Recommended varieties

[Barbee]

I need your expertise with a project I'm doing. I'm going to do a workshop with the Senior Citizens complex in a nearby town. Kind of a grow your own food thing.
So what I'm looking for is 2 or 3 varieties of cherry tomatoes (or dwarfs?) I could start seed for soon. Something easy to grow and few disease problems. Probably determinate, or something that stays on the smaller side so we don't have to buy ginormous pots. The idea is that they can choose a pepper or a tomato plant, pick out the pot they want, and put it on their patios. This is a brick building complex that faces the south, so it gets HOT. We would do the planting and talk about how to take care of it during the workshop. I have some of those cheapo wire cages here I can donate to the cause. And I think I have some of those watering thingies you can screw onto a water bottle I can donate. All they'd really need to buy is the pot, which I can get pretty reasonable I think at the Dollar Store or Big Lots. I'll try to get the local nursery to donate the potting mix.

So I need ideas on varieties I can quickly get packs of seeds for. I already have the bell peppers growing, so I'm good there. Oh and what size of pots should I buy to cover tomatoes and peppers?
Thanks in advance folks

[Gobig_or_Gohome_toms]

I had good luck with New Big Dwarf on my south facing deck that gets really hot in the summer and liked the taste and I am growing them again this year. I did save seeds but not that many so I could probably send out 20-30 or maybe a few more depending on how many you needed because I am growing one plant again this year and can save more seeds.

As far as pot size I grew it is a 16 inch pot and it did well. It did need water daily in the heat of the summer.

Send me a PM if you want me send out some seeds.

Craig

[creister]

Extreme Bush and Patio King are two dwarf varieties that are good tasting and compact.

[kevokie]

How about those Tiny Tim or whatever they are called? Red Robin? I don't remember right now, but they are supposed to grow really well in a container.

[habitat_gardener]

This link
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/l...005555398.html
was mentioned in a post here -- Nightshade went through Tania's list and picked 30 or so that could be grown as "toy tomato" house plants. I've been meaning to try some of these. N said, "The single best vendor of seeds for small plant varieties" is Tatiana's Tomatoes in Canada. IIRC, min. order is $10.

IIRC, in that post or another one, N or someone else had some photos of the cutest little containers that she used as centerpieces at Thanksgiving so guests could pick their own tomatoes. Some of the containers were quite small, maybe a quart?

Maybe these would also be worth a try as indoor summer tomatoes for people who live in blast-furnace-summer climates?

If your seniors can have 5 gal. or larger plants on a balcony, I'd imagine they could grow almost any tomato, so probably taste and steady production would be the deciding factors. I wonder if the size of the container (5 gal. vs., say, 18 gal.) would limit the size of the plant.

[Barbee]

Craig,
I don't want to take your seeds, as this project may not have a good turnout. This is just something we're trying, to see if there's an interest. So I'll just buy a couple of packs of seeds for this project. But I do appreciate you being willing to share and may take you up on it next year

creister,
Are those varieties you recommended readily available at a local box store or something? It sounds like just what I need.

Kevin,
I did think about the Tiny Tim or Tom Thumb or whatever they're called. I just was not sure how big they got. I will check into that further. Thank you.

habitat,
I also wondered if size of the pot would determine the size of the tomato? I don't know the answer to that one but maybe someone here will know. I have plenty of indeterminates already growing but would hate to use those for the pots, only to find that the pot was too small and they would be watering 3x a day to keep the tomato alive So I was hesitant to use them. I will check out the GW link you sent. If it's not something I can use for this project, it might come in handy for another project. Thanks.

[Gobig_or_Gohome_toms]

Barbee I just looked and I have about 60 seeds it looks like so would be happy to send them to you if you would like just let me know.

Craig

[recruiterg]

I grew Nocholayev Yellow Cherry last season and liked it. See: http://store.tomatofest.com/Nicholay..._p/tf-0342.htm

It was a fairly compact plant and produced fairly well and had very good taste. Not sure how it would work in containers/heat, but would be happy to donate seeds to your cause if you are interested. I have about 10 seedlings going, so don't really need any more seeds. I don't have any dwarf varieties.

[montanamato]

Demidov, Persey, Alpatieva 905A, Kootenai, Gail's Sweet Plum and Dubok have all done well in small containers on a very hot porch.....

Jeanne

[dice]

I was going to suggest Russian Red, but the only vendor that
I know of, Victory Seeds, is sold out for the season. Ditto for
Alpatieva 905A.

It looks like they still have seeds for Polish Dwarf, though:
http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Polish_Dwarf
http://www.victoryseeds.com/catalog/...to/tomato.html

Victory has Extreme Bush, too, same page (although I wonder
if the tendency toward physiological leaf roll would convince
new growers that there is something wrong with the plant even
when it is doing well.)

[newatthiskat]

I am growing a couple of Tiny Tims this year. From what I have read they get about 10-14 inches tall and about 14 inches wide. They can supposedly grow in small pots (I am hoping because that is what I have them growing in) fruit size si supposed to be about1/2 to 3/4 inches. it is a red cherry. It can also be grow inside with good results according to most I have read but I will find out this year when I plan to keep regrowing it until next season.
Kat

[creister]

Barbee,

I have grown Patio King and Extreme Bush from seed and have never seen them in stores. I know Sandhill is where I got the Patio King seeds from, and Victory for the Extreme Bush.

[Barbee]

A big thanks to all!
I'm going to go with New Big Dwarf and Polish Dwarf for this time around. If it goes over well, then next year I will look into more varieties. If I can find the Patio King online, I will probably add it to the mix for this year, too.
To keep costs down even further for the Seniors on a fixed income, (I'm going to try to have no cost for them) I think I'm going to look into nursery pots for these plants. Should I go with 2 or 3 gallon? Or bigger, smaller???....don't be afraid to speak up.

[montanamato]

Polish Dwarf performs great in a 2 gallon container, and is a steady producer all summer.....Several years ago I gave it to people who had never container gardened before and they loved it.....It is virtually impossible to get BER on Polish Dwarf, and the flavor is pretty good too....

Jeanne

[Barbee]

Great to know Jeanne! I will do some price checks on the 2 gallon nursery pots. Thanks!