Red Cherry Cocktail Tomato

Solanum lycopersicum (nightshade)

Also known as: Cherry Cocktail Red


A prolific, easy-going heirloom bred for volume and reliability, producing small, round, glossy red fruit in generous clusters of up to two dozen at a time. Sweet and simple in flavour, best eaten whole straight from the vine, this variety is a genuine workhorse for the garden — heavy-cropping over a long season with minimal fuss, and just as good tossed through a salad as it is snacked on standing in the garden. A dependable, no-nonsense addition for anyone wanting a steady stream of cherry tomatoes right through summer. Indeterminate (climbing) variety — requires staking or a climbing frame.

Days to harvest 65–75 days from transplant
Fruit size 2.5cm, round
Sowing depth 5mm
Germination 10–14 days at 24–29°C
Spacing 50–75cm apart
Aspect Full sun, well-drained soil
Frost tolerance Frost sensitive — needs reliably warm nights

Growing notes


Choose a full-sun, open position with good air circulation. Suits a large pot from 30–40L with staking. Adaptable to most soils but performs best in deep, free-draining soil with consistent moisture.

Soil preparation: Rich, well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter worked in.

Support: Staking or a climbing frame essential — a vigorous climbing variety producing dense clusters of fruit all season.

Watering & feeding: Water deeply and consistently, especially once the first fruit cluster has set. Feed regularly with a potassium-rich fertiliser once flowering and fruiting begins.

Harvest: Pick once fruit is glossy red and firm. Best eaten fresh and whole, skin and all.

Timing: Expect first harvest around 65–75 days after transplanting, with heavy, ongoing production through the season.

Key features

  • Open-pollinated heirloom
  • Small, round, glossy red fruit, ~2.5cm
  • Fruits in large clusters of up to two dozen
  • Sweet, simple, classic cherry tomato flavour
  • Prolific, high-yielding over a long season
  • Excellent fresh — salads and snacking

Short season tips


Sow 6–8 weeks before you want to plant out, on a heat mat if possible — soil needs to be 24–29°C to germinate reliably. Transplant only once all risk of frost has passed and nights are reliably mild. Its reliable, heavy-cropping nature makes it a solid, low-fuss choice for a shorter or less predictable growing season.

  • Spring
  • Summer

Tender perennial — most often grown as an annual

  • Basil (classic tomato pairing) Marigolds Carrots Parsley
  • Other nightshades (capsicums, chillies, eggplants, potatoes) Fennel Corn


Part of the long lineage of red cherry tomatoes grown since the 19th century, among the oldest tomato types still in cultivation. This particular selection was refined for reliability and volume, and remains popular with Australian home gardeners today for its prolific, heavy cropping and classic, no-fuss cherry tomato flavour.