Common Name: Tumbler Tomato
Latin Name: Lycopersicon esculentum
Description: Tumbler tomato plants are only about 30 to 45cm tall which makes them perfect for use in pots and hanging baskets. They produce large quantities of bright red cherry tomatoes which have a sweet flavour.
Harvesting: Start harvesting cherry tomatoes as soon as they start ripening as this will encourage new ones to grow. For best flavour, make sure they are bright red as they won’t have quite as good flavour if they ripen off the vine. Tomatoes stored in the fridge lose a little bit of flavour.
Best Results: Keep well watered as irregular applications can cause the fruit to crack or fall. If growing in pots, use premium potting mix which has slow release fertiliser included or if in the ground, add plenty of compost or manure. Grow in full sun.
Uses: Cherry tomatoes are great in salads but for something a little special, keep them on the stalks as a bunch, coat in olive oil and roast or grill them on a barbecue for around 10 minutes until they are just cooked.
Companion: The best companion for any tomato plant is basil. Both these plants like the same conditions and it is said that the bees that basil encourage to the garden help fertilise the tomato flowers.