Category: Gardening Tips

If you also love small-sized tomatoes and want to grow a unique and delicious variety of tomatoes that can enhance the taste of your dishes, then you are at the right place.

If you lack garden space or are looking for balcony gardening, smaller varieties of tomatoes are one of the best options. Most people think that smaller-sized tomatoes can be produced only by smaller plants but let me clarify that it is not always true. There are plants which are taller but produce a smaller variety of tomatoes. 

Popular varieties of small-sized tomatoes are cherry and Roma. In this article, I have discussed many other juicy, tasty, and flavourful tomato varieties. Many of those varieties can also be easily planted in containers, pots or baskets. Of course, these varieties are smaller, but their taste covers every other aspect.

I have picked 21 of my favoritevarieties of small tomatoes that are unique, tasty and easy to grow, and most of these varieties are very economical.

Alberto’s Shattering Currant

Alberto’s Shattering Currant tomatoes, scientifically known as Solanum Pimpinellifolium, is one of the unique varieties of cherry-sized tomatoes. These tomatoes are not that delicious but crispy to eat. It is used in salads, salsas and many other fresh tomatoes dishes. 

A shattering currant means the tomatoes shatter and open when they are entirely ripened. The fruits tend to fall when they are completely ripe. The harvesting process for such varieties is very simple and rapid. 

You can spread some cloth and shake the plant; the tomatoes will fall easily and quickly. 

It can grow up to a height of 6 inches and prefers to grow in full exposure to sunlight. The plant zone from 2-10. 

Amethyst Cream Cherry

Amethyst Cream Cherry, an annual plant, is mostly found in south and central America. Scientifically it is known as Solanum Lycopercium. It is unique because of its purple color fruit. The plant produces small-sized tomatoes in yellow and lavender color. 

The tomatoes produced are delicious, low acidic, and best used as salads. 

As the plant can grow taller, supporting a trellis or tomato cages can help the plant do extremely well. It loves to grow in full exposure to sunlight. The best part is that its fruit is resilient to sunlight, whereas most varieties are sensitive to the sun. This plant zones from 2-10.

Black Pearl Hybrid

Black Pearl Hybrid is one of the most famous varieties of cherry tomato. Scientifically it is known as Solanum Lycopercium. It grows to a height of 4-6 inches and does better when supported with trellis, stakes or tomato cages. 

It is quite famous because of its small round dark colored delicious, flavorful and juicy fruit. To strengthen the plant, prune it back from where it produced fruits. 

The fruit’s color and flavor make it different from other cherry tomatoes. It is easy to grow and a high-yield producing plant. 

Like other tomato plants, it also prefers to grow in full sunlight. The plant’s zone from 2-10.

Candyland Red

Candyland Red varieties of tomatoes are primarily known for their currant-sized fruits, and it is fun to pop directly into the mouth. The plant does not spread too much. They are small tomato plants and thus well suited for container gardens. 

Despite their small height, these plants do exceptionally well when they get support. A healthy candyland red plant can set many delicious sweet fruits.

Unlike other varieties of tomato plants, it produces fruits outside the vines, making fruit harvesting easier. It loves to grow in full exposure to sunlight. The plant zones are from 2-10.

Celano

Celano is a semi-determinate hybrid tomato plant, scientifically known as Solanum Lyopercium, that produces grape-sized oval shape fruits, and the plant is benefited when supported with tomato cages. It is a disease-resilient plant and produces fruits early after the plant is completely developed. 

This plant is suitable to grow in containers too. It won the AAS award for its delicious flavor and bushy habits, as per NDSU. Most people prefer to grow this variety.

Celano is popular among home gardeners because of its high productivity, good flavor, and better color, and it is also resistant to early blight, fusarium wilt and verticillium. It required full exposure to sunlight for its healthy growth and zones from 2-10.

Cherry Cocktail

Cherry Cocktail tomatoes, a semi-climbing heirloom variety, are well known for their exceptionally sweet flavor. Scientifically it is known as Solanum Lycopercium. 

These tomatoes are often used as salads (add olive oil and basil for an amazing salad) and in culinary dishes because of their bright red fruits and sweet flavor. Along mini tomatoes with great taste, it is rich in certain vitamins.

They are best suited for containerized planting and do well when supported with stakes or cages. The plant is grown in clusters, and thus harvesting becomes easier compared to other small variety tomatoes. It is an annual plant that prefers to grow in full exposure to sunlight and zones from 2-10. 

Everglades

Everglades – solanum Pimpinellifolium is an heirloom variety of tomatoes. It grows more than 6 feet and belongs to an indeterminate tomatoes variety. The plant keeps on spreading unless manually controlled. Currant-sized, flavorful fruits are set on the plants. It can bloom and fruit year-round and is resilient to verticillium, late blight and fusarium wilt. 

The plant is mainly resilient to hot and humid weather but can withstand various climates. And it can produce fruits only in cooler temperatures. Everglades variety is most suitable to grow in Florida Key and is locally known as wild tomatoes.

This tomato plant loves to grow in full sun and zones from 2-10.

Fantastico

Fantastico is a bushy determinate variety of tomatoes that can produce high-yield grape tomato varieties and is also known for its early maturing ability.

If grown in the ground, the plant can perform very well if supported with a cage. It can also be planted in pots and containers and can still produce a good number of fruits. This variety of tomatoes is also resilient to late blight. 

The plant can produce up to 12 pounds of tomatoes. The tomatoes are damn tasty, flavorful, and not excessively sweet, and the fruit’s texture is deep red. It prefers to grow in full sunlight and zones from 2-10. 

Firefly

Firefly, scientifically known as Solanum Lycopercium, is well known for its Sharp and intense flavor. It is an indeterminate variety of tomato plants.

Firefly produces creamy yellow colored, thin-skinned tomatoes commonly preferred for snacking. The size of tomatoes varies between currant and cherry tomato, which have a fruity taste, like pineapples or mangoes. 

Fireflies need structure to thrive as they climb high and should be supported with cages or stakes, or trellis to prevent them from infections and to touch the ground. It can produce delicious high-yield tomatoes and prefers to grow in full sun and zones from 2-10.

Gold Nugget

A gold nugget is a determinate bushy tomato variety, and well fit for container gardening. As the name suggests, the color of the fruits produced is golden yellow, and the fruits are seedless too. The fruits are juicy and sweet and have a low acidic flavor. 

Gold nuggets thrive in cold weather and are available in summer and fall. They are hardy and high-yield producing plants, and growing tomatoes is also very economical because of their short height. Like other tomatoes, this variety also loves to grow in total exposure to sunlight and zones from 2-10.

Green Grape

Green grape tomatoes are indeterminate, but they can also be grown in containers if staked well. In an ideal growing environment, the plant can grow up to 5 feet, but the gardeners need to be extra protection for the plant in the rainy season as the tomatoes can be damaged due to rain. Green Grape tomatoes are heat resistant and do not burst. 

The fruits are produced in mid-summer and continue to produce fruits till the first frost. The tomatoes are yellow in color, less acidic, have a fruit flavor and love to grow in full sunlight and zones from 2-10. 

Midnight Snack

The Midnight Snack variety has a unique color of fruits. The tomatoes are indigo cherry type and after ripening, they turn into black cherry tomatoes or purple when directly exposed to the sun.

The color varies depending on the part of the plant exposed to the sun. Anthocyanin pigments are the main reason for their unique color. The fruits are neither excessively sweet nor too acidic.  

