Dwarf Type Plants For My Winter Indoor Garden

[rnewste]

Some of you may remember the SWC InnTainer that I designed last Winter, which was intended to permit indoor vegetable growing over the Winter:



While the InnTainer design worked extremely well in watering the plants automatically, like a "Doofus" - (yes, that moniker is popular in Silicon Valley this week = Yahoo, Solyndra, etc.), I elected to plant full size tomato plants such as Cherokee Purple, Goose Creek, and Brandywine varieties. The result:



For this 2011/12 Winter grow-out, I have consulted with Remy and Carol who have sent me a number of Dwarf-type varieties to plant. Here is my preliminary list as of today:

Mano

Mountain Princess

Polish Dwarf

Remy Rouge

Rozovyi Flamingo

Sophie’s Choice

Stakeless

Victorian Dwarf

If anyone has a critique on these - or if there are better ones that I should be growing - please let me know. I want to stay with mid to large red varieties which will grow no taller than 3 feet high.

Also, if there are any red varieties from the Dwarf Project, I would be happy to grow a few of these out over this Winter.

Thanks for your input,

Raybo

[Mark0820]

I'm not familiar with Dwarf plants, so I don't know what the exact definition is for a Dwarf plant. Therefore, my post may or may not be what you are looking for.

I grew a determinate this year called Danko (from Carolyn's 2011 seed offer). It grew about 3 ft. tall for the initial fruit set in early/mid summer. It has grown a little taller (probably still under 4 ft.) and is producing a second crop for late summer/early fall. It is a red heart with very good flavor.

If you decide to try it, I would be happy to send some seeds in return for the Brandywine from Croatia seeds. If you don't want to try it, that is fine too.

[mdvpc]

Ray

Mano is great. Polish Dwarf and Mountain Princess may get too big. Sophie's should be good. There are others that would be good also. Extreme Dwarf Bush German would be good. Here is a thread from my 2010 growout which has some dwarfs:

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...eenhouse+mdvpc

[Patrina_Pepperina]

Originally Posted by rnewste

Also, if there are any red varieties from the Dwarf Project, I would be happy to grow a few of these out over this Winter.

There should be some Wilpena if some of the people who grew it sent back seeds to Craig. It's in the Sleepy family and is a tasty red. Shoot off a PM to Craig (he's away at present but will get back soon I think). There's a new Guidelines forum to read and agree to, and I'm sure your help during winter would be welcome.

There's also a thread here to post what you'll be growing for the project during winter.

Patrina

[maf]

I grew Sophie's Choice under lights over winter and concluded the plant habit is too sprawling and horizontal for this type of grow. In the situation proposed here, it might work if planted in the first row next to the window, as it will tend to sprawl towards the light (meaning the window) away from the other plants, and its low habit will not block sunlight from getting to the plants behind.

I haven't tried any of the others on the list.

A couple of dwarf plants with a more upright habit that did well for me inside were Yaponskiy Karlik (Japanese Dwarf) and Demidov, about 2 feet and 2.5 feet respectively IIRC. Yaponskiy Karlik is red and very early, Demidov is slightly later, pink and better tasting.

[habitat_gardener]

i have 2 Remy Rouge plants in my garden beds. They're beautiful plants with nice form, about 18 in. high. I'd guess they'd do ok in hanging baskets, too, because the branches are delicate and look like they might like to trail if they weren't constrained by the cage.

[rnewste]

I've replaced Remy Rouge for the Winter InnTainers, with Pervaya Lyubov (thanks Michael). Started this variety on Sept 21, and it is already germinated and over an inch high today Sept 30.

BTW, I've completed the 15 page InnTainer Construction Guide. It will take TomatoFest another few days to get it on their site for download. PM me if you want an advance .pdf copy.

Raybo

[lakelady]

So how are the dwarfs doing now Ray? It will be interesting to see how yours do indoors in that nice warm climate you have

[chalstonsc]

Ray,
Maybe too late for this year, but I would also recommend Danko, and New Big Dwarf.

[rnewste]

Originally Posted by chalstonsc

Ray,
Maybe too late for this year, but I would also recommend Danko, and New Big Dwarf.

