Can You Grow Piccolo Tomatoes From Seed – Here’s How!

Want to grow a delicious, ready to eat bite-size snack in your garden? Piccolo tomatoes are one of a gardener’s favorite tomato crops to grow! While you can always grab some Piccolo tomatoes from your local farmer’s market or favorite supermarket, growing them in your backyard is rewarding and straightforward! But where do you start? Can you grow Piccolo tomatoes from seed?

Yes, you can grow Piccolo tomatoes from seeds! While it is recommended to purchase Piccolo tomato seeds from a seed retailer, there have been people who successfully saved seeds from supermarket Piccolo tomatoes and planted them! Read on to learn more about growing and harvesting Piccolo tomatoes.

What Is A Piccolo Tomato?

A Piccolo tomato is a small, round, red, orb tomato of the cherry tomato family. Piccolo tomatoes are known for their perfect balance between tart and sweet, and their small size makes them great for eating raw in salads, crafting a bruschetta dish, or just for a healthy fresh snack! 

How Do I Plant Piccolo Tomatoes?

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, you can successfully grow Piccolo tomatoes from seed. It is recommended to start your tomato plants indoors about eight weeks before you want to transplant your tomato crops into your outdoor garden.

Place your tomato seeds about an inch down into fresh soil and water regularly; soon, you will see a small tomato plant sprout! Keep your plants in a south facing window to ensure they get adequate sunlight.

Tomato plants are very susceptible to frost damage, so be sure that your tomato plant is not touching the window’s glass, especially when the weather is around or below freezing. Once it is time to move your tomato plants outdoors, begin by bringing them outside for a few hours at a time.

This allows your plants to grow accustomed to the outdoor weather and temperature, making the transplant less traumatic for the plant, thus increasing the success of your crop’s transfer into the ground.

You will want to make sure your Piccolo tomato plants are grown in nutrient rich soil, which is not compact, so the roots can access minerals and water effectively once your Piccolo tomato plant is in the ground; water regularly while paying attention to the weather. The hotter the weather, the more water your plant needs to thrive!

How Long Does It Take To Grow Piccolo Tomatoes?

It will take your Piccolo tomato plant about 80 days from seed to harvest. The Piccolo tomato plant will be ready for harvesting about midsummer when the tiny orbs turn that beautiful red color you think of when imagining Piccolo Tomatoes.

Plucking the ripe tomatoes from the vine during your plant’s peak will allow for more tomatoes to grow, increasing your vegetable yield! This practice also helps prevent over-ripened fruit from attracting bugs or other pests. 

Can I Grow Piccolo Tomatoes In Pots?

Planting your Piccolo tomatoes in pots is a great option for growing Piccolo tomatoes! Planting Piccolo and other cherry tomato varieties in pots instead of in the ground of your garden allows a gardener to control aspects they would not otherwise be able to control.

Choosing good garden soil for your pots is essential. Be sure to choose a soil mixture that is specific to growing vegetables; this will ensure your tomato plants get the proper nutrients! You will want to get a pot that is at least 15 inches wide and more than a foot deep. Ideally, your pot should hold five gallons at a minimum. This will allow your cherry tomato plants to be happy and healthy.

Be sure that your pot has good drainage holes on the bottom, and be sure to add a few more if you feel there are not enough. Place your tomato pots in a sunny spot in your yard or on your patio. Tomatoes need at least six hours of sun every day, with over nine hours of optimal sun.

An advantage of planting in pots is you can move your tomato plants if you notice the original spot is not ideal. While the pots will be heavy, it is easier than digging up a bush. 

How Do I Care For Potted Cherry Tomato Plants?

Caring for your potted tomato plants requires a bit more attention than your in-ground tomato plants. A gardener needs to water their potted cherry tomato plants daily. Be sure that your cherry tomato plants are in pots with proper drainage to avoid water and moisture build-up leading to root rot.

Root rot is devastating to any plant, and potted plants are highly susceptible if they do not have proper drainage. It is recommended to feed your potted tomato plants with an appropriate vegetable fertilizer weekly after your plant has been given a few weeks to adjust to its new surroundings.

Never fertilize a newly planted or relocated plant, as they need time to adjust and heal from the shock of transplanting. A high quality vegetable fertilizer will be available in the garden sections of any big box store. Be sure to read the instructions for appropriate execution.

Like tomato plants in the ground, potted tomato plants benefit from tomato cages for extra support. You can choose a traditional tomato cage, but experienced gardeners recommend a snap together cage that allows the user to form the cage to your plant’s unique shape and needs. 

Do Potted Tomato Plants Produce More Tomatoes?

While your potted cherry tomato plant may be more fruitful than an in-ground cherry tomato plant due to their controlled environment, the main benefit of choosing a potted tomato plant is that you can bring your potted plant indoors when the weather begins to get cold.

This option even provides peace of mind for those early spring or late summer nights when the temperature drops more than expected. Since you can bring your potted tomato plants indoors when the nights begin to get cold, your potted plants will continue to produce fruits! Most cherry tomato plant varieties are indeterminate and will produce fruit in late summer or early fall if the temperature allows them to. 

Final Thoughts

Piccolo tomatoes make a delicious addition to any garden. Their small size and big flavor make them a favorite for simple snacking, salad toppings, and even atop your soon-to-be-famous crowd pleasing bruschetta appetizer.

You can grow Piccolo tomato from seeds or from small plants found at your local seed and garden store. You also choose to grow your Piccolo and other cherry tomatoes in-ground or in pots. Caring for your Piccolo or other cherry tomato varieties is simple.

You must begin with proper nutrient rich soil and ensure your tomato plants are getting at least six hours of sunlight daily. Fertilizing weekly and harvesting your tomatoes as they ripen both ensure that your tomato plant will thrive. Growing Piccolo and other cherry tomato varieties are fun, easy, and tasty!