This plant is never suggested to be grown in containers. The plant performs well when planted directly in the ground and supported well. The plants can grow up to 6 feet if they get proper growing conditions. This variety of tomatoes also prefers to grow in full sun and zones from 2-10. 

Patio Choice Yellow

Patio choice yellow is a determinate plants variety of tomato which produces bushy plants. These plants take very small space to grow and, thus, are well suitable for container planting. The plant grows up to 18 inches, but each plant can still produce a hundred tomatoes.

Patio choice yellow tomato plant can enhance the look of your garden with its amazing combination of green leaves and yellow fruits. It beautifies the look of your garden and tastes delicious, flavorful and juicy.

If you are facing space issues in your garden, choose a “patio choice yellow” variety of tomatoes; even this plant can thrive in a hanging basket. It is an annual plant that prefers to grow in full sunlight and zones from 2-10.

Red Torch

The red torch variety of tomatoes has a very attractive look. They are rectangular shaped, glossy red, and become yellow after ripening. The tomatoes weigh about 1.5 ounces and are around 2 inches long.

The plant is hardy and can grow even in harsh growing conditions too. These tomatoes can be harvested early. 

The red torch can grow up to 6 feet if properly staked. As they require little extra space to grow properly, you can plant them in a big container and still get many tomatoes. 

Roma VF

Roma VF is well known for producing seedless, fleshy and juicy tomatoes. The VF in its name denotes V- Verticillium and F-Fusarium, the most common tomato diseases, and this variety is resilient to these diseases.

This plant is also capable of surviving in adverse growing conditions. It is often used as salsa, tomato sauce and paste. 

Roma tomatoes requires much less space and is economical to grow and maintain. It produces high-yield small-sized tomatoes. The plant prefers to grow in full exposure to sunlight and zones from 2-10.

Super Sweet 100

Super Sweet 100 is an indeterminate variety of tomatoes and needs more space to flourish. The plant type is somewhere between bush and vine. Thus perform well when given support with stakes or cages.

This plant spreads unevenly but looks pretty because of its shiny leaves and deep red-colored fruits. This variety of tomatoes is resilient to powdery mildew. 

The name of the plant describes its nature and produces extremely sweet tomatoes, and each plant can produce a hundred tasty tomatoes. The plant is easy to grow in sunny locations and well-drained soil.

Ted’s Pink

Ted’s Pink is a wild origin of tomatoes. The tomatoes produced are pinkish-red and currant-sized, making this variety unique. The plant can produce a high yield all year round. 

Ted’s pink grows larger in height and thus is unsuitable for container planting. The plant loves to spread and requires more space to grow properly. The plant prefers to grow in sunny locations and zones from 2-10. 

Tiny Tim

Tiny Tim is a determinate variety of tomatoes and requires a very low cost for its maintenance, and the plant produces very small and flavorful tomatoes. Tiny Tim can grow well even without the support and can thrive easily. 

If you are running out of space in your garden, this variety of tomatoes is a great choice, and it can also be grown perfectly in containers.

The tiny tim tomatoes are either bright red cherry tomatoes or red and yellow tomatoes called Cherry Gold. When used in salads together, both tomatoes give an immense look. It can grow both in full and partial sun and zones from 2-10.

Tumbling Tom

Tumbling Tom, a determinate variety of tomatoes, grows only to the height of 2 feet, making it a perfect choice for container gardening. It can grow properly without support because of its short height.

The plant has a naturally trailing habit, and long stems are grown over containers, pots or baskets, so the variety is named Tumbling Tom. This is also suitable for balcony gardening as it needs much less growing space. 

Bright yellow and red colored fruit is produced, and the plant can produce a high yield even in small containers.

Each plant can produce 4 pounds of tomatoes, and the plant does not need a high cost for its maintenance and prefers to grow in full exposure to the sun. 

Valentine

Valentine tomatoes are an early maturing bushy plant which produces fire red colored small-sized tomatoes. The tomatoes turn testier as the color of the tomatoes gets darker. 

Valentine tomato plants require very less space to grow and thus are suitable for container planting or hanging baskets. It is a low-maintenance plant which is also resistant to blight. The leaves of the plant are glossy green which looks attractive. It prefers to grow in full exposure to sunlight and zones from 2-10. 

Yellow Pear

Yellow Pear is famous for its teardrop and small, bright yellow-colored tomatoes. The plant grows tall, but the fruit produced is small and delicious. 

The tomatoes are very small, oval or round and pear-shaped; the plant is very productive and can produce large quantities of tomatoes. 

Summary

If you plan to grow small varieties of tomatoes, you can plant any of the above-listed varieties according to your ease and local climatic conditions. The tomatoes listed in this article are very easy and economical to grow.

Most of the varieties are of unique color, shape and size which can give an immense look to any of your dishes. Along with their look and texture, they also taste sweet, tangy flavor, crunchy and delicious.

If you’re eager to cultivate tomatoes, cherry tomatoes are ideal. Most backyard gardeners have tomatoes in their gardens at some point; with over 100 varieties of cherry tomatoes available, there’s plenty to pick from! Moreover, growing cherry tomatoes is a breeze compared to the vast array of other tomato types out there.

For centuries, people have grown and enjoyed the exquisitely sweet taste of cherry tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), first cultivated from wild tomato fruits in the Andes. Those fortunate enough to eat a ripe cherry tomato directly off its plant can understand why the Inca people selected them for their sweet flavor and snacking capabilities.

Are you planting your garden for spring? Make sure to include Chadwick’s cherry tomatoes from San Diego Seed Co.! These tasty fruits are an ideal addition to any garden and will make harvesting much more enjoyable come summertime.

Cherry tomatoes are among the most popular varieties of heirloom seeds, with black cherry tomatoes being a favorite. They can be determinate or indeterminate and make it easy to harvest something rewarding for your garden all season long – no matter what type you choose!

Let’s ditch the conventional tomatoes and start growing cherry tomatoes; they can be eaten fresh, canned, or stored for year-round enjoyment of their sweet taste!

Cherry Tomato Plants Overview

The scientific name of cherry tomatoes is Solanum Lycopersicum var. Cerasiforme belongs to the family Solanaceae. Inca people in the Andes started cultivating cherry tomatoes around 80,000 years ago. Cherry tomatoes are smaller than other small tomato varieties.

The plants produce fruit after the flowers bloom on the plant’s branches and are covered with leaves. Tomatoes are self-pollinators, but external pollinating agents also greatly increase fruit production. Yellow varieties of tomato flowers have five petals, and fruits are formed when flowers die.

Humans are suggested not to eat the plant’s leaves in larger quantities as they can be poisonous, but fruits can be easily and freely consumed. The leaves of the plants contain alkaloid solanine and tomatine, which are not easy to digest. Yet it’s a controversial topic whether it can be cooked and consumed.

With an array of cherry tomato varieties, I decided on Cherokee Purple Cherry Tomatoes. This indeterminate variety has been flourishing since summer began – a delightful surprise! Their skin has a stunning purple hue, while the inside of ripe tomatoes is a vivid red, bursting with incredible flavor.

Why not try some traditional red varieties for a sensational start to your tomato journey? But if you’re looking for something more unique and eye-catching, yellow and orange tomatoes are also available!

With an abundance of options on offer, there’s plenty to explore when it comes to discovering the world of tomatoes.

