Petite tomatoes may be small in size but they tend to pack a lot of flavor. Small tomato varieties are also perfect for those who don’t have a lot of space in their homes.
Small tomato varieties
If you’re looking for small tomatoes to grow, here are our 8 recommendations.
Cherry Cocktail
The fruits you get on a cherry cocktail come in bright red bunches that have an exceptionally sweet taste. Come harvest time, the small and juicy tomatoes can be used fresh to make a salad with a bit of basil and olive oil.
For the best results, you should pick a spot that gets full sun and plant in a well-draining, organically rich medium. Remember to water consistently and protect against strong winds. The Lycopersicon esculentum produces small tomatoes in 80-120 days.
Baby Red Pear
The ‘Baby red pear’ has a special fruit characteristic- the 4cm fruits are shaped like baby pears, and they’re red. It’s an indeterminate variety, which means you get clusters of pear-shaped tomatoes hanging on vines. As an added bonus, the baby red pear’s skin is crack resistant and you get a unique, tangy-sweet flavor once you bite into one.
Roma
A popular plum tomato type that’s a cross of ‘Red Top’, ‘Pan American’ and ‘San Marzano’, the fruit of a Roma plant can take the shape of an egg or pear. In terms of size, this tomato variety only grows up to 60 inches in length, with quick-ripe tomatoes that don’t have many seeds.
The good news is that most Roma tomatoes are resistant to common diseases, and the time it takes from seed or seedling to harvest is well worth the wait. Like other small tomato varieties, the Roma needs consistently moist soil and full sun.
Tumbling Tom
The Tumbling Tom is a small tomato species that can be grown in a large basket or a hanging pot. The stems cascade down and are soon filled with tiny, yellow tasty tomatoes that are also visually striking.
What’s great about growing Tumbling Tom is how it’s easy and won’t need staking. The cherry tomato species matures in about 60 to 70 days once planted and can reach heights of around 20 to 24 inches.
Grape Tomatoes
Grape varieties are unlike cherry tomatoes in that they’re usually more elongated. There’s also the matter of taste- while cherries are mostly sweet and juice, grape tomatoes have thicker skin and have less sugar and water content.
Where grape tomatoes shine is how they can be used in a variety of dishes, including roasts, sauces, and kebabs. Furthermore, you’ll like how grape tomatoes have a longer shelf life, thanks to their thicker skin.
Super Sweet 100
Boasting a short maturity time of only 60 to 70 days, the ‘Super Sweet 100’ also has a long growing season, which means you’ll be picking a lot of small tomato fruits for use in the kitchen. The plant can reach a height of four feet, and its fruit is very sweet and great for snacking.
Super Sweet 100 has a high resistance against common tomato diseases, including verticillium wilt and fusarium wilt. Plant the tomato variety where it can get full sun and give it plenty of water during the growing season.
Black Cherry
It’s easy to mistake the fully ripe fruit of black cherry for a purple grape because of how it looks. However, one bite into a black cherry tomato and you’ll know that it’s different because of how rich it tastes.
A mature specimen is a bit bigger than normal small tomatoes, but growing it will be worth your time. The Black Cherry puts out a high yield and continues producing dark-colored tomatoes from early summer up until the end of the fall season.
Golden Nugget
A cherry tomato species that has golden yellow skin, ‘Golden Nugget’ is a prolific plant and the top choice for those who want to can their produce. It’s worth mentioning that it’s an heirloom tomato and grows rather compact in spread and height.
The Golden Nugget fruits early and often as long as you provide plenty of sun and irrigation. What’s more, the skin doesn’t crack as easily and the inside doesn’t have as many seeds. You’ll love the balanced texture and flavor when you bite into one.