Germination of Seeds for Cherry Tomatoes

Soil

• Cherry tomatoes thrive best in well-draining, rich soil amended with fertilizer or compost. They don't require much nitrogen, which tends to diminish fruiting. When choosing a bed to sow your seeds, aim for an area of the garden that receives at least six hours of daily sunlight. Alternatively, you can start seeds indoors in a seedling tray or small pots. Peat-based, soilless mixes are ideal because they protect the seedlings from damping-off, a soilborne illness to which tomatoes are particularly susceptible.

Sowing Seeds

• Sow cherry tomato seeds a half-inch deep and an inch apart, with two to three seeds per hole. In areas with frost danger, sow seeds indoors six to seven weeks before the last frost. Otherwise, wait until spring when frost danger has passed. Temperatures should be 70 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, but ideal germination temperature is 85 degrees. Indoors, place the seedling tray in a warm location or on a heat mat to improve germination time.

Growth

• Once seedlings have emerged, provide them with sufficient light, such as by a sunny window, so they don't grow leggy. Under ideal circumstances, seeds germinate in six to eight days. Keep the seedbed moist during germination and establishment. Apply an all-purpose fertilizer diluted to half strength every two weeks to seeds grown in unfertilized medium. Once germinated, seedlings require six to eight hours of bright light every day and temperatures from 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. After about a week, seedlings produce small leaves called cotyledon leaves, which is not their true foliage. Thirty days after sowing, seedlings should develop a green set of true leaves, signaling they are about ready to transplant in the garden.

Diseases and Problems

• Prevent blossom-end rot by mixing in a quarter cup of limestone or hydrated lime into each planting spot prior to planting tomatoes. Young seedlings that are deficient in phosphorus may exhibit purple leaves. Amend this problem by applying a high-phosphorus fertilizer for the seedlings. Provide consistent moisture throughout the plant's life to avoid cracking fruit and blossom-end rot.