When To Plant Cherry Tomatoes?

Most cherry tomato varieties are planted during the spring when the danger of frost has gone.

You can start the germination and seedling process of seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the end of the frost.

Let it grow 5-6 more inches tall with a couple of leaves on it. And now you can plant them outside.

Where to Plant Cherry Tomatoes?

All The cherry tomato plants have the same requirements no matter where they are planted. You can plant directly in the ground, container, or pots. They prefer to grow in warm climates and require full exposure to sunlight. Thus choosing a spot where sunlight of 6-8 hours is received gives the best result.

Slightly acidic soil with a pH of 6.2 is the best for cherry tomatoes. It should be nutrient, loose and well-drained soil as well. It does well, especially in Loam and sandy loam soil. But it can grow in all types of soils except heavy clay soil. You can improve the clay soil by adding sawdust, peat moss, compost, sand etc.

Before planting, adding some tomato-specific fertilizers can promote the rapid growth and development of the plants. 

How To Plant Cherry Tomatoes?

It is possible to grow both varieties in pots, containers or raised beds if proper growing conditions are provided. But you should choose the variety of cherry tomatoes according to your ease. 

I have listed a few points to help you grow your cherry tomatoes efficiently.

• If you want to grow your plants in pots, then the determinate plants variety is suitable because of their short height, and indeterminate varieties are good to grow directly in the ground as they need more space to grow properly. Maintaining 4 feet of distance between the rows results in healthy growth and development of the plants.
• You should transplant summer varieties after the threat of frost has passed. If you plan to initiate the process from seeds, start it 6-8 weeks after the last frost indoors.
• You should plant fall varieties a few months before the last frost.
• Dig a deep hole of at least 10 inches down for your tomato plants. It helps the plant develop a strong root system and makes it efficient enough to deliver nutrients. 
• Add support to the plant with a stake or trellis (avoid using small tomato cage). Stakes or trellis won’t become an obstacle to work in the garden. It would prevent the risk of diseases, save the plant from falling over after growth and set many fruits on it. Large cages can be used, which is best fit with indeterminate varieties.

How To Care for Cherry Tomatoes?

Caring for your cherry tomato plants is not rocket science. If you give proper care and an ideal growing environment, it can easily be grown healthy.

Just follow the below simple tips, and you will be amazed to see the results. 

Sunlight and Temperature

Cherry tomato plants love to grow in full to partial sun. Ideally, they should have 6-8 hours of direct sunlight and prefer 70-85 degrees Fahrenheit for proper growth and development.

If the temperature rises above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, the risk of blossom drop increases. If the temperature reaches 56 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, fruits drop from the plants. 

You can find both cold-tolerant and heat-tolerant varieties. So you can choose the variety according to the climatic conditions of your local area. 

Water and Humidity

Consistent and deep watering promotes the healthy and overall growth of the plant. Avoid overhead irrigation and install drip irrigation in your garden. You can also use soaker hoses without drip irrigation to water the plant. Ensure watering the base and avoid watering on the leaves of the plants. 

In hot climates, water the plant in the morning and check the soil moisture. Never let the soil dry. During fall, you can water once per week. But potted tomato plants need to be watered more frequently as the soil in the pot dries out soon when compared to the ground the plant grows in as it holds water better.

At the same time, overwatering can result in blossom end rot, mainly during the fruiting time. Split fruit also happens because of inconsistent watering habits.

The plants require very less water during cold and rainy seasons. If you have potted and container plants, it’s good to bring them during excessive rain. 

Soil

Tomato plants do well in moist, well-drained and rich soil. Before planting, prepare a rich soil mix, and ensure proper spacing between the plants to avoid overcrowding. It helps to maintain a good airflow facility for the plants. Keep providing a good layer of topsoil, bone meals and compost for healthy growth and development of the plant.

Tomatoes prefer to grow in little acidic soil with a pH level of 6..2-6.8. You should prepare less nitrogen-containing soil mix to prevent your plants from being bushy.

As a result, your plants become more capable of utilizing their energy to produce flowers and develop fruit.

Containerized plants need a little extra care. The same soil mix is required for them also, but you should fertilize them extra during their growing season.

The cherry plants can be grown even in clay soils, and it tastes delicious, but they won’t be the exact flavor of cherry tomatoes. 

Cherry Tomatoes Fertilizing 

Fertilizers play a great role in growing and fruiting cherry tomatoes. Choose a slow-release organic fertilizer with good phosphorus content and apply it in the ground hole or container before planting cherry tomatoes.

Also, apply some bone meals like eggshells to fulfil the need for calcium. It helps to promote the flowering of the plants. Or you can get an ideal fertilizer of 5-7-3 NPK and check the label to see if it contains calcium.

You can also use tea compost or granular fertilizer or add some additional slow-release fertilizers to enhance the growth and fruiting ability of the plants.

If you have planted cherry tomatoes in pots, apply nutrients frequently in the soil mix, as potted plants need more nutrients than grounded plants.

The nutrients get flushed out with water from the containers, and it is also vital to frequently water them in extremely hot climates or in summer. 

Pruning Your Cherry Tomatoes

Because of their short height, determinate cherry plants require much less pruning than indeterminate plants. The determinate varieties are very much benefited when pruned.

Pluck a few blooms at the beginning to encourage your plant to set more flowers. Pruning the bottom leaves that touch the ground helps the plant avoid infections and diseases.

When the plant reaches a height of 12 inches, pruning can be done.

Propagation of Cherry Tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes are to be propagated by germinating their seeds in the spring and transplanting them after the threat of the last frost has passed.

I prefer to save the cherry tomato seeds and use those seeds to grow them next season. When planting heirloom varieties, preserving the seeds for planting and getting the original variety in the next season also becomes necessary.

There is another great option to propagate your cherry tomato plant. You can mix some tomato suckers with the seeds and get more plants.

After pruning, put the suckers in the water and let them grow the roots and in such a way, you can get more cherry tomato seedlings and grow more cherry tomatoes.

How To Harvest and Store Cherry Tomatoes?

You don’t need to struggle to harvest cherry tomatoes. Harvesting them is easier than harvesting the larger varieties. You can directly pluck the ripe cherry tomatoes. 

Harvesting Cherry Tomatoes

The best part of Determinate cherry tomatoes is that they set all fruits at one time only, and you can enjoy a large number of fruits at one go and preserve them. 

Indeterminate cherry tomato variety produce fruits continuously, and you can enjoy fresh, delicious bite sized fruits all over the season.

Pluck the cherry tomatoes from the plant when they are red and ripe. You should know the fruit color of the varieties you have chosen to plant.

For yellow varieties of tomatoes, wait for the fruit to turn golden color; for orange varieties, wait for the fruits to turn orange and so on. 

If you are confused about the color of the fruits, pull one of the fruits and eat the fruits to check the taste. If it has the right flavor, harvest it, if not then wait for the fruits to ripen. 

Storing

It is a bit tough to store cherry tomatoes but it is not impossible. It just needs a little extra effort to preserve them for a long time.

Ensure to harvest them from the stem. You can consume them as soon as possible or keep them at room temperature. But Fresh Cherry tomatoes are way tasty, flavorful and delicious to eat.

If you want to store the cherry tomatoes for longer, you can dry them out in direct sunlight and store them at room temperature for six months. You can also enjoy these dried tomatoes with or without olive oil for two years if kept unopened. 

