Every spring I put in pots basil seeds, my favorite aromatic plant. In some years I had rosemary, parsley, dill, mint, chives, and even lettuce. This year I plan a new collection of herbs, but today I have another idea for those who grow their own plants near the window or balcony. How about cherry tomatoes in pots?

Cherry tomatoes need: a large amount of light (minimum 6 hours per day), plenty of water (daily watering during summer, the soil should be kept moist) and soil – a 1: 1 mixture of compost and peat moss or a mixture of 1: 1 topsoil and compost. Fertilizer: 2 times per month with a liquid fertilizer diluted in water.

Cherry tomatoes are planted in February-March and you can reap the harvest in July … that’s whether they properly cared for.

For starters, I bought a packet of seeds and a set of plastic cups. I used 2 cups for each seedling – one at the interior with perforated bottom to drain the water out of it. I soaked the soil, I made a hole near the surface using a pencil, I put 1-2 seeds and I covered with soil. I left them on the windowsill, watering them constantly. Soon I found some splendid little plants.

When things started to become serious, I realized I did not know enough about what I was going to do. I searched for more information on the forums and found out it was time to cut the sprouts. Eventually I cleared up. Cutting the sprouts means this: to remove those oval leaves from the base of each stem.

When plants reach 15-25 cm, the seedlings are ready to move.

Remove the plastic cups and move the plants in pots, along with the soil that compacts the roots. The pots should have, depending on the variety of your cherry tomatoes, between 10 and 40 liters. Check how tall your plants grow and choose accordingly.

An important step follows, because you will grow your tomatoes in an environment where there are no bees, butterflies and other insects that can fertilize the flowers. When flowering, take a soft bristle brush and make the bee work by yourself: randomly flit the brush close to the flowers for several times.

Do not forget the 2 weeks fertilization and fix poles when the plant begins to grow.

In the late summer you should have tomatoes, which begin to ripen: first green, then yellow and finally red. Don’t let them stay too much on the twigs, because their bark will strengthen.
I got few tomatoes last year (my harvest was poor just because I have not respected the soil type and I have not fertilized), but this year I plant again cherry tomatoes and I will my job better ☺.