Winter Dwarves in the Greenhouse

**mdvpc** · December 17, 2006

As I do every winter, I am growing dwarves in the greenhouse, including Grumpy. All have fruited and Patio King and Window Box (not window box roma) have been giving me some fruit. I am also growing white bush, bushy charbonosky (sp), demidov, japanese dwarf, koralik, mano rugose, citron compact, french primabel, mini-rose, astra (an f1 hybrid from seeds from italy that is a paste), lime green salad, mini red cherry and new big dwarf.

Here are two photos of the current state of the greenhouse.

Tania · December 18, 2006

Michael,

looks absolutely beautiful! Very healthy plants and nice ripening fruits.

Sometimes I wish I had a heated GH, but then I do realize that I am better off taking a break from my garden for a couple of months in winter - I am almost grateful for this unusual snow we have here (again

, so I can be sitting in front of the wood burning fireplace and be a bit lazy on the weekends

Let me know how you liked Japanese Dwarf :wink:

**mdvpc** · December 18, 2006

Tania-The reason I can do it during the winter is that we get so much sunshine here. I dont know how much sunshine you get during the winter. I do think that taking a break is good, but I havent gotten around to it yet! John-its a challenge growing during the winter-especially the fact that plants dtm are much longer-its frustrating to see the fruit ripen so slowly. But we hope to have some nice fresh tomatoes for Christmas Eve dinner.

**mdvpc** · December 29, 2006

Here are 2 photos of mano rugose-very nice variety, dwarf and has beautiful fruit. Thanks to Jenifer, I got seed and am growing this in the greenhouse now. Its loaded with fruit.

Suze · December 29, 2006

Outstanding, I can't believe how good your plants look.

One of these days, I'm going to bug you with many greenhouse questions.

Suze

**mdvpc** · December 29, 2006

Suze-I love greenhouse questions and like to read about people's experiences-I wish the section on greenhouses on T-Ville was more active.

Earl · January 8, 2007

Michael,

Brian [Brainsander from GW] sent me seeds for Mano and Zomok a few years back. I like both of them. I'm not sure if he's who got them from Gezain in Hungary.

Mano: 55 days, short determinate that ripened earlier than SFT for me. Tastes Great! From Gezain in Hungary. Brian Sanders, Oklahoma

Zomok: 52-55 days, Another determinate ultra-early from Hungary. Great for canning and produces all year. Good flavor. Brian Sanders, Oklahoma.

**mdvpc** · January 9, 2007

Earl-I think I just got Zomok, this is my first year growing Mano Rugoe, it grows real well under cover and the fruit is about as good as you can get from a plant this short and growing in the winter. Very tasty. Glad you like them. Are you growing mano rugose this srping?

**mdvpc** · January 13, 2007

Here is a photo of window box and karlik fruit that I picked just now. Window box is finished, karlik still has some fruit on it.

**mdvpc** · January 13, 2007

Here is a photo of japanese dwarf, seed courtesy of Jeanne. Its 13 inches tall and has flowers.

You can easily grow all kinds of lettuces undercover. Here is lattuga da taglia from Seeds from Italy.

montanamato · January 13, 2007

Michael....I am filled with greenhouse envy again...How is White Bush doing?

Jeanne

Earl · January 13, 2007

Michael,
I'm not sure what I'll be growing this spring in the GH other than the seedlings for summer. Because we usually get temps down to about zero it would be to costly with those temps to heat GH, so I shut GH down in Nov.

With all this spring weather, still got some chard, oriental celery, sorrel, and herbs surviving.

**mdvpc** · January 13, 2007

Jeanne-You were right about white bush-its slow-I think one of the fruit is getting ready to turn, but cannot be sure.

Earl-I wonder if you could grow mache, aka corn salad, aka valeriana in your greenhouse over the winter-its very hardy. Also, Kale tastes better after a freeze-I have mine outside and it has frozen several times.

