below 18C, tomatoes should be brought home at night. From time to time it is necessary to loosen the soil using a wooden stick. If exposed roots are found, they should be sprinkled with humus.

Watering

Stagnation of moisture in the soil negatively affects the condition of tomatoes. Bushes can stop growing and then rot. To some extent, this can be avoided by a drainage layer at the bottom of the pot. It is better to take small or medium sized expanded clay for this. To reduce the frequency of watering and prevent the soil from drying out, a layer of hydrogel, which is also placed in each container, allows.

Although tomatoes do not tolerate stagnant water, they should still be watered quite often. On warm sunny days, this should be done 2-3 times a week. When it is cloudy and humid outside, 1-2 times are enough during the same period. For watering, soft water at room temperature is suitable. As a rule, it is enough to pour tap water and let it stand for 1-2 days. It is better to water in the evening or early in the morning, after the sun reduces its activity.

When growing a culture on a windowsill, you should periodically spray it with warm water, as well as arrange for ventilation. It is better to ventilate after watering, but only if there are no drafts and cold air currents.

Air humidity should be at the level of 65-70%.

Top dressing

Cherry tomatoes are sensitive to soil minerals. The optimal feeding for them is ash, superphosphate, humus, previously rotted. They can be applied every 2 weeks before watering during the period of ovary formation and tomato ripening. But the use of nitrogen-containing dressings during this period should be moderate. Such fertilization will only contribute to an increase in greenery on the bushes, which inhibits the formation of ovaries.

Do not overuse fertilizers, because this will affect the benefits of the fruit. If we talk about ready-made mineral complexes, we recommend "Plantafid", "Plantafol" and Aqua Drop. For spraying the bush, you can use the anti-stress composition "Megafol".

Stepping

Grassing tomatoes (both home and ground) is necessary so that the culture does not waste its energy on the formation of an excessively large volume of green mass. Cherries grown at home need to be pinned a little less often. In this case, the culture gets an attractive hat, looks like a miniature tree and acts as an interior decoration.

It should be remembered that rounded green bushes give slightly less yield than those that are more often stepson. The choice of a specific option depends on the owner of the balcony mini-garden.

In any case, the lower stepchildren should be preserved, and at the time of the formation of the ovaries, no more than 4-5 brushes are retained on each stem. In the same period, you need to pinch the growth point by 3-4 cm. Diseased or dried, yellowed leaves should be removed regularly.

Stepchildren can be planted in water by adding a drop of flower food to the same place. After the root is formed on the stepson, you can plant it in the ground and grow a new bush.

Some varieties of balcony tomatoes do not need pinching. These include Bonsai Micro and Balcony Red.

Useful Tips

Cherry tomatoes grown at home are susceptible to attack by pests, as a rule, they are affected by aphids or spider mites. With negligible exposure, it is often enough to spray and ventilate the culture. If this does not help, and the lesion is getting worse, you can use insecticides for this crop. Preventing the damage to the bushes by pests and their diseases allows their preventive spraying. At the stage of pecking seedlings for this purpose, you can use Bordeaux liquid 1%, after setting the fruits - an infusion of garlic.

It is prepared from 100 g of chopped garlic, which is poured into ½ liter of clean water and infused for 24 hours. After that, the composition is filtered, diluted with 5 l of water, where 20 g of laundry soap is rubbed. The mixture should be stirred until the soap dissolves, after which it is considered ready to use. Processing with this composition can be carried out monthly.

When the bushes grow up, they should be tied to a support. For this, you can use plastic, wood or metal stakes. Hanging ampelous varieties can be run along trellises or tied horizontally with dense threads. As a result, you will also get a picturesque version of the decor of the room or balcony.

Balcony crops are self-pollinating, but pollination requires movement of air currents - this is another reason why frequent ventilation is necessary. You can put a fan with warm air near the bushes or, as mentioned above, manually pollinate using a cotton swab. The fact that the plant was pollinated is evidenced by some bending of the petals of the inflorescences back. The pollen matures at night, which means that the pollination process should be planned in the morning.

Harvested when ripe. It is believed that when ripe on a branch, tomatoes are tastier. For winter harvesting, by canning, you can collect brown fruits and put them in a dark, warm place until ripening. Similarly, you should pluck the fruits that you plan to keep fresh.

If you need to slow down the growth of plants, you can use the following method - using a brush, you need to gently damage the hairs of the tops of the shoots. Carefully iron the tops, then the vegetable will spend energy on restoring damaged areas, and not growing up. Naturally, these manipulations need to be carried out with moderate force, without causing a lot of damage to the bushes.

Experienced gardeners prefer to grow cherries in iron buckets. It is believed that this material prevents the appearance of a parasitic fungus, so the leaves are not affected by late blight.

For information on how to grow cherry tomatoes on a windowsill, see the next video.