Red Robin Tomato Seeds

Days to Maturity: 55 from transplant

Determinate; semi-weeping habit.

Who can resist this merry little cherry tomato, studded with bright red fruit and so compact, you can put it in a 6-inch flowerpot or let it billow over the sides of a hanging basket? Red Robin is a charming ornamental that also happens to set a nice big crop of sweet, tangy fruit.

While some tomatoes are called "container varieties" simply because they don't get too tall or heavy, Red Robin is truly a miniature. You can grow this dwarf in a 6-inch flowerpot, or let it share a hanging basket with a couple of other plants. Dot it along a window box for a huge crop of cherry tomatoes, or tuck it into combo bowls among your flowering annuals. It's an ornamental edible with a space-saving habit.

Setting all of its crop at once, Red Robin sports 1-inch-diameter round fruits that resist cracking and offer a nice tangy-sweet bite. They mature early, so if you live in a warmer climate, you might want to make succession plantings of these seeds, and have several Red Robins in different stages of maturity beautifying the patio or marching up the porch steps.

This plant is naturally well branched, with a semi-weeping habit—it will billow out over the side of a pot but not really trail, so you can place it even in a small container without fear that it will be dragging in the dust. The large dark green leaves offer nice sunscald protection for the fruit, too, but plenty of red cherries peek out from among these branches, looking terrific.

Red Robin is a charming addition to any setting. It finishes quickly, so it makes a good project for kids as well as a lovely gift for gardening or even non-gardening friends. (No special care required beyond sunshine and water.) Give Red Robin a go this season, and we think you'll be back for an extra packet or two—next time. Or, if you're ambitious, save the seed for next season—Red Robin is open-pollinated rather than a hybrid, so it comes true from seed.

Start seeds indoors 5 to 6 weeks before the last frost date. Plant outdoors when danger of frost is past and night temperatures consistently remain above 55 degrees Fahrenheit. If an unexpected late frost is forecasted, protect young plants with plastic sheeting or other cover, or bring containers to a frost free location. Set plants 6 inches apart.