Don’t think cherry and grape tomatoes are the same because they do have differences. Cherry tomatoes tend to be round with thin skins and juicy insides, meaning these homegrown tidbits can be a delicious, delightfully squirty mess if you don’t chomp down on ‘em just right. Grape cultivars are a bit oblong — like a grape — and typically have thicker skins, which helps them store longer.

How you prefer your harvest is another consideration to keep in mind because these minute ‘maters can be determinate or indeterminate. Many determinate selections are often tagged “patio” tomatoes because their typical short statures make them container friendly, with crops being yielded in a matter of weeks, not months. Typical cherry cultivars include Baby Boomer, Tumbler, and Gold Nugget, while Candy Bell, Sweet Olive and Mighty Sweet are common grape choices.

Indeterminate tiny tomatoes usually grow tall and lanky, so they need supports such as stakes or cages. These are the long-haul types, producing fruits through the summer, if the plants are kept happy and healthy. Black Cherry, Sungold, and Super Sweet 100 are popular cherry picks, while grape goodies include Juliet, Jelly Bean, and Golden Sweet.

All of the cultivars mentioned above are easy online finds as seeds, but if you prefer to start with plants, there should be cherry and grape tomato selections to pick from at your local, friendly garden shops now, too.

Like their big brothers, tiny tomatoes are sun worshipers, so find a spot that basks in ol’ Sol’s rays for at least six to eight hours. The planting site should also be well draining and liberally enriched with compost or a quality soil conditioner. Sprinkle standard 10-10-10 or 8-8-8 fertilizer around the tomatoes at planting time and add another round when they start to produce fruits.

Ground moisture is also important to produce big crops of tiny tomatoes, so water frequently during the heat of the summer and add a 3-inch covering of mulch around the plants.