The appeal of Dwarfs

[schill93]

What new dwarfs did you try in 2016. How would you rate them in flavor, production and disease resistance? How tall did they get, and how closely did you plant them?

In a book on growing tomatoes that I recently read, the author's opinion of dwarfs was that it was a waste of valuable real estate for little yield. For large market growers I realize that yield, as well as disease resistance will be paramount. However, for home gardeners, this is not quite so pressing.

But when it comes to dwarfs, there is a fourth factor and that is manageability, which has a lot of appeal. So how many here think it is a waste of valuable real estate?

I have limited gardening area, and like everyone want good yield, but those cute little dwarfs sure are appealing. Especially when it's 108 degrees out there and I'm struggling to tie up my never ending flopping tomato branches. (that's sweat pouring down)

[ginger2778]

I know Bunny Hop Seeds specializes in micro dwarfs, most are small fruited and productive. And really cute!

[Cole_Robbie]

Bunny Hop sells through Heritage, and their site is down at the moment

I'm the only vendor selling dwarf plants at my market, and I've been doing well. I've found that I can sell them earlier than most peoples' gardens are ready to plant. Most customers still don't know about them. Container gardeners especially need dwarfs.

I probably planted too many dwarfs this year, and I will scale it back a little next year. But several of them are my favorite varieties to eat.

My every-year dwarf team: Mano, Qiyanai Huang, Jade Beauty, Sweet Sue, Tasmanian Chocolate

New additions from this past season: Uluru Ocre, Utyonok, Wherokowhai, Coastal Pride Orange, New Big Dwarf

Aztec was my favorite microdwarf of the year.

I also grow a few compact determinates, which are not technically dwarfs, but they are small plants. They bear fruit early, and anything early is easy to sell. Anmore Treasures, Cole, Sol Gold, and Maglia Rosa are my favorites in that category.

[schill93]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

Bunny Hop sells through Heritage, and their site is down at the moment

Yes they are cute. I have purchased about 12 different varieties to try next year. Have you grown any? Which did you like best?

I'm the only vendor selling dwarf plants at my market, and I've been doing well. I've found that I can sell them earlier than most peoples' gardens are ready to plant. Most customers still don't know about them. Container gardeners especially need dwarfs.

I probably planted too many dwarfs this year, and I will scale it back a little next year. But several of them are my favorite varieties to eat.

My every-year dwarf team: Mano, Qiyanai Huang, Jade Beauty, Sweet Sue, Tasmanian Chocolate

New additions from this past season: Uluru Ocre, Utyonok, Wherokowhai, Coastal Pride Orange, New Big Dwarf

Aztec was my favorite microdwarf of the year.

I also grow a few compact determinates, which are not technically dwarfs, but they are small plants. They bear fruit early, and anything early is easy to sell. Anmore Treasures, Cole, Sol Gold, and Maglia Rosa are my favorites in that category.

Cole Robe: So, you sell the dwarf plants at market. I could see a lot of people wanting to try them. I am not familiar with Mano or Qiyani Huang. Will have to look them up.
What did you think about Uluru Ochre. I have heard mixed reviews on that one.
I had wanted to try it, but because of mixed reviews, I didn't buy it. It sure has an interesting look though.

Ginger2778: Have you grown any? Which ones did you like best? I have purchase about 12 different varieties and will be planting them next year for the first time (though I may not get all 12 varieties planted from lack of space) There are just so many I want to try, and it's hard trying to pick. I keep revising my list weekly it seems.

[Cole_Robbie]

Customers love the stout stems. Dwarfs have the appearance of many plants sold at big box stores that are treated with a growth regulating hormone to get them to grow so stoutly.

Uluru Ocre is, I believe, the first orange/black cross. Mine looked like bruised orange tomatoes. It's the first orange I have tasted that also has an acid zing to the flavor. I really like Qiyanai Huang and Coastal Pride Orange, as well as KBX, but they are sweet tomatoes. The flavor is very good, but one-dimensional. Uluru Ocre tastes different from any other orange I have tasted. Here's a pic: http://i.imgur.com/MRkZ3lA.jpg

[schill93]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

Customers love the stout stems. Dwarfs have the appearance of many plants sold at big box stores that are treated with a growth regulating hormone to get them to grow so stoutly.

Uluru Ocre is, I believe, the first orange/black cross. Mine looked like bruised orange tomatoes. It's the first orange I have tasted that also has an acid zing to the flavor. I really like Qiyanai Huang and Coastal Pride Orange, as well as KBX, but they are sweet tomatoes. The flavor is very good, but one-dimensional. Uluru Ocre tastes different from any other orange I have tasted. Here's a pic: http://i.imgur.com/MRkZ3lA.jpg

Hmmm. The sliced one doesn't look like it has a lot of gel cavities.

[dmforcier]

For me, dwarves are for tossing.


No, seriously. Got four up to full size in pots with new mix. All were healthy and blooming, then got some creeping blight and just laughed at me. I would have tossed them over the balcony but then would have had to clean up the mess.

[Barb_FL]

This is my 4th season for growing dwarfs. They appeal to me b/c I have to grow everything in containers (EB or RootPouch) so staking is always a challenge.