Growing Cherry Tomatoes in Pots

If you are planning to grow cherry tomatoes in a pot, then it’s a great idea as you can avail many advantages of growing them in pots like pests and diseases would be in limit, you can easily place the pot in a suitable place for harvesting. 

Please follow the below steps for the proper plantation of cherry tomatoes in pots. 

• Choose any of the cherry tomatoes variety according to your ease. 
• Take a large pot which is at least one foot high and wider. (A 5-gallon bucket is good for one plant) make a hole in the bottom of the pot for proper soil drainage.
• Now support the plant by keeping the container near the trellis or other support structures.
• Now keep a regular eye and water the plant in adequate quantities. Do not water on the foliage and water in the base of the plants.
• Keep noted that potted plants need more frequent light watering than grounded plants as the soil dries out rapidly. 

Troubleshooting Pests, Diseases and Other Problems

Tomato plants can attract various pests and diseases if not handled properly. Nature has gifted us with resistant varieties, yet they require proper maintenance, and if you have already planted heirloom varieties, then it requires a lot of extra care. Thus, it is very necessary to inspect your plant regularly for pest-free and disease-free cherry tomatoes. 

Growing Problems

Inconsistent watering

• Tomatoes facing inconsistency in watering with tight or closely packed soil can result in the split of tomatoes on the vine. 
• It can also result in Blossom End Rot, meaning the tomatoes rot on the bottom, but the plant appears healthy. Inconsistency in the watering can make the plant too dry and impact the plant’s ability to deliver calcium, leading to the tomatoes’ bottom end rot.

You can resolve both problems by adopting good watering practices and using a good soil mix.

Blossom Drop: Your cherry tomato plants can ace Blossom drop in hot weather conditions. You can shade your plant with clothes or a row cover material to protect your plant from extreme heat.

Sunscald: when the tomatoes are exposed to direct or hot sunlight for an extended period of time, then go through sunscald. You can support the plants with a trellis, and your plants can shade the fruits and protect them from sunscald.

Leaf Curl: Environment stresses like too high or too low temperature and over or under-watering the plants can cause leaf curling issues. Pests and diseases are also a reason for leaf curling. But the direction of the leaf curling, like upward or downward, can clearly indicate its main reason.

Blossom End Rot: calcium deficiency is the main cause of Blossom End Rot for all kinds of tomatoes. When the plants cannot absorb calcium, Blossom end rot happens.

Generally, it happens because of an irregular water supply to the plants. You can mix some calcium fertilizers or bone meals in a limited amount to prevent the risk of BER.

You can also add some calcium with your regular NPK fertilizer and apply it to the garden soil all the seasons.

Keep the soil moist so that the plant can easily absorb calcium. But make sure that the soil is neither soggy nor too dry.

Pests

Many pests impact grape tomatoes too, which act as a barrier in the growing and fruiting process of the plants. I have listed a few pests which have adverse effects.

Tomato hornworms are very large caterpillars which can destroy the overall plant in a very short time. They love to feed the foliage and fruits of cherry tomatoes.

Attracting natural predators in the garden, like lacewings, ladybugs, or Trichogramma wasps, can help control them. You can use pyrethrin spray to wipe them out. Tomato hornworms produce moths on cherry tomatoes, which you can prevent with floating row covers.

Aphids and Whiteflies: Aphids, leaf-footed bugs, and whiteflies are well known for their sap-sucking nature. They loved to suck the nutrients of the plants from foliage and stems. It can cause great disaster for your plant if not taken care of at times.

The use of neem oil can help control these harmful pests. Ensure not to use it during flowering or within two weeks of harvesting. For seven days, you can also spray some insecticidal spray in the early morning and evening.

Spider mites: They make webs on all the sides of the plants as they feed on their leaves. You can reduce them with the application of horticulture and neem oil.

Take a damp cloth and wipe out the mites; now, you can spray the oil and destroy the stray eggs. It would also work to remove the leaf-footed bugs.

Diseases

Cherry Tomatoes get infected with many diseases, and if not taken care of on time, they can spread in a blink of an eye throughout the whole garden and can destroy all your plants. 

I have listed some of the most common diseases.

Early Blight: It is a fungal disease that generally appears on tomato plants’ lower leaves. Small brown colored spots appear on the infected leaves and form like concentric rings.

Fungus Alternaria solani is the leading cause of the disease, which appears in the soil and on the debris of infected plants. It is better to rotate with other crops which do not belong to the nightshade family.

Remove the infected plant and dispose of them, do not use them as compost or mulch to avoid the risk of spread of the disease. You can also use copper-based fungicides to reduce the early blights.

Bacterial Speck: It is a bacterial disease that infects the foliage of cherry plants and forms a dark green spot on ripe fruit that seems outlined by a yellow ring.

The main cause of the disease is the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. But it does not impact the production of fruits in most cases. It can be controlled and prevented with crop rotation.

Tomato buckeye rot: It is a fungal disease caused by three species of fungus: P. capsici, P. drechsleri, and P. nicotiana var. Parasitica and impacts the fruits of the plants. It looks like the bottom end rot, but you can only control the disease by preventing it.

Gray leaf spots: It is a fungus disease which can turn the foliage of the plant to gray and eventually spreads to the stems and fruits of the plant. It mainly happens in Warm moist weather conditions.

You can control it by spraying fungicides and rotation crops. But it is best to adopt the prevention habit to control such diseases. 

Summary

The tiny-sized lovely looking delicious, tangy and sweet-flavored cherry tomatoes are easy to grow if the above tips are correctly followed. Ensure to plant these tomatoes at the right time, i.e., in the spring and avoid planting during the frost. Care for your plant and closely monitor them.

Provide warm conditions to grow them, take essential steps to protect them from diseases and pests, and water them properly and in the right amount.

Harvest them carefully at the right time and store them properly. If all these simple things are taken care of, nothing can beat you enjoying flavorful cherry tomatoes!

Happy Tomato Gardening!

Are you also living in a desert and hot area but love to eat homegrown tomatoes and are worried whether they can be grown in your local hot climate? Here I have discussed easy tips and tricks to grow delicious and healthy tomatoes in hot, dry, and desert climates.

So the main concern is whether tomatoes can be grown in desert areas or not.

The answer is yes; it can be grown if a few things are taken care of. Tomatoes can do quite well and produce high yields in deserts, also. The main advantages of growing tomatoes in such climates are tomatoes are very less prone to diseases and fungal infections, and chances of root rot are also very low due to dry weather.

But the challenges faced in desert climates are more. When the temperature drops, it reaches around freezing point. So temperature fluctuations are a major concern, and less availability of water, low humid weather, and high level of monsoon rain also make the situation difficult for growing tomato plants. 

So, how can tomatoes be grown with such obstacles? 

With a decade of experience growing vegetables and tomatoes in the scorching desert climate of Arizona for farmers markets, I’ve accumulated some invaluable tips to help you cultivate great-tasting tomatoes even under sweltering heat.

Here I have elaborated various tips and techniques to grow tomatoes with high yield outdoors and in containers in a hot desert climate. So let’s jump into it!

Choose The Right Variety Of Tomato Plant

To plant tomatoes in a hot climate, the 1st step is to choose the tomato variety that is resistant to hot and dry climatic conditions. You can plant most varieties in hot climates, but some do exceptionally well. 

