My First Mega Cherry Tomato seedling debut! [COMPLETED]

[Sher]

Awww. Nothing is as fulfilling as getting your first baby tomatoes! There is something so elementary satisfying about it!

[petunia]

More tomatoes - I am just sooooooo delighted 






(Krakty has some too!)

[Sher]

Looks healthy and happy!

[Shawn]

Lots of clusters.  Yum

[hipgranny72]

I just planted my Mega Cherry Tomato in my Aerogarden Extra 7-pod.  I've grown lettuce and herbs very successfully but this is the first time I've tried tomatoes.  I only planted in two of the pods.  I was wondering how tall your plants got and if you had to rig up the trellis system?  Did you keep pruning them as they suggest in the manuals?  Thanks for any tips you can give me.  I'm excited to have tomatoes growing in the dead of winter!

[Shawn]

Dec 21, 2020 20:40:44 GMT -5 hipgranny72 said:

I just planted my Mega Cherry Tomato in my Aerogarden Extra 7-pod.  I've grown lettuce and herbs very successfully but this is the first time I've tried tomatoes.  I only planted in two of the pods.  I was wondering how tall your plants got and if you had to rig up the trellis system?  Did you keep pruning them as they suggest in the manuals?  Thanks for any tips you can give me.  I'm excited to have tomatoes growing in the dead of winter!

Welcome hipgranny72,  While you are waiting on a answer to your question, may I also direct you to the Tomatoes board as well as the Garden Patches where you will find what members are growing.  You may find some answers and help there as well!

Happy Growing!

[Sher]

hipgranny72 , I waited to answer because I have not grown the mega tomatoes, but I have gtown several varieties of cherry tomatoes.

You should have no height worries in an Ultra. I am growing the heirloom tomatoes in the shorter Harvests.

No trellis is needed.

The only pruning you need to do is remove large leaves and branches that are shading out other growth. If not removed, they will cause the growth beneath to die from lack of light.

Also sometimes the top leaves get so dense that air can't circulate and moisture accumulates. If that happens, you need to thin the leaves so air can evaporate the moisture.

Don't worry about pruning hurting fruit production. The plant will just send out new flowering branches.

[hipgranny72]

Thanks for the advice.  I wasn't sure if the Megas would be ridiculously huge in size.  I guess I'll find out!  But, yes, I know my Ultra extends higher than other newer models.  I think I measured 24" or more.  I hope to keep the Megas pruned to well within that range.  

[hipgranny72]

Oops...actually, I have an "Extra", not an "Ultra".  I've had it for five years.

[Sher]

Dec 22, 2020 18:00:37 GMT -5 hipgranny72 said:

Oops...actually, I have an "Extra", not an "Ultra".  I've had it for five years.

It's still a tall machine.

One of our members grew the mega cherries, maybe @cornne or Shawn. Try a search for pictures.  As I recall, the plants don't get huge. The tomatoes are just larger than regular cherry tomatoes.

[conwaygardens]

Just a quick question- Do you trim the suckers off the cherry tomatoes? The heirlooms in the kit seem to set a lot of suckers.

[lynnee]

Jan 14, 2022 21:10:31 GMT -5 conwaygardens said:

Just a quick question- Do you trim the suckers off the cherry tomatoes? The heirlooms in the kit seem to set a lot of suckers.

When I did it, the tomatoes grew tall, were slow to blossom, and slow to set fruit. The garden was relatively close to a furnace vent, so that may have factored in.

However, the experience persuaded me that it's best to leave the tomatoes alone, and let them form a canopy before they get too tall. The canopy can be pruned to improve air circulation at any time. Also, the lower leaves that aren't getting any light and the center leaves that are twisted together can be removed at any time.