All the best.

decius · January 24, 2007

Michael-
I see that most of your plants are in black nursery pots now - have you given up on the grow bags? Or have you gone to the black pots for the off (non-summer) season? Black pots are great for warming the soil in the spring, but they get really hot in the summer here, and I have been trying not to use them (but the price is right - I have a ton of them!).
Elizabeth

**mdvpc** · January 25, 2007

Elizabeth-I have not given up my grow bags, but a friend that has a nursery gave me a bunch of black 5 gallong plastic pots, so I used them during the winter season. I use either white 15 gallon containers or grow bags during the summer, or the 12 gallon or 5 gallon grow bags. Black would fry my tomato roots.

December 17, 2006	#1
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Winter Dwarves in the Greenhouse As I do every winter, I am growing dwarves in the greenhouse, including Grumpy. All have fruited and Patio King and Window Box (not window box roma) have been giving me some fruit. I am also growing white bush, bushy charbonosky (sp), demidov, japanese dwarf, koralik, mano rugose, citron compact, french primabel, mini-rose, astra (an f1 hybrid from seeds from italy that is a paste), lime green salad, mini red cherry and new big dwarf. Here are two photos of the current state of the greenhouse. __________________ Michael

December 18, 2006	#2
Tania Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Anmore, BC, Canada Posts: 3,970	Michael, looks absolutely beautiful! Very healthy plants and nice ripening fruits. Sometimes I wish I had a heated GH, but then I do realize that I am better off taking a break from my garden for a couple of months in winter - I am almost grateful for this unusual snow we have here (again , so I can be sitting in front of the wood burning fireplace and be a bit lazy on the weekends Let me know how you liked Japanese Dwarf :wink: __________________ Tatiana's TOMATObase

December 18, 2006	#3
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Tania-The reason I can do it during the winter is that we get so much sunshine here. I dont know how much sunshine you get during the winter. I do think that taking a break is good, but I havent gotten around to it yet! John-its a challenge growing during the winter-especially the fact that plants dtm are much longer-its frustrating to see the fruit ripen so slowly. But we hope to have some nice fresh tomatoes for Christmas Eve dinner. __________________ Michael

December 29, 2006	#4
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Here are 2 photos of mano rugose-very nice variety, dwarf and has beautiful fruit. Thanks to Jenifer, I got seed and am growing this in the greenhouse now. Its loaded with fruit. __________________ Michael

December 29, 2006	#6
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Suze-I love greenhouse questions and like to read about people's experiences-I wish the section on greenhouses on T-Ville was more active. __________________ Michael

December 29, 2006	#5
Suze Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 3,027	Outstanding, I can't believe how good your plants look. One of these days, I'm going to bug you with many greenhouse questions. Suze

January 8, 2007	#7
Earl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,278	Michael, Brian [Brainsander from GW] sent me seeds for Mano and Zomok a few years back. I like both of them. I'm not sure if he's who got them from Gezain in Hungary. Mano: 55 days, short determinate that ripened earlier than SFT for me. Tastes Great! From Gezain in Hungary. Brian Sanders, Oklahoma Zomok: 52-55 days, Another determinate ultra-early from Hungary. Great for canning and produces all year. Good flavor. Brian Sanders, Oklahoma.

January 9, 2007	#8
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Earl-I think I just got Zomok, this is my first year growing Mano Rugoe, it grows real well under cover and the fruit is about as good as you can get from a plant this short and growing in the winter. Very tasty. Glad you like them. Are you growing mano rugose this srping? __________________ Michael

January 13, 2007	#9
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Here is a photo of window box and karlik fruit that I picked just now. Window box is finished, karlik still has some fruit on it. __________________ Michael

January 13, 2007	#11
montanamato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Montana Posts: 1,038	Michael....I am filled with greenhouse envy again...How is White Bush doing? Jeanne

January 24, 2007	#14
decius Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 23	Michael- I see that most of your plants are in black nursery pots now - have you given up on the grow bags? Or have you gone to the black pots for the off (non-summer) season? Black pots are great for warming the soil in the spring, but they get really hot in the summer here, and I have been trying not to use them (but the price is right - I have a ton of them!). Elizabeth

January 25, 2007	#15
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Elizabeth-I have not given up my grow bags, but a friend that has a nursery gave me a bunch of black 5 gallong plastic pots, so I used them during the winter season. I use either white 15 gallon containers or grow bags during the summer, or the 12 gallon or 5 gallon grow bags. Black would fry my tomato roots. __________________ Michael