For purchasing seeds or plants, go to a nursery that can provide you the varieties well suited for your local climates and area. Choose the “heat tolerant” types to grow the tomatoes in hot and dry conditions. 

Hybrid F1 plants are bred to produce the best varieties of tomatoes, which are resilient to various diseases and can be planted well in tough climates. But they are not genetically modified and are very expensive compared to open-pollinated seeds. 

And there is a big disadvantage: it won’t produce seeds when planted most of the time. So you won’t be able to preserve the seeds to grow new plants of such varieties next season. 

Open-pollinated and heirloom varieties are good to be planted to keep the seeds growing next season. Avoid planting dark-colored varieties; go for red, pink, yellow, or orange fruiting varieties. These varieties can bear hot conditions and are less prone to sunscald as compared to darker varieties. 

Small fruiting varieties like cherry tomatoes or saladettes can perform better than large ones like “big boy” in hot weather. Here’s a list of a few varieties that can be successfully grown in desert areas.

• Early girl tomatoes
• Roma
• Celebrity
• Sweet 100 tomatoes
• Summer girl
• Other cherry tomatoes

Consider Virus Resistant Varieties

Plants grown in desert areas, like beets, tomatoes, bell peppers, and cucurbits, are more susceptible to pathogens like “curly top viruses.”

Beet Leafhoppers are the main reason for the transmittal of curly top viruses in the plants, which can worsen the situation.

So if you want to grow tomatoes in desert areas, choose a variety resilient to “curly top virus.” Cherry tomatoes are less prone to CTV as compared to heirloom tomato varieties. 

The plants impacted by CTV look wilted and do not recover even after watering adequately. As a result, the plants fail to flourish, remain small in size, and twist, and the color turns yellow and brown at the end. The worst thing is it is not curable at all. You are not left with options other than discarding the impact plants as soon as possible.

So when you buy seeds for planting tomatoes in hot or desert areas, go to the nursery, choose the varieties listed as CTV resilient or Curly Top Virus resilient, and ask them if they have varieties that can resist the CTV. 

Know Your Last Frost Date

Who does not love the warm winters of desert areas? It’s really awesome. But winters in desert areas can simply trap the tomato gardeners. The desert winter night temperature can fall below freezing. 

Ensure the last frost date in the spring, and continuously pay attention to the night temperatures throughout the spring and early summer. 

Even if the temperature of your surrounding area is more than freezing, The temperature of your area, i.e., your micro-climate, may remain cooler.

If you have planted the tomatoes, use a row cover or shade cloth to keep your crop warm and protect it from frost. 

Observe Your Microclimate

For gardeners, microclimates can be advantageous in the colder months – like a southern-facing area that will warm up earlier during spring. In the summertime, trees that provide dappled shade also create favorable microclimates.

However, these same microclimates can annoy when a vegetable garden in low-lying areas remains frosted for weeks after other places have already thawed out.

When it comes to growing tomatoes, your selected area is paramount. It should be level terrain with optimal sun exposure—avoid choosing the lowest point of your property since colder air will always settle there and make frost more likely.

With careful thought about where tomato plants are planted, gardeners can maximize their harvest potential!

When early spring temperatures begin to dip, heat banks such as large rocks can help bring warmth. However, come summertime, these same warmers could become unbearably hot.

So, it’s always best to have access to gentle air circulation or a breeze to reduce potential illnesses and delay frost, depending on its type.

Plant Extra Tomato Plants

Your tomato plants are mostly at risk of damage due to over, or under-watering issues, pests, diseases, Curly Top Viruses, tomato hornworms attack, damage due to animals, and many other factors. 

Thus, planting some extra tomatoes every growing season would be a good idea. If you have grown excessive tomatoes, you can always opt for pruning them.

The plants love to be with their company, which helps them absorb and retain heat at night, creating a warm microclimate around the plants. 

Water Deeply When Soil is Dry

Deep watering is the key to enhancing plants’ growth and keeping them healthy. Tomato plants also love when watered deeply and correctly. It helps to develop a strong root system for plants.

Deep watering is better to practice than frequent watering as it can only promote lateral growth, i.e., side shoots which is a disadvantage for the fruiting ability of the tomato plants.

Never set a schedule to water your plant. Always check the mixture in the soil; if the soil is dry, you should water it.

To check the soil moisture, you can stick your finger in the garden soil, and if 1 inch of your finger comes out dry, it is the right point to water your plant. Do not let the soil be soggy. It can result in lesser soil oxygen and plant roots rotting too. 

Harvest Before Watering or Heavy Rain

If you find any tomatoes which are ripe more than ⅔, it is recommended to harvest them before watering your plant deeply. You would be amazed by the flavor of those tomatoes. The tomatoes are tastier at this stage.

Very ripe tomatoes are more at risk of getting cracked when watered. You won’t be able to store those tomatoes longer after their harvest.

Bigger-sized or thin-skinned tomatoes are at more risk of getting cracked. So wisely choose the variety of tomatoes while growing them. 

Add Compost That Can Increase Organic Matter

Every gardener prefers organic materials to grow their crops. While growing tomatoes in desert areas, the biggest challenge is the soil’s low content of organic matter.

Desert soil has shallow organic matter compared to darker soils. Desert soil makes gardening challenging and complex because of being sandy, clay, and rocky. 

But you can also enhance the quality of desert soil by adding some organic compost. You can slowly add organic matter and can be economical at the same time. 

Compost the top layer of the soil if it is sandy or dusty, or rock-hard. Improve the soil quality at the initial planting to get a better result. 

Mulch the Soil Around the Plant

Mulching Benefits the tomato plant in many ways. It can help to build organic matter in the soil, maintain the required amount of moisture in the soil and balance the temperature for the plants.

You can use grass cutting, straw of wheat, or oat to mulch the tomato plants. Alfa hay is also commonly used to mulch the soil and is a great option.

But the worst part is mulching can attract slugs as the soil remains wet for a long time. You need to keep a regular watch to track the slugs, if any, and take action accordingly.

Water the plant consciously when you have mulched the plant and maintain a proper balance. Don’t let the soil be soggy. 

Do not mulch with Bermuda grass hay, or else the risk of Bermuda grass infestation increases. 

Use Supports When Plants Are Small

Giving support to your plants play a vital role in their growing and fruiting journey. It protects your tomato plants from leaning and directly touching the ground.

If they are left unsupported, they can easily catch enough pathogens to destroy your plant by spreading diseases and infections and even rotting your fruits. Trellis and tomato cages are generally used to support the plants. 

You should take a step towards supporting the plant on the planting day itself. If, due to any reason, you have not placed stakes or tomato cage for trellising, you should anyhow support your plant when they are grown up to knee height. 

When your plant has already reached a long height, developed branches, and even started thriving, it becomes challenging to trellis them. It becomes very risky to trellis your plant when they have already started producing fruits, and even the green tomatoes on the plants can also drop off from the plant.

Keep an Eye on Tomato Hornworms

Tomato Hornworms are large caterpillars with horn-like tails and are a curse for tomato gardeners, even if it’s a desert area. 

They are hard to spot when small, but female hornworms can produce babies after chewing on tomato plants for 3-4 days. It feeds foliage and stems and sometimes makes holes in the fruit. They can even destroy the whole plant within a blink of an eye. 

You need to regularly and closely monitor your tomato plants to check the presence of dangerous hornworms.

