What to Do with Dried Up Cherry Tomato Plants

As the growing season comes to an end, it’s natural for cherry tomato plants to dry up and wither away. While it may seem like the best thing to do is to pull them out and throw them away, there are actually several options for what to do with dried up cherry tomato plants.

Compost Them

One of the easiest things to do with dried up cherry tomato plants is to add them to your compost pile. Not only will they decompose and provide valuable nutrients to your soil, but the plant material will also help aerate the compost.

Make sure to remove any diseased or insect-infested plant material before adding it to the compost pile to avoid spreading potential problems to other plants.

Save Seeds

If you had a particularly delicious or unique variety of cherry tomatoes, it’s worth saving the seeds for next year’s garden. To do this, let some of the cherry tomatoes ripen fully on the vine, then scoop out the seeds and spread them out to dry on a paper towel or plate.

Once the seeds are completely dry, store them in a cool, dry place until you’re ready to plant them next spring.

Leave Them for Wildlife

Dried up plants may no longer be useful to you, but they can still provide shelter and food for wildlife. Leave them standing in your garden over the winter months and watch as birds, insects, and other small animals make use of them.

This is particularly important if your garden provides a habitat for pollinators or other beneficial insects, as they may overwinter in the old plant material.

Use Them for Decor

Finally, if you’re feeling creative, dried up cherry tomato plants can make for interesting and unique decor pieces. Spray paint them in festive colors for seasonal decor, or use them as structural elements in a wreath or centerpiece.

You could also cut the branches into smaller pieces and use them as natural plant stakes for next year’s garden.

Conclusion

While it may be tempting to simply remove dried up cherry tomato plants from your garden, there are several useful and creative ways to repurpose them. Whether it’s adding them to your compost pile, saving seeds, leaving them for wildlife, or using them for decor, dried up cherry tomato plants can continue to provide value long after the growing season has ended.