It’s a fact that the tomato is one of the most versatile fruits on Earth. You are bound to have had a dish in your life that contained this amazing plant, whether it was the red little gems in your salad, the seasoned sauce covering your pizza, or the savory topping dripping off your pasta. Growing up in an Italian household myself, I know just how many recipes rely on this staple food. Unfortunately, since tomato plants are quite large in size, few of us have the space to grow our own. However, many of us do have enough patio or balcony space to grow cherry tomatoes. These small varieties are half the size of a regular tomato, but with twice the taste! With many varieties to choose from, we’ve narrowed down the top 10 best cherry tomato varieties to grow in containers.
1. Bing Cherry
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
There are a number of reasons why this is such a favorite and well-known cherry tomato variety. First off, Bing cherry tomatoes grow best in hot and dry climates, which makes them highly tolerant to drought. This makes them ideal for hot urban gardens, which is where most people grow in containers due to limited space. Secondly, they’re reliably juicy nature and sweet, because of their ideal sucrose composition. Bing cherry tomatoes are perfect for gardening beginners, as they thrive in all climates, as well as multiple types of soil conditions from low to high acidity.
2. Gold Nugget
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One of this cherry tomato’s top qualities is that it’s a determinate variety. Determinate tomato plants have a compact, bush-like stature and are guaranteed to grow to full size during the season. This makes them perfect for small spaces. A surprising fact about Gold Nugget tomatoes is that although they have thin skin, they are highly resistant to cracking. That said, it’s unlikely that you will have to worry about that issue, since they’re so juicy, you’ll barely be able to resist eating them the second they become ripe! These tomatoes are well known for their early yields and low interior seed count.
3. Bartelly F1
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Bartelly F1 is one of the best cherry tomato varieties, due to its disease resistance and bountiful harvest. To start off with, they’re are highly resistant to tomato mosaic virus, which resides in soil and can be transmitted via contaminated hands, tools, and even insects. This variety produces a great yield thanks to their stem arrangement.
It has long trusses, with many small branches off of each truss. Their reliable harvest makes them an ideal variety for families looking to enjoy their container gardens gifts at the dining table. They’re also ideal for preserving, since you don’t want any of these little jewels to go to waste. Try dehydrating them, transforming them into sauce or jam for canning, and even freezing them to enjoy during the winter months.
4. Peacevine Cherry
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Keep calm and eat on! Peacevine cherry tomatoes are popular for their delicious flavor, but also for the surprising calming effect they have on those who eat it. Although this variety is high in acidity, its acids are primarily from the gamma-aminobutyric amino acid, which is known to be a mild sedative. Peacevines also have one of the highest contents of vitamin C among tomato plants.
The abundance of vitamins provides a large number of health benefits, such as anticancer agents, improved eyesight, a stronger immune system, and even improved cardiovascular support. So the next time you’re sick or stressed out, reach out and grab a bunch of these miniature miracle workers!
5. Black Cherry
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The striking deep purple skin of this heirloom variety is just one aspect of what makes “black cherry” an ideal addition to any garden. One of their more stellar qualities is that they are just as good cooked as they are raw. This allows amateur chefs to experiment with them in a vast amount of recipes, with little anxiety. Black tomatoes also have higher antioxidant levels than red ones, thanks to higher anthocyanin concentrations.
Black cherry tomatoes have two downsides, namely their sensitivity to cracking when being harvested, as well as their long growing period. The first fruits from a single plant are expected to ripen fully after an average 75 days of growing. This is about 15 days longer than the average cherry tomato ripening period. The taste, however, is said to be well worth the wait! They’re also beautiful tomatoes to sell at local farmer’s markets, especially when mixed together with complementary orange or yellow varieties.
6. Bumblebee
Photo © Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
This beautiful tomato comes in three different styles: Sunrise, Pink, and Purple. All Bumblebee cherry tomatoes have striped skin that contrasts gorgeously with their main colour. The Sunrise Bumblebee cherry tomato is an orange colour with yellow stripes, the Purple Bumblebee cherry tomato is dark green with deep purple stripes, and Pink Bumblebee tomatoes are scarlet red with light pink stripes. You will love this popular variety because of its highly crack-resistant nature and gorgeous complexion. As an added bonus, it absolutely thrives in a standard 5-gallon container.
If you have a sunny balcony or patio, this plant is perfect for trellising against an exterior wall, or even along a railing. Since it’s an indeterminate variety, it will keep sprawling until the first frost. This means that you’ll be able to keep harvesting its beautiful fruit well into autumn.
7. Tiny Tim
Photo credit: Pixabay
This highly reliable cherry tomato variety is a go-to plant for any container garden. In fact, numerous local gardeners have even stated that Tiny Tim is the best cherry tomato plant for even the smallest planters! If you’re really short on space, you can grow these gems easily in a window box, or in a hanging planter.
Tiny Tim is a determinate tomato plant, and yields fruits that are on the smaller in size than its fellow cherry varieties. Fear not, however, as good things come in small packages. These little fruits pack a full punch of flavour and juice! Their easy growing nature is also a fact to be considered as they need little maintenance in order to have a bountiful harvest.
If you’re looking for a beautiful summer meal idea, toss these tiny tomatoes with miniature bocconcini, some shredded basil, a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Perfection!
8. Gardener’s Delight
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This little tomato’s name speaks for itself! The Gardener’s Delight cherry tomato is one of the most popular varieties for containers because of its easy-going attitude and sturdy nature. It grows well both in outdoor and indoor conditions, and has no soil preference either. Gardener’s Delight is very hardy as well, and they’re known to resist hard winds, cool nights, and hot days.
This tomato variety can also tolerate both over-watering and droughts. As a cherry on top of the sundae, (or more like the cherry tomato on top of the salad) it can be both determinate and indeterminate, allowing you to add personality easily to your container gardens. You can try playing with visual contrast by companion planting it with beneficial neighbors. Try combining a high-climbing indeterminate variety with Genovese or pistou basil. Or, if you’re growing a shorter, determinate variety instead, aim for nasturtiums. Those beautiful flowers will spill down the container’s sides in a colorful cascade. Added bonus: nasturtium flowers are edible too!
9. Sweetheart
Photo credit: Fafard
With a name like Sweetheart, you can’t resist loving these little cuties. Sweetheart cherry tomatoes get their name from their oddly shaped fruit. They have dented tops beneath their leaf crowns, and pointed bottom tips, giving them a heart shape. This variety of cherry tomato is super short in stature. In fact, they average out to about less than 2 feet tall when fully grown. This short height makes the Sweetheart cherry tomato ideal for small containers. Its fruit is very sweet and low in acidity, making them the ideal for people who have heartburn and other acid-related health issues.
10. Juliet
Photo credit: Pixabay
Romeo, oh Romeo. Wherefore art thou Romeo? With these precious beauties, you won’t even miss the leading man as the Juliet cherry tomato takes center stage! This variety stands on the borderline between cherry tomatoes and grape tomatoes. The latter are slightly different than cherry tomatoes in that they have an oval-shaped fruit with thicker skin, and are more commonly used for sauces than eating. Juliet has similar features, considering its skin density, oblong shape and a taste that is more suitable for cooking.
Photo credit: Pixabay
Are you ready to start planting yet? We hope this post helps you to choose the best cherry tomato variety for your own container garden. No need to ever have to choose between space and fresh tomatoes ever again. So what will you select? Traditional red, or the colours of a rainbow? Round, oval, or irregular? Beginner or intermediate? Snacking or cooking? There are many cherry tomato varieties to choose from, and the ones mentioned here are just the tip of the iceberg. We encourage you to experiment and find out what fits the best in your own space.
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