Black droppings on the plants and large holes in the leaves are some of the signs of their presence. Usually, they come out in the evening, so take a UV flashlight to spot them on your plants. 

Hand-picking and throwing them is the best way to remove them without chemicals. 

Harvest or Prune in the Morning

It is always said never to prune, harvest or support your plants when their leaves are wet. It can attract many pests, diseases, and infections. You can do all these things when the leaves are dry. 

Harvesting or pruning your plant when the leaves are wet can attract many diseases, and you might be unable to work flawlessly. Avoid harvesting tomatoes when the plant is covered with dew, or you will get flavorless fruits.

Thus the best time to harvest your tomatoes is in the morning, just when the dew has vanished. But keep in mind that fruits should not start to absorb heat. One of the advantages of desert areas in such cases is that the dew gets dried up soon. 

Tomato is Not Setting Fruit

Are you expecting your tomato plant to produce fruit and keen to see those who love small green tomatoes? But even after waiting a little longer, your plant is not showing green tomatoes. Don’t panic; it’s normal in desert areas because of temperature fluctuations during the day and night. 

Tomatoes prefer to set fruits between the temperature range of 70-85 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature reaches around 90-100 degrees Fahrenheit and falls below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, it becomes impossible for the blossoms to set fruit.

And as I already mentioned, temperature fluctuations in desert areas are very common in both summers and winters. 

You don’t need to panic in such situations. New blossoms are always set on the plants, and you could get a high yield of tomatoes. You must wait for the temperature to reach a normal favorable range for your tomatoes. 

To combat such situations, you can make the microclimate favorable for your tomatoes and can make a perfect growing environment for your tomatoes.

Shade your tomatoes with clothes to reduce the temperature during day time but ensure good airflow between the plants.

Containerized plants should be brought indoors or in a shaded spot till the high temperature reduces to some extent. 

To protect your plants from nighttime temperatures (cold climates), cover the plants with an old bed sheet or with a row cover to provide warmth to your plants.

Do not forget to remove those covers in the morning. You must perform this thing for a few nights, specifically in the summer. 

The tomatoes mainly go through the low fruit set problem because of temperature fluctuations. But do not ignore the fact that tomatoes can produce less or no fruits due to over or under-watering issues or the use of more nitrogen-continent fertilizers.

So do not panic in such situations. The plant always puts its best effort into setting flavorful and tasty tomatoes, so have faith in the plants. 

Summary

Growing tomatoes in desert areas are really rewarding. Tomatoes grown in desert areas are most delicious and flavorful due to the dry climate. Tomatoes are heat-resilient plants and can be planted successfully in hot and dry conditions.

Follow the above-discussed tips, and you will definitely be rewarded with a large harvest and flavorful tomatoes.

It is a famous controversial topic whether coffee grounds are good for tomato plants. Can it serve the purpose of resolving various problems while planting and growing tomato plants? 

It is claimed to deal with pests and diseases and can be used as compost, mulch, and many more. But has it been proven by science?

In short, adding a few coffee grounds to the soil below your tomato plants is an excellent way of providing essential nutrients for growth and flourishing. These grounds contain roughly 2% nitrogen, along with varying levels of phosphorus and potassium – all three being vital elements that tomatoes require in order to reach their full potential!

Many gardening myths have existed for years. Some of the myths are about the use of Epsom Salt, eggshells, and coffee grounds. Fortunately, some of the claims work best, while others are a myth.

In this article, I have discussed whether coffee grounds effectively resolve the tomato plantation issue or if it’s just a myth. So let’s jump into it!

Fact or Myth: Do Tomatoes Like Coffee Grounds?

In short, it can be said both yes and no. It is known to all that everything loves to be in a limited amount. Imagine if you are using too much fertilizer for your plant.

Obviously, it would create many issues for the plant. Thus, instead of benefiting the plant, it would put the plant into trouble.

The same rule applies to the application of coffee grounds too. You should use it in proper quantity only to benefit the plant by improving the soil quality and providing the best growing environment.

Increase nutrients: 

Coffee grounds are rich in nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium and micronutrients like calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, zinc, and boron.

Using it carefully for your tomato plants can add nutrients and contribute to healthy growth and development.

Slow release of nitrogen:

The microbes present in the soil break the protein in the coffee grounds, and nitrogen is slowly released for the plants.

Favorable pH:

Tomato is acid loving plants and prefer to grow in acidic soil, and the coffee grounds have an average of 6.5 pH which helps to acidify the soil and makes it favorable for the tomatoes.

Compostable: 

You can prepare an organic compost pile with 20% of coffee grounds, which is safe to use without harming the plant.

Fungal suppression:

Coffee Grounds can suppress some of the common tomato diseases like fusarium wilt, pythium, and sclerotinia with the application of coffee grounds.

Should you use coffee grounds for tomatoes to fertilize tomato plants?

Most of the time, it is advised to use coffee grounds to fertilize your plants either as a nitrogen-rich fertilizer or to revitalize the growth of the tomato plants.

You can say it is overly hiked, yet it has some truth too. The most important nutrients for tomato plants are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are needed for the plant’s growth, development, and fruiting. And coffee grounds contain 2% nitrogen and some variable amounts of phosphorus and potassium.

After the decomposition of coffee grounds in the soil, NPK nutrients are released, and the plant benefits.

Theoretically, it is said that mixing coffee grounds in the soil work as a slow-release fertilizer for tomato plants. Instantly no nutrients are provided. It increases the supply of nutrients in the soil after the coffee grounds become soluble slowly and steadily.

If you plan to use coffee grounds as a substitute for your regular fertilizer, then it’s not a great idea. You need to think twice before replacing your regular fertilizer.

Slow-release fertilizers work best with the plants to enhance their growth as they have better nutrients than coffee grounds, which contain only 2%.

It has not been scientifically proven that coffee grounds help grow and develop tomato plants.

Coffee grounds can fulfill the nutrient requirement of tomato plants in a very small amount but in the longer run. This effect is negligible when compared to regular organic fertilizer.

If you want to try it on your plant, you can go for it, but I suggest not applying coffee grounds if your plant is already going through a deficiency of any nutrients or is facing growing problems.

Should you use coffee grounds for tomatoes to acidify soil?

Tomato plants prefer to grow in slightly acidic soil, and coffee grounds are claimed to reduce soil pH. Thus, coffee grounds can favor the growth and health of tomato plants. Though tomatoes grow in acidic soil, coffee grounds cannot work best here.

Most people believe that as the coffee grounds are acidic, it can reduce the soil’s pH level and favor the acidic soil-loving tomato plants. But scientifically, it has not been cleared.

The coffee’s pH fluctuates; on average, its pH is 6.5, which is just neutral. The main concern is that even after being acidic, it is not guaranteed to have a drastic impact on the pH of the soil. It might not give the expected results.

You can find many gardening products in your local nursery store which can lower the soil pH in the desired way. But be specific about reading the product label instructions before its application.

In case of any soil issue, you should first do a soil test to diagnose the issue and take action accordingly.

Because unnecessarily decreasing or increasing the pH of the soil can develop other unsolvable problems for the plants.

Should you use coffee grounds for tomatoes as mulch?

You can find many options to mulch your tomato plants organically. It can be dried leaves, tree bark, grass clippings, straw, etc.; yes, fresh coffee grounds do not fall into these options.

