Many gardeners can tell you that cherry tomatoes are a relatively easy plant to grow. Growing this plant makes it even more worth it when you get the added benefit of eating some delicious, homegrown tomatoes. However, cherry tomatoes can also be a fairly fickle plant when it comes to temperature. Can cherry tomatoes grow in Florida?
Cherry tomatoes can grow in Florida. They grow best after the final frost, and before the weather becomes too warm to adversely affect the tomato.
In this article, we will be explaining everything that gardeners need to know about growing cherry tomatoes in Florida.
Is It Too Hot To Grow Tomatoes In Florida?
Tomatoes can sometimes be a very fickle plant when it comes to temperature. This means that they tend to be very sensitive to cold and extremely warm weather. Although Floridians do generally not need to worry about their tomato plants getting too cold, sometimes sweltering summer weather can cause tomato plants to stop growing and producing tomatoes.
Luckily, not all types of tomatoes are created equal, and many types of tomatoes can handle the heat fairly well. These include some of the most popular tomatoes for gardeners, including cherry, grape, and Roma tomatoes, to name a few.
Some relatively new strains of tomatoes have been specifically designed to handle heat better than some naturally occurring varieties that gardeners can choose from.
When Can You Grow Cherry Tomatoes In Florida?
It is recommended that you plant your cherry tomatoes shortly after the final frost of the season and before the weather starts to get very warm. This means that in Florida, late winter and early spring tend to be the best time to plant cherry tomato plants, depending on the weather and temperature trends.
What Is The Easiest Tomato To Grow In Florida?
Many people report that the Florida Everglades Tomato is the easiest type of tomato to grow in Florida. However, many other kinds of tomatoes can be grown in Florida.
Why Is It Hard To Grow Tomatoes In Florida?
There are several reasons why growing tomatoes can sometimes be challenging in Florida. The first difficulty that many people have is Florida’s hot climate. Although tomato plants thrive in warm weather, Florida can get too hot during the summer months for some kinds of tomatoes, which can cause the plants to die or stop growing and producing fruit.
The next thing gardeners living in Florida will need to be aware of when growing tomatoes is pest control. Florida is home to many species of insects and other animals that may find your tomatoes and tomato plants to be a tasty snack, which can quickly cause your plant to die or become diseased.
In addition to pests and diseases caused by them, diseases due to moisture could also make tomatoes challenging to grow in Florida’s warm and moist climate.
Can You Grow Tomatoes All Year Round In Florida?
Generally, tomatoes can only be grown in certain seasons because tomato plants are susceptible to temperature. This means that most tomato plants cannot survive in cold or extremely warm temperatures and cannot be grown year-round.
This means that tomatoes should be planted in either late winter or early spring in Florida. Similarly, many tomato plants cannot live through Florida’s hot summer.
What Time Of Year Do You Plant Tomatoes In Florida?
It is best to plant tomato plants after the season’s last frost and before the weather starts to get too warm for tomato plants to grow correctly. Usually, this time window in Florida is sometime in late winter or early spring. This is a little bit earlier than in some other parts of the United States because of Florida’s warm climate.
Things To Consider
There are some other things that you may need to consider when growing cherry tomatoes in Florida. These include what other plants can be sometimes difficult to grow in Florida and which plants thrive in Florida’s summer heat.
We will also be sharing some helpful tips about growing cherry tomatoes in Florida. Here are the other things that you should consider about gardening in Florida.
What Other Plants Are Difficult To Grow In Florida?
Tomatoes are not necessarily the most difficult plants to grow in Florida. However, some other plants do not thrive in Florida’s warm temperatures. Here are some of the reportedly difficult plants for many gardeners to grow in Florida.
- Cauliflower
- Artichoke
- Celery
- Head lettuce
- Asparagus
There are some other kinds of plants that may not be able to handle the heat that Florida summers are famous for. Before planting your garden, many people recommend researching various plants to see if they thrive in climates that are similar to yours.
As a result, many plants that thrive in cooler climates will not likely grow the best in Florida.
Which Plants Can Stand Florida’s Summer Heat?
Luckily for Floridian gardeners, many different plants thrive in hot weather. Here are some plants that thrive in a warm Florida garden.
- Lima Beans
- Kale
- Okra
- Jalapeno peppers
- Zucchini
Many other plants could potentially thrive during the hot Florida summers. Looking into what plants thrive in warm and moist environments will ensure that your Florida garden flourishes.
Tips For Growing Cherry Tomatoes In Florida
There are some things that gardeners can do to ensure that their cherry tomatoes thrive in their Florida garden. Here are some helpful tips to follow to ensure that your cherry tomato plants will grow.
- Plant them at the right time, soon after the last frost of the season (in Florida, this is usually in late winter – early spring)
- Plant them in a sunny area
- Use a good quality soil and fertilizer
- Make sure that your tomato plant has enough room to grow (if using a pot, find one that is about 12 inches deep and 14 inches wide)
- Keep the soil moist
Following these tips will help keep your cherry tomato plants alive, but it will also help them thrive. It is important to remember that cherry tomato plants thrive most when planted in an area with a lot of sun and moist, nutrient-rich soil.
Hi there, my name is Allie and welcome to my blog; GareningWithAllie!
Much of what you see written here is just our personal experiences with gardening. Along with the content I write here, there is also a unique collection of gardening topics covered by some of our close friends. I hope you find everything you read here to be helpful, informative, and something that can make your gardening journey the most lovely experience ever! With that said, Happy Gardening!