VegetableTomato
Patio Choice Red Tomato
Patio Choice Red is a compact hybrid cherry tomato that brings prolific production to even the smallest garden spaces. These determinate plants reach just 24 to 30 inches tall, yet each one generates over 200 bright red, half-ounce fruits in just 60 to 69 days from transplant. Hardy across zones 2 to 11 and naturally resistant to fusarium wilt, this variety thrives in containers, hanging baskets, raised beds, and garden plots, making it one of the most flexible tomatoes you can grow.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
2-11
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam With Organic Matter
Growth Stats
48 in
Height
TypeDeterminate
Spacing
18
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
2-11
Size
48in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
High
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Highlights
Each compact plant explodes with production, setting over 200 cherry tomatoes per season. The short vines make them equally at home cascading from a hanging basket as they are nestled into a sunny corner bed, and the bright red fruits arrive quickly enough that you'll be harvesting by early summer. This is a variety that doesn't compromise on yield despite its pocket-sized stature.
Common Uses
These cherry tomatoes are perfect for snacking straight off the vine, tossing into salads, or roasting whole. Their small, manageable size and concentrated production make them ideal for preserving, whether frozen, canned, or sun-dried. Container gardeners prize them because the compact plants deliver restaurant-quality harvests from a single pot.
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 at 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep soil consistently moist and provide bright light once seedlings emerge.
Transplant Outdoors
Transplant outdoors after the last frost date when soil temperatures reach at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Space plants 18 inches apart in rows 36 inches apart. Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days before planting.
Harvesting
Harvest when fruits turn a full, glossy bright red and yield slightly to gentle pressure. Peak ripeness occurs 60 to 69 days after transplanting. Snap fruits gently from the vine, or cut with pruners to avoid damaging the plant. Cherry tomatoes can be harvested slightly early if needed; they'll finish ripening off the vine.
Pruning
As a determinate variety, Patio Choice Red sets all its fruit within a concentrated window and naturally stops growing at a fixed height, so minimal pruning is needed. Remove only the lowest leaves once plants are 12 inches tall to improve air circulation and reduce disease pressure.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Solanum lycopersicum
Family
Solanaceae
Genus
Solanum
Growth Habit
Determinate
Native Status
L48 (I)AK (I)HI (I)PR (I)VI (I)CAN (W)