Often, coffee grounds can best work as mulch as they can slowly decompose in the soil and release nutrients. As a result, the quality of the soil is enhanced, and it is also organic. But the truth is that it leaves a negative impact on the plant.

As discussed above, the great way to mulch your tomato plants is by using organic mulch. The ideal thickness of mulch should be 1-2 inches.

When coffee grounds are used as mulch, it forms a hard and thick layer on the soil. Instead of benefiting your plant, it would make the conditions worse by blocking the air to the soil and preventing its moisture. It also prevents oxygen from reaching the roots and disturbs the plant’s entire root system.

Yet there is a way to use these coffee grounds as an effective mulch and enhance soil quality. 

20% of the mulch can be coffee grounds. So mix them with your other organic mulch before use.

Avoid using it too heavily, as it can soon compact and block oxygen and water to the soil. And in such a way, you can achieve maximum benefits without any of its side effects.

Should you use coffee grounds for tomatoes to stop weeds?

Just like mulch controversy, it is often recommended to use for removing and preventing weeds from your garden. But sadly, its use is not totally effective.

A heavy layer of mulch is effective in treating weeds, but as already discussed, a heavy layer of coffee ground can compact rapidly and block the oxygen and moisture in the soil.

But Some research suggests that it works on a few weeds like clovers and also helps to inhibit the germination of seeds. But yet, its ability to prevent many other weeds is not proven.

The quantity of coffee grounds is also not specified for its safe use to inhibit germination and reduce weeds. Thus I suggest opting for the tried, tested, and proven methods to get rid of weeds. 

Should you use coffee grounds for tomatoes to kill slugs?

Slugs love to feast on tomatoes and get attracted to tomato gardens very easily. They are one of the biggest problems for tomato gardeners, and they do so many things to get rid of the slugs. Many of the remedies are claimed to be effective in preventing and controlling slugs.

There is a myth that coffee grounds can kill slugs.

As per the studies, slugs are non-resistant to high-content caffeine. A high concentration of caffeine was applied to the soil and leaves of plants to check whether it effectively killed the slugs, and the experiment was successful. So it is claimed that coffee grounds can kill slugs because it contains caffeine. 

But the reality is that coffee grounds contain a very low level of caffeine which is not at all effective in killing the slugs.

The study also applied a very low concentration of caffeine, i.e., 0.01% level concentration, during the test, which was ineffective in killing the slugs, and coffee grounds contain even lower caffeine than 0.01%. Then obviously, it’s a flop idea to treat your slug problems with coffee grounds.

If you are dealing with a slug issue in your tomato garden, you should go for proven methods to deal with it instead of adding coffee grounds to kill them.

Should you use coffee grounds for tomatoes to prevent Fungal Diseases?

Fungal disease is very common in tomato plants; no gardeners want to face it. Unfortunately, there is no treatment for many fungal diseases, and you must destroy all the infected plants.

But you might have also got suggestions to use coffee grounds for tomato plants to relieve the infections.

Some studies have examined that you can control the fungal disease by applying coffee grounds. But a high amount of caffeine is essential to prevent slugs, and coffee has only 0.1% of caffeine. 

This study says that microbial activity of the soil is increased with the application of coffee grounds, and fungal disease due to fusarium wilt is controlled. But it has indicated nothing about other kinds of fungal infections.

Research has indicated that adding spent coffee grounds directly to soil can reduce the growth of plants.

There might be some reality to treat the fungal disease in tomato plants, but it needs confirmation. Thus do not use it to treat the fungal disease in the plant. 

Should you use coffee grounds for tomatoes in compost?

The most popular claim is that coffee grounds can be used as compost for tomato plants, and yes, it is right. Coffee grounds can be used as compost.

A correct combination of nitrogen and carbon makes a beneficial compost. 

The good compost breaks slowly and supplies the required nutrients to the plant; coffee grounds contain a good amount of nitrogen. 

Prepare a compost with 20% coffee mix for safer use, or you must face the unresolvable consequences. 

Summary

You can get many suggestions to apply things to your plant for its betterment. But you should always go with logic and scientifically proven methods. The same goes for the application of coffee grounds to your tomato plant. It can help your plant in a few cases only. So apply it in the proven cases only and always ensure to apply it in the right amount.

Take advantage of your used coffee grounds to provide essential nourishment for your tomato plants, but don’t anticipate extravagant results from this single step.

You should avoid its excessive application; otherwise, instead of benefiting your plant, it can ruin it.  

Do you want to enhance the growth and development of your tomato plants with Epsom Salt but are wondering whether it will benefit your tomatoes or worsen their condition? Yes! It is a controversial topic.

Tomato is a unique vegetable grown in home gardens. Its tangy and little sweet taste makes it delicious and also contributes vital ingredients in many of the recipes. It becomes more special and organic when you grow it in your own vegetable garden rather than purchasing it from the stores.

Most gardeners always try to find different ways to maximize their quality tomato production. It is often suggested to add Epsom salt before planting your tomatoes. But are they really good at growing tomatoes on your tomato plant more effectively?

There are certain myths and facts about using Epsom Salt for your tomato plant which I have cleared up in this article.

Before that, it is important to know what Epsom Salt is. It is a mineral salt containing Magnesium and magnesium sulfate and was founded 400 years ago in England. It is a non-edible table salt. It is used in baths to relieve stress or cure sore muscles and is sometimes used as a garden supplement.

Short Answer: Yes, it is true that tomatoes do extremely well when Epsom salt is used only when there is magnesium deficiency, but it may not be effective in other cases. It can fulfil the need for Magnesium for your tomato plants which helps to produce the chlorophyll necessary for photosynthesis. It also helps to uptake other nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, which plays a vital role in plant development and growth.

In this article, I have discussed whether it would suit your tomatoes and whether they would benefit from this uncommon salt.

Also, check Are Coffee Grounds Good for Tomato Plants?

What Can Epsom Salt Do For Tomato Plants?

1. Fix Yellowing Tomato Leaves

You would obviously feel sad to see your tomato plant leaves turning yellow. It can turn to yellowing leaves because of plenty of reasons. It may be over or under-watering, soil compaction, lack of other nutrition, insects, pest infection or diseases and many more. Most of these problems are solvable.

But when your tomato plants suffer from magnesium deficiency, the leaves would turn yellow very differently. Only veins of the leaf margin remain green, and other parts of the leaf turn yellow in a lighter shade. This kind of leaf becomes inefficient in directly generating chlorophyll and urgently require Magnesium at the earliest.

In such a scenario, adding Epsom salt to the soil removes the deficiency of Magnesium in the plants. It balances the magnesium level in the soil and helps restore the plants green leaves’ green color.

Its application is very easy. Add one tablespoon of Epsom salt with a gallon of warm water. And spray directly on the leaves and stem.

When the plant is entirely covered with Epsom salt solution, you can use the remaining gallon of water solution to water the soil. The best time for its application is in the morning as the plant has enough time to get dry, Epsom salt spray gets absorbed efficiently, and you can also avoid the risk of sunburn.

2. Improve Fruits flavor

Who doesn’t love flavorful and delicious tomatoes? A good addition of flavor makes the tomatoes tastier. Indeed, you usually cannot get flavorful tomatoes from the stores.

Adding micronutrient solids, including Magnesium and sulfur to the soil adds more flavor to the tomatoes and even results in healthier plants.