Chals,

I've grown both of these before outdoors, and they got to be more than 5 feet tall. My goal is to get Varieties which will mature in the 18 to 36 inch height max. For my InnTainer project this Winter, I have settled on these. Some additional commentaries I've found on the Internet included:

Demidov - Compact det., rugose leaf, medium size pink fruits, sometimes with yellow shoulders, round oblate shape, very early, excellent flavor. 72 days, det., regular leaf, excellent yield of great tasting 3-3.5" beautiful pink fruit. 74 DTM, regular leaf rugose dwarf plant to 3', very good production of relatively large, pink fruit for a dwarf plant, 5-7 oz, showed some uneven ripening on shoulders.

Extreme Bush - 50 days, determinate — The plants are twelve to twenty eight inches tall, tremendously productive, and produce fruit over a long period of time. The leaves interestingly curl up and inward. The fruits are very flavorful, weigh about three ounces, are globe-shaped and red in color.

Mano - Det., compact plant with rugose regular foliage, very productive. Small round red fruits, 1-2 oz, excellent strong acidic taste with a hint of sweetness. 77 days, compact dwarf 18-24" tall plants with rugose regular leaf foliage, good production of 2-3 oz red fruit.

Mountain Princess - 69 days, det., compact regular leaf plant with high yield of medium red fruit, 3-6 oz, very good flavor.


Pervaya Lyubov - 65 days. Pastel pink/raspberry, absolutely delicious! Fruity, sweet and just enough acid to make its flavor pop! 3-5oz fruit on clusters.

Polish Dwarf - 78 days, 42 inch dwarf plant with rugose, regular leaf foliage, fabulous production of 2-3 oz round, red fruit. .Plant determinate, dwarf, vigorous, 53.3 by 96.5 cm., leaves rugose, dark green. Fruit 4.0 by 7.0 cm., flat globe, medium number locules, little cracking, eight per cluster.

Rozovyi Flamingo - Rozovyi means pink in Russian. The plants were grown in gallon pots and were dwarf growing only a couple feet high. They probably will be a bit larger grown in the ground. The fruit are an elongated globe shape and a light pink, very pink as tomatoes go so the name is fitting.

Russian Red - 70 days, tree type, rugose leaves can reach 5', extremely prolific producer of 2" juicy red salad tomatoes, a must for every garden, bred at Levin Ag. Research Center, New Zealand.

Sophies Choice - Very early, rivals Stupice for how early it produces in my garden. Regular leafed determinate plant, very small (maximum of 2' in height) doesn't require staking. Red globular fruit, about 3" in diameter with good (although a little bit mild) flavor, excellent for containers.

Stakeless - Will reach maturity in 78 days. Foliage is green and fruit is red, round and weighs 8 ounces. 2 to 4 ft. 78 days Compact dwarf plant. Medium large fruit about 8 oz. Plants get 18 - 24 in. Seed is very hard to find. Great for in pots on the porch or patio. Very much like 'Patio', but the tomato may be a bit larger. determinate

Victorian Dwarf - 65 days, bush habit, excellent production of good tasting 3" slightly flat red fruit.


I would appreciate any commentary on my selections, as will need to eliminate one Variety since I have only 10 available "slots" this Winter.


Raybo

[coloken]

I thank you for the list. I just copied that last message over to my tomato file.
Nothing to add but that I watch this discussion with pleasure. Right now I have a Russian red and a NBD in my window. both are about 3 foot in pot and both have the start of a fruit or two. I do say that I really like the looks of rugose leaves, so dark green and healthy looking.

[maf]

Originally Posted by rnewste

I would appreciate any commentary on my selections, as will need to eliminate one Variety since I have only 10 available "slots" this Winter.


Raybo

Pervaya Lyubov is a fantastic tomato but is not dwarf or determinate, mine got to five feet or so. It is true that the vegetative growth slows right down on this one when it loads up with fruits, so you might be able to make it work, but if it is already 4 or 5 feet tall by then it will be difficult. If you decide to keep it, it would definitely be one for the back corner, furthest away from the window.

[mdvpc]

Second on PL-I did grow it in my fall greenhouse last year and it was definitely taller than you are looking for. Ray-what about some of the varieties from the dwarf project? There are 9 released. I am going to post photos this weekend-I will also post their height.

[rnewste]

Michael,

Yes, I would be happy to grow out 2 of the Dwarf Project plants. I would be looking for large fruited, red varieties. Any suggestions?

Raybo

[akgardengirl]

Next season you can try Yukon Quest, Iditarod Red and Sleeping Lady. I heard a rumor that they will be released. Not big fruited but who knows what they might do in that California sunshine.
Sue B.