42 Day Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) Seeds – World's Fastest-Ripening Tomato, Sweet Red Cherry Fruit, Compact Determinate Plant, Great for Containers

Minimum: 10+ Seeds

The Fastest Tomato You Can Grow

Most tomatoes make you wait 70, 80, even 100 days before the first ripe fruit shows up. 42 Day Tomato does it in barely six weeks from transplant, one of the fastest-ripening tomatoes documented anywhere. This compact, determinate plant was bred for speed above all else, producing clusters of sweet, red cherry fruit on a plant small enough for a patio container. It's the tomato for short-season gardeners racing the frost, and for anyone who doesn't want to wait all summer for a ripe tomato.

Who Grows 42 Day Tomato?
The short-season gardener needing a tomato that ripens before an early frost hits.
The impatient gardener who wants ripe fruit as fast as possible.
The container gardener wanting a compact plant suited to pots and small spaces.
The northern or high-altitude grower working with a short growing window.
The kid-friendly garden project needing quick, visible results from seed to fruit.

What This Fast-Ripening Cherry Tomato Actually Is
Solanum lycopersicum '42 Day' is a determinate tomato bred for extremely fast fruit maturity, typically ripening fruit within about 42 days of transplanting, among the fastest timelines recorded for any tomato variety. Plants stay compact and bushy, generally under 2 feet tall, well suited to containers, small raised beds, or anywhere space is limited. As a determinate variety, it sets and ripens most of its fruit within a concentrated window rather than continuously through the season, producing clusters of small, sweet, red cherry tomatoes with classic flavor. Its speed makes it a strong choice for short-season climates, succession planting, or gardeners looking for the quickest path from seed to salad. Grown as a warm-season annual; not frost-hardy.

In the Garden & Kitchen

• Container growing: Grow in a medium to large pot on a patio for a fast, space-saving tomato crop.
• Short-season gardening: Plant where a short frost-free window rules out slower tomato varieties.
• Succession planting: Slot a fast crop between spring greens and a fall planting for extra season use.
• Fresh eating: Eat ripe cherry tomatoes straight off the vine for a sweet, classic snack.
• Salads and quick dishes: Halve fresh fruit into salads, pastas, or quick sautés for fast use.
• Kids' garden project: Grow with children who want quick results, seed to ripe fruit in weeks.

Growing 42 Day Tomato Seeds

• Start method: Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost; do not direct sow in most climates.
• Germination: Sprouts in 5-10 days in warm soil.
• Soil temperature: Best 70-85°F.
• Transplanting: Move outdoors after frost danger passes and soil has warmed.
• Spacing: Space plants 12-18 inches apart; compact size allows closer planting than large varieties.
• Sunlight: Full sun.
• Soil: Rich, well-drained soil with good fertility supports strong fruit production.
• Watering: Consistent, even moisture; avoid letting soil dry out.
• Support: A small stake or cage helps keep the compact plant upright once fruit sets.
• Maturity: Ripens fruit in roughly 42 days from transplant, among the fastest of any tomato.
• Harvest: Pick fruit as it reaches full red color for the sweetest flavor.
• Hardiness: Grown as a warm-season annual everywhere; killed by frost.

Before You Close This Page
This is the tomato built for gardeners who can't or won't wait. 42 Day Tomato ripens sweet, red cherry fruit in roughly six weeks from transplant, a timeline few other varieties come close to matching. Its compact, determinate habit fits any container or small bed, and it's a genuine solution for short-season climates where slower tomatoes never reach harvest. Give it warmth, sun, and consistent water, and it delivers ripe fruit faster than almost anything else in the garden. Grow the tomato that turns a short season into a real harvest.