How can I tell if my tomato plant is stressed or supposed to have tiny tomatoes?

Question

I got some tomato seeds, and I was pretty sure they were regular tomatoes, but now that a few are ready for harvest they are very small. Now I'm not sure if I actually got a cherry tomato plant or if the plant is stressed and growing very small tomatoes because of that. It may be that the plant is not getting enough direct sunlight, but I can't say for sure.

Will a stressed plant still be able to provide ripe although small fruit? Can you tell from the images if this is a cherry tomato or regular? Does the plant look stressed?

Answer 1

It shows symptoms of having limited resources, but it doesn't look particularly stressed, and it's doing remarkably well, considering.

It shows signs that it would like more phosphorus (thin stems and small leaves).

It might have nitrogen-deficiency (or else disease symptoms), considering the yellowing lower leaves.

I would guess that it needs more fertilizer (I see signs that it might appreciate more nitrogen and phosphorus), more light, and a larger container.

It might appreciate more light, considering internode length and the mild leaf miner damage.

All things considered, though, it's doing well, and the fruit looks good (the fruit itself doesn't look stressed--yes, fruit can look stressed). It's possible the fruit would be larger in different conditions, but there are tomatoes that size and smaller; so, you never know until you experiment. However, I'm guessing by the growth habit and how well it's doing in that container that it's a cherry tomato.

The plant doesn't show visible signs of being stunted, which is a great sign.

The container could stand to be larger (ideally). Giving it a larger container would probably increase the stem thickness and leaf size, too (so, maybe it doesn't need more phosphorus after all, particularly).

Since the plant is so large, you have a unique opportunity here, which could make up somewhat for a smaller container: foliar sprays. The more leaves there are to get fertilizer, the more benefit you should notice from the foliar spray.

There's a product called Silica Blast that might thicken the stems.

Answer 2

I'm far from being an expert, but those look like normal cherry tomatoes on a happy and stress-free tomato plant to me.

Answer 3

That looks like a teeny-tiny pot to me. Give him a giant pot and good soil and moisture and lots of light. Maybe he will thank you with more or bigger fruits. My tomato plants are in a planter with three feet deep of soil in a 2 foot by 20 foot planter. And the soil is good potting soil and earthworm castings. I get lots of fruit from both my "Better Boy" and "Roma" tomato plants. They are also watered by drip line to keep them from drying out in our temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit here in Rocklin, California.