On Windowsills Or Patios: The World's Shortest Tomato Plant Is Perfect For All Your Small Spaces

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A few decades ago, no one would have imagined that you could grow a tomato plant on your windowsill and have it fruit abundantly. Anyone who has ever grown tomatoes in the garden will know that most varieties grow to monstrous heights and widths. If left unchecked, they can take over a veggie patch, especially if you have a long growing season. Even determinate tomato plants, often labeled as patio tomatoes and considered the best type of tomatoes for your container garden, can still grow large.

Growing tomatoes in small pots on a windowsill? Never say never! Enter 'Micro-Tom' — the world's smallest tomato plant. You can grow it anywhere with enough sun, even if you lack space, and harvest pea-size tomatoes throughout the year. As a bonus for indoor growers, this cultivar is resistant to mold. Buy seeds from specialist nurseries, Etsy sellers, or online. For example, a packet of 25 Pase Seeds Micro Tom Tomato Seeds costs about $12.

This diminutive tomato cultivar, Solanum lycopersicum 'Micro-Tom,' was introduced to the horticultural world in 1989 by researchers at the University of Florida. It was specifically developed for home gardeners and only grows to a height of 8 to 10 inches. As mentioned, there's a difference between determinate and indeterminate tomatoes. 'Micro-Tom' plants are determinate, meaning they produce all of their fruit in one big push. If you want a continuous harvest, you'll need to practice succession planting on your patio or windowsill. If the right growing conditions are met, you can expect harvestable fruit within 70 to 90 days of sowing the seeds.

A mature 'Micro-Tom' will happily grow in a 6-inch pot. As with other dwarf tomatoes, start the seeds in a seedling tray and then transplant the healthiest individual plants into their own pots later. If you suspect the soil temperature may drop below 68 degrees Fahrenheit, place a heating mat under the tray to aid germination. Unless your home has a really bright windowsill, mount a grow light above the seedling tray. Keep the seed-starting mix moist until all the seeds have sprouted.

Once your 'Micro-Tom' seedlings have grown their second set of leaves (or their first true leaves), you can transplant them into their permanent pots. Invest in a premium growing medium, such as Soil Sunrise All Natural Tomato Potting Mix, since the plants won't have access to nutrients from natural soil sources. Place the pots on a sunny indoor windowsill or in a warm spot on a balcony or patio. If you're growing 'Micro-Tom' tomatoes in the cooler months of the year, invest in a grow light that mimics direct sunlight. Otherwise, you risk suboptimal fruit production. Keep the light on for a minimum of eight hours each day, though 12 hours is even better.

Give your mature 'Micro-Tom' plants at least 1 inch of water per week at soil level. Keep the leaves dry to avoid disease. Feed your plants with a balanced fertilizer low in nitrogen once flowers begin to set. Once your 'Micro-Tom' plants begin flowering, you can aid pollination and unlock extra tomatoes with this simple tomato tickle trick: shake the stems or brush each flower with a paintbrush.