Your tomatoes become delicious, bigger and more flavorful if fertilizers are added consistently and in the right quantity. The tomato plants can easily absorb micronutrients with foliar spraying. It is good to use some Epsom salt when watering your tomato plant.

One tablespoon of Epsom salt is enough per one foot of plant height for the tomato plant height. Apply the salt in one of the plants in one week and another half the following week. It would work more efficiently and your plant can absorb all the micronutrients easily.

Your tomatoes would be incredibly delicious at harvest and benefit even the neighbor plants with the process. You would be rewarded with more delicious tomatoes.

3. Improve nutrient uptake

Nutrients and micronutrients play a vital role in tomato plants’ growth, health and yield. If they are not present in balanced quantities, they can endanger your plant’s life. 

Essential micronutrients for tomatoes are nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. 

And essential macronutrients are Magnesium, calcium, sulfur and zinc.

I have listed the basic requirements of macros important for your tomato plants:

• Nitrogen: The leaves of plants are totally dependent on the nitrogen component. High amounts of nitrogen can lead to bushy plants, which reduces fruit production or even leads to zero fruits on the plants. 
• Phosphorus: Promotes the growth and development of both roots and fruits both. Plants need it at the primary stage of growth and also at the fruiting stage. 
• Potassium: It is needed for the plant’s speedy growth and helps to set fruits and flowers on the plants. It promotes the process of photosynthesis by enhancing the level of chlorophyll and makes the plant disease resilient.

Tomato plants require a very small amount of Micronutrients, namely, Magnesium and sulfur. Still, you can never ignore these two micronutrients, as their scarcity can completely stress your tomato plants.

Due to the deficiency of these two micronutrients, the plant would become inefficient in absorbing macronutrients needed for leaf growth, a strong root system and fruit production. 

Epsom salt helps to activate enzymes in plants involved in the uptake of important nutrients. Additionally, it contains sulfur which forms amino acids in the plants, building blocks of protein needed in chlorophyll production, and a green pigment in plants which is necessary to complete the photosynthesis process.

You can balance the deficiency of micronutrients in the soil with Epsom salt. It helps the plant uptake essential nutrients and makes your tomato plants healthier.

It is better to directly apply the Epsom salt in the soil when planting the tomatoes in your garden through foliar spray or at the time of watering. 

You can only improve your plant’s nutrient uptake if it is going through Magnesium or sulfur deficiency. In such a situation, applying Epsom salt can work like a miracle.

4. Improve growth

Growing healthy, vigorous and flavorful tomatoes in a very short span of time is a wish of all tomato cultivators. They are ready to do whatever to speed up growing healthy and delicious tomatoes. But does adding Epsom salt can help improve the growth of tomato plants?

If micro and macronutrients are properly balanced, your tomatoes can thrive. Excess or less nutrition in the soil can cause many issues when growing tomatoes; the same rule goes for Magnesium.

The photosynthesis process of the plant is also interrupted. As a result, your plants grow dwarf; leaves turn yellow and fewer fruits are produced on the plants.

Magnesium also strengthens the plant’s cell wall, making them stress and disease-resilient; thus, the overall health and growth of the already healthy plant growth, are promoted.

The caveat

There is a caveat key to successfully using Epsom salt on your tomato plants to avail the four benefits mentioned above. If your plant is going through a deficiency of Magnesium and sometimes sulfur, applying epsom salt can fulfill the deficiency of these two micronutrients.

Excessive use of epsom salt or when your plant is not deficient in Magnesium or sulfur can result in toxicity and be damn harmful to your tomato plants.

According to the study, excessive levels of Magnesium in the soil can stress the root system of plants. It results in an imbalance of micronutrients and causes environmental pollution to spread.

Thus, a soil test before applying epsom salt is best recommended. If you are unsure about magnesium deficiency and cannot even opt for a soil test. In that case, using general fertilizer rather than resolving the issue with epsom salt is much safer. 

What Can’t Epsom Salt Do For Tomato Plants?

1. Prevent Blossom End Rot

When you notice that your tomatoes are turning brown and rotting from the bottom, that means they are going through bottom-end rot.

When roots become inefficient in delivering calcium to the plant, the plant faces micronutrient deficiency. You might be disturbed seeing your efforts going in the vein as bottom-end rot destroys your tomatoes.

The reasons for calcium deficiency are:

• Inconsistent or less supply of water to the plant.
• Scarcity of calcium in the plants.
• Soil pH imbalance. 
• Improper amount of nutrients in the soil.

So you must have noticed that blossom end rot has nothing to do with magnesium deficiency.

1. You might have a bad watering habit and cannot resolve this problem by adding Magnesium to the soil. 
2. The Lack of Calcium content can also not be resolved with epsom salt as it does not contain calcium. 
3. You can also balance the pH of the soil in some other ways. If you add a very large quantity of epsom salt to soil, then you can balance only its pH, but at the same time, it can create other problems which require a lot of effort to fix. 
4. Adding epsom salt can be hazardous and even worsen the situation. Please note, using epsom salts, salt fulfills magnesium deficiency. Your plant can experience more blossom-end rot situations.

More absorption of Magnesium can result even less calcium absorption, in the competition of absorption of other micronutrients like calcium. So less amount of calcium is delivered to the plant, and blossom end rot occurs.

Thus, adding epsom salt to the plant when they go through blossom end rot can worsen the situation. So it is better to correct your watering techniques and consistently water them in adequate amounts, pluck the already affected fruits, and watch the result. Yet if the problem is not resolved, test your soil for calcium deficiency and pH balance. 

It’s better not to add epsom salt when your plant has a blossom end rot problem.

2. Deter pests

Many remedies are available online to deter pests, and each one is promised to work 100% effectively. Some of the remedies might work, and some are just myths, and using epsom salt to deter pests is also one of the myths.

No scientific evidence supports the effectiveness of epsom salt in deterring hornworms, flies and other tomato pests. It is also not effective to treat any tomato diseases. It is better to opt for any method which is scientifically proven to be effective. 

3. Aid tomato seed germination

Tomato seed is a unique thing in itself. It has almost all the nutrients in it required to germinate. Thus it is irrelevant to use any extra micronutrients. So adding Magnesium through adding epsom salt is also a waste of time.

But adding epsom salt to the soil can help to treat the magnesium deficiency while transplanting a seedling.

But when your seed is at the germination stage, it requires no extra nutrients from outside. The addition of epsom salt during the germination process can even harm your tomato plants.

4. Feed plants adequately

Epsom salt contains Magnesium and sulfur and fulfills the deficiency of these two micronutrients in tomato plants. But it cannot serve the purpose of complete tomato fertilizer.

In tomato plants, Magnesium is needed in a very small amount as it is a micronutrient. The plant requires fertilizers for a balanced supply of many other nutrients needed for its growth, thriving and production of fruits.

Thus, it is better to use general fertilizer, which can meet the needs of many other nutrients in your tomato plants and help promote the overall growth of the plant.

Only when your plant needs Magnesium, and sulfur application of epsom salt is worth it. 

Summary

I have clearly explained all the claims made, which are true and which are not. Your tomato plant can only benefit from using epsom salt when it has magnesium and sulfur deficiencies.

It is best to do a soil test to check the level of these two micronutrients in your soil. Otherwise, excessive Magnesium can result in toxicity, and your plant can face many unsolvable complications. Excessive use can stress the root system of tomato plant and causes an imbalance of micronutrient absorption.