This season I am going to keep track of production so I can compare and see if they are worth the effort in this hot, humid climate. They might be better going into the winter than going into the spring/summer.

The one that I have been growing every season since I started is Wild Fred.

[schill93]

Originally Posted by dmforcier

For me, dwarves are for tossing.


No, seriously. Got four up to full size in pots with new mix. All were healthy and blooming, then got some creeping blight and just laughed at me. I would have tossed them over the balcony but then would have had to clean up the mess.

That's really a shame dmforcier. All four got it. Must have spread quickly, whatever it was. For balconies, they would be really great (if they live of course)

I certainly hope that's not indicative of dwarfs in general.

[dmforcier]

Probably not. I think it was indicative of tomatoes. These (four varieties) were all growing right up against a raft of peppers and my pepper crop this year is the best in a long time. You could tell that at least two dwarfs were trying to grow foliage to replace that lost to blight, but the bottom line was that they weren't going to produce. With limited space I had to turn it over to what was going to produce.

I'll probably try again next year. Lord knows that there are some militant, disease-ridden girls after me to try again.




Shout out to the Plague Sisters, Katie and Tegan.

[Shrinkrap]

I wanted different colors , so new for me this year, all in Eboxes were

Dwarf Blazing Beauty Tomato
Chocolate Lightning Dwarf Tomato
Adelaide Festival Tomato
Boronia Dwarf Tomato
BrandyFred Dwarf Tomato
Dwarf Golden Heart Tomato
Dwarf Purple Heart Tomato
Fred's Tie Dye Tomato

Purple heart was a beautiful plant, and beautiful fruit. My early faves, but hollow and BER toward end of season
I loved all the striped blacks ( Chocolate Lightning ,Adelaide Festival, Fred's Tie Dye) but splitting was a problem in August
Dwarf Blazing Beauty was not prolific, but I got a few, and they were indeed, blazing beauties!
Brandy Fred just started setting fruit about a month ago, and the fruit are now ripening, the size of marbles
Golden Heart has been prolific, and is still bearing fruit, but most are a little small

And then there is always New Big Dwarf, in Gardener's supply SWP's for the third time, and once again, a stalwart. I think Boronia might fit into en same catagory.

[kchd..]

This year I grew Uluru Ochre, Sleeping Lady, and Utyonok. Uluru Ochre was my favorite of the three because of the size of fruit combined with the flavor. Utyonok was productive and also tasted great, but smaller fruit. Sleeping Lady had the flavor but I felt it was a bit stingy on production. If you have limited space and want to grow tomatoes in containers, I would recommend trying several dwarf varieties.

Originally Posted by dmforcier

I'll probably try again next year. Lord knows that there are some militant, disease-ridden girls after me to try again.




Shout out to the Plague Sisters, Katie and Tegan.

Darn right you're gonna try again, because I'm going to enable you with more seeds. You just need to show those tomato plants the love you give to those peppers. No favoritism, Dennis.

[dmforcier]

Yes ma'am. Whatever you desire, ma'am.

For the record, I got two small fruits off Sleeping Lady, and despite the splits they were very tasty. Uluru Ochre was my healthiest and bloomiest dwarf, but never set, the b!tch.

[schill93]

Originally Posted by dmforcier

Yes ma'am. Whatever you desire, ma'am.

For the record, I got two small fruits off Sleeping Lady, and despite the splits they were very tasty. Uluru Ochre was my healthiest and bloomiest dwarf, but never set, the b!tch.

That cracked me up. A fitting ending for another night on Tomatoville.

[oakley]

I had a lull about the first weekend in July...the waiting game when everything was planted, trays were washed, bleached, stacked and packed for next season....and had some ordered seeds come in late so decided to start a 36 cell square tray of micros and dwarfs and trial a few other collected packets.
Great looking seedlings. Tiny and thick. All new to me this past season.
A few years ago i decided to try some extra cherry varieties in some 7Gallon pots that some trees came in as a trial. A bacon strip of good sun on the edge of the driveway that can be moved easily as the sun shifts. It worked, and nice to snack on a handful after a long work day in the city.

No real estate issues. Free unused space. Same as the back deck off the kitchen where i just have lots of cooking herbs.

So i did trial 5 in the one gallon grow bags in a sunny office window in Brooklyn. They succumbed to white fly and spider mites and i was not told in time as i'm rarely there...

Two, under my love and care, in the 2 gallon bags, are gorgeous. Very healthy but only one fruit.
The central stem did droop and hang over the front side of both. Planted way late but the trial was successful and i will try again next year. No real estate issues as it is a deck bench seat not used for seating really. The uprights still flowering, i suppose considered laterals, are looking good today. I plan to cut the central stems off and see how they do indoors.

I just need to try again next season starting at an earlier time. My main garden is up in the Catskills but i get a bit starved during the work week in the city...this deck gets great sun July-August so the grow bags seem to be the ticket for dwarf-micro trials. (the rest of the property is forest hosta-landia)

Just hope to see some fruit next year. Confident it will be a worthy project.