VegetableTomato
Large Red Cherry Tomato
Large Red Cherry Tomato is a world-famous crossing between currant-type tomatoes and domesticated garden varieties, bred to deliver the sweetness and prolific nature of cherries in a noticeably larger fruit. These indeterminate plants grow 3 to 8 feet tall and produce abundant harvests of deep red, 1-ounce tomatoes in just 70 to 79 days from transplant, making them a northern grower's favorite for speedy production. Hardy in zones 3 through 10, they thrive in full sun with moderate water and adapt seamlessly to gardens, raised beds, greenhouses, and containers.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
3-10
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam With Organic Matter
Growth Stats
96 in
Height
TypeIndeterminate
Spacing
18
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
3-10
Size
96in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
High
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Highlights
These tomatoes arrive as a triumph of practical breeding: they capture the sweet cherry tomato flavor in fruits nearly twice the size of typical cherries, yet mature fast enough to outpace longer-season varieties. The plants are heavy yielders with picture-perfect trusses of fruit, and they handle drought stress remarkably well while resisting some of the most destructive tomato diseases. A single plant produces enough fruit to keep you harvesting through the season, whether you're picking for fresh eating or setting aside for storage.
Common Uses
These tomatoes excel fresh off the vine, where their concentrated sweetness shines as a snack or salad ingredient. The larger size compared to standard cherry tomatoes makes them substantial enough for slicing into sandwiches or halving for grain bowls. Home gardeners often preserve them whole for canning or roast them in batches for sauces and pastes, taking advantage of the heavy annual yields.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost date. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in seed-starting mix and maintain soil temperature around 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit for germination. Seedlings emerge in 5 to 10 days. Once they develop true leaves, thin to the strongest plants and provide bright light to prevent leggy growth.
Transplant Outdoors
Transplant seedlings outdoors after your last spring frost when soil has warmed to at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit, ideally 65 to 70 degrees. Harden off seedlings over 7 to 10 days by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions. Space plants 18 inches apart in rows 36 inches apart. Bury the stem deeper than it was in the pot to encourage a stronger root system.
Harvesting
Harvest tomatoes once they reach a deep red color and yield slightly to gentle pressure; they should detach easily from the vine with a slight twist. Begin harvesting around 70 to 79 days after transplanting, as individual fruits mature. Cherry tomatoes continue ripening throughout the season on an indeterminate plant, so pick regularly to encourage more flowering and fruiting. Leave fruit on the vine until fully colored for maximum sweetness, but harvest before the first hard frost in northern zones.
Pruning
Because Large Red Cherry Tomato is indeterminate, it will grow continuously throughout the season. Prune suckers (shoots that grow between the main stem and branches) when they are young and tender to direct energy into fruiting branches and improve air circulation. Remove lower leaves once the plant is established to prevent fungal diseases and make harvesting easier. Support the main stem and primary branches with stakes, cages, or trellising as the plant grows to its full 36 to 96-inch height.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Solanum lycopersicum
Family
Solanaceae
Genus
Solanum
Growth Habit
Indeterminate
Native Status
L48 (I)AK (I)HI (I)PR (I)VI (I)CAN (W)
History & Origin
“Large Red Cherry Tomato represents a deliberate crossing strategy to bridge two tomato worlds: the reliable sweetness and prolific nature of small currant-type tomatoes combined with the vigor and larger fruit size of traditional garden tomatoes. This world-famous hybrid emerged as an open-pollinated heirloom, meaning home gardeners can save seeds from their harvest and replant them year after year. The variety has become a staple for northern gardeners and anyone seeking fast-maturing, dependable yields.”