How to Grow Even Sweeter Tomato
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Even Sweeter Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum 'Even Sweeter'
vegetableEven Sweeter is a hybrid cherry tomato variety known for its exceptional sweetness and high sugar content. It produces abundant small, deep red fruits that are excellent for fresh eating, snacking, and salads. The indeterminate vining plants are prolific producers throughout the season.
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Example Even Sweeter Tomato timeline · Pittsburgh, PA (Zone 6b)
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Plant Even Sweeter Tomato
Around Apr 17Near Pittsburgh's average last spring frost.
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Tend & protect
Late spring–summerWatering, feeding, and pest-watch reminders.
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Harvest Even Sweeter Tomato
Around Jun 16≈ 60 days after planting
Sample dates for Pittsburgh, PA. Sign up to get exact Even Sweeter Tomato dates for your own zip code.
Growing Conditions
Soil
Growing Zones
Find your zone →Thrives in zones 3-10, grown as annual in cooler regions
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Get my Even Sweeter Tomato timeline →Growth Stages
Seedling
3-4 weeksSmall plants with 2-4 true leaves, developing root system
Provide 14-16 hours of bright light daily; keep soil moist but not soggy; maintain 70-75°F temperature; thin seedlings to strongest one per cell
Vegetative
3-4 weeks after transplantingRapid stem and leaf growth; plants establishing robust vines with multiple branches
Provide sturdy support/stakes early; maintain consistent moisture; begin weekly diluted fertilizer application; remove lower leaves for air circulation
Flowering
4-6 weeksAppearance of small yellow flowers in clusters along the main and side shoots
Continue staking and pruning suckers; maintain consistent watering to prevent blossom end rot; apply balanced fertilizer; ensure good air circulation
Fruiting
6-8 weeks to first harvestGreen marble-sized fruits developing and enlarging; plants heavily laden with fruit clusters
Switch to lower nitrogen fertilizer (5-10-10 or similar); maintain deep watering schedule; thin fruit if desired for larger individual cherries; support heavy branches
Harvest
8-12 weeks (until first frost)Abundant red, fully ripe cherry tomatoes ready for picking; continued production until frost
Pick fruits when fully red and slightly soft to touch for maximum sweetness; harvest regularly to encourage more production; deadhead spent flowers; continue watering and fertilizing
Companion Planting
Plan your garden →Plant with:
Avoid planting near:
Common Pests
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Spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil; encourage beneficial insects like ladybugs; strong water spray to dislodge
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Use yellow sticky traps; spray with neem oil or insecticidal soap; encourage parasitic wasps
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Hand-pick from plants; encourage parasitic wasps (look for cocoons on hornworms); use Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis)
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Increase humidity; spray with water; use miticides if severe; neem oil applications
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Remove infected leaves; improve air circulation; mulch to prevent soil splash; apply copper fungicide; avoid overhead watering
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Remove infected plant parts immediately; apply copper or chlorothalonil fungicide; ensure excellent air circulation; avoid wetting foliage
Uses
Fresh eating and snacking
CulinaryEven Sweeter tomatoes are prized for eating raw straight off the vine due to their exceptional sweetness and low acidity. Perfect for salads, caprese dishes, and snacking. [source]
Pasta and sauce applications
CulinaryThe high sugar content and concentrated flavor make these ideal for cooking into fresh sauces, pestos, and marinara. Their small size makes them perfect for halving or leaving whole in dishes. [source]
Preservation and canning
CulinaryCherry tomatoes are excellent for oven-drying, roasting, or preserving whole. Their natural sweetness requires less added sugar in jams or preserves. [source]
Ornamental garden feature
HouseholdWith their prolific red fruit production, Even Sweeter plants provide both food and visual garden appeal, suitable for containers, vertical gardens, and landscape features. [source]
Lycopene and antioxidant source
MedicinalRipe red tomatoes are rich in lycopene and other antioxidants associated with cardiovascular and prostate health benefits. [source]
This is not medical advice. LizPlants is not a medical resource. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before using plants medicinally.
Harvest Tips
Pick fruits when fully red and slightly soft to the touch for maximum sweetness and flavor. Cherry tomatoes can be harvested at the pink stage and ripened indoors, but are sweeter when vine-ripened. Harvest every 2-3 days during peak season to encourage continued production. Fruits are extremely productive throughout the season until first frost; a single plant can produce 200+ cherry tomatoes.
Fun Facts
- 🌱 Even Sweeter tomatoes have a Brix rating (sugar content measurement) of 9-10+, making them 20-30% sweeter than most commercial tomato varieties, rivaling some fruit in natural sugar content.
- 🌱 A single indeterminate Even Sweeter plant can produce over 200 cherry tomatoes in a growing season under optimal conditions, making it one of the most prolific tomato varieties available.
- 🌱 The high sugar content that makes these tomatoes exceptionally sweet also makes them more attractive to pollinators and beneficial insects, and they naturally attract fewer pests than some other varieties.
Gardening Terms
New to gardening? Learn about terms used in this guide:
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