Varieties good for small spaces

TexasTycoon · July 14, 2015

I'm thinking ahead to next year, trying to figure out what I want to grow. The Tycoon plant (my first tomato) has been good this year, aside from all of the user error-induced issues that come with first time growing! I think I'll likely give it another shot next year, but I'd like to try at least one more tomato plant as well. My apartment patio is very small (about 5'x10' with storage on one end and the door to the apartment smack dab in the middle of the back wall of the patio), so I have to be pretty particular in what I grow out there. Another factor to consider is that we are next to open fields and agricultural lots, which means we get a lot of pests (we are also on the first floor, which means easier access for everyone - welcome or not). Are there any varieties y'all would recommend for container growth in a small space?

Edited to add: I should specify that I'm looking for full size fruit that would be good sliced or in sauce, that also has little issue setting fruit in the Texas heat (one of the reasons Tycoon is so appealing and was highly recommended by my local nursery, not to mention it's resistance to disease). I'm not picky about hybrid vs. heirloom, but I guess I should stick with determinate varieties since I don't think I've got room for some of the indeterminates I've seen on here (8+ feet tall? no way that's gonna fit on my patio).

Labradors2 · July 14, 2015

Hi Kelly,

I am growing some compact tomatoes in three-gallon containers. They are:

Jagodka
Russian Cherry
Pipo
Early Annie

They are all red cherries and do very well for me here in the north. I think they all taste excellent too.

There are many other varieties to choose from.

Linda

Worth1 · July 14, 2015

When I lived in an apartment in Hyde Park in Austin (Tangle Wood North) on 45th street there were some UT students from Iran that lived next door to us.
They had an Old Smoky charcoal grill going in the living room with a fan set up to blow the smoke outside.

Biggest pigs I have ever seen in my life.

Any of the dwarf tomatoes would do great for you look some of them up.
Maybe someone would be sweet and send you some seeds.
I dont have any to offer.
I have always thought it was idiotic to design doors in the middle of a wall in a small area.

Worth

NarnianGarden · July 14, 2015

Some of the compact varieties I am growing this year are Tasmanian Chocolate (dwarf) and Mohamed (microdwarf)... there are many options for smaller space.

TexasTycoon · July 14, 2015

Thanks for all the suggestions! I added some more info to my original post. I'll of course do my own research on varieties before deciding (who knows, might even find another winner at my local nursery), but I figure suggestions from TV hold a bit of weight.

Worth, I agree on the idiotic door placement. What's worse is that the door from the apartment and the door to the storage both open out onto the patio, so I'm constantly moving things around (all of our big plants are on carts) and heaven forbid both of us want to be out there at the same time. Lots of times I'll be watering and my husband will open the door right into me because it's so dang cramped out there. Oh well, we make do. It's a 15 month lease and then hopefully we'll have a house, so not much longer to deal with it (it's up in May, but I'm still planning for the worst case scenario of having to renew the lease if we haven't saved enough).

AlittleSalt · July 14, 2015

A small variety that I planted in the garden this morning is, Pinky Blast. I planted them 18 inches apart. They grow to about 2' tall and about 18" wide with little tiny leaves and produce lots of regular size cherry tomatoes.

schill93 · July 14, 2015

Just a reminder to future posters. The OP did state that she was interested in FULL SIZE tomatoes, not cherry tomatoes. Something that I have learned my first year, is to seek the advice of local knowledgeable nursery people as to variety in your climate (not referring to Home Depot or Lowes by the way). Or perhaps someone who lives in your area on this board. You could peruse the posters here and look for people in your area and just PM them with your question.

One of the varieties I chose was recommended by a grower here in the desert, and it is the one that really thrived here in our 106 degree temperature. I know of some plants that are excellent in heat here, but not familiar with the dwarf varieties, so someone more knowledgeable needs to chime in.

TexasTycoon · July 15, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by schill93

Just a reminder to future posters. The OP did state that she was interested in FULL SIZE tomatoes, not cherry tomatoes. Something that I have learned my first year, is to seek the advice of local knowledgeable nursery people as to variety in your climate (not referring to Home Depot or Lowes by the way). Or perhaps someone who lives in your area on this board. You could peruse the posters here and look for people in your area and just PM them with your question.

One of the varieties I chose was recommended by a grower here in the desert, and it is the one that really thrived here in our 106 degree temperature. I know of some plants that are excellent in heat here, but not familiar with the dwarf varieties, so someone more knowledgeable needs to chime in.

No worries, I added the specifics after most of the suggestions were posted! I grew Tycoon this year at the recommendation of my favorite local nursery, so I've got no problem asking them for another suggestion next year. Just thought I'd put feelers out and see if anyone else in the area on TV could recommend something for my particular situation.

Ed of Somis · July 15, 2015

I was thinking of the dwarf project tomatoes, as well. Many of them are quite new...and probably much is not known yet (like how they do in real heat). That still might be a great place to start. I am fairly happy with my Livingston's Dwarf Stone...but the fruit is not really big (for me).

AlittleSalt · July 15, 2015

Using the words, "Patio" and/or "Bush" in your searches should help.

Bipetual · July 15, 2015

I'm in Illinois, but my first year I had pretty decent luck with Celebrity hybrid. They got about 4 feet tall in a five gallon bucket and they weren't all that bushy. They should be reasonably easy to find as plants, mail order if all else fails. If you want to start your own seeds there are a lot of choices out there, and the list would be longer.

Edit:

Here's an article I found recommending Heatmaster or Florida 91. Maybe some more southern gardeners can give you some more feedback!

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/heat-re...nts-36163.html

Dangit · July 15, 2015

I planted a bush early girl in a container about a month and a half ago. It is around 2 feet tall now, and I counted over 20 tomatoes set a few days ago. The fruit is supposed to be larger that the regular early girl.

That is all I know about it so far. I'm in zone 9, hot and dry.

Dangit

Cole_Robbie · July 15, 2015

I second the suggestion to look into the dwarf varieties that were created by members of this web site. Any of them will produce tomatoes when grown in a 5-gallon bucket. And they taste great, especially compared to hybrid dwarf varieties.

July 14, 2015	#1
TexasTycoon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2015 Location: Round Rock, TX, Zone 8b Posts: 1,157	Varieties good for small spaces I'm thinking ahead to next year, trying to figure out what I want to grow. The Tycoon plant (my first tomato) has been good this year, aside from all of the user error-induced issues that come with first time growing! I think I'll likely give it another shot next year, but I'd like to try at least one more tomato plant as well. My apartment patio is very small (about 5'x10' with storage on one end and the door to the apartment smack dab in the middle of the back wall of the patio), so I have to be pretty particular in what I grow out there. Another factor to consider is that we are next to open fields and agricultural lots, which means we get a lot of pests (we are also on the first floor, which means easier access for everyone - welcome or not). Are there any varieties y'all would recommend for container growth in a small space? Edited to add: I should specify that I'm looking for full size fruit that would be good sliced or in sauce, that also has little issue setting fruit in the Texas heat (one of the reasons Tycoon is so appealing and was highly recommended by my local nursery, not to mention it's resistance to disease). I'm not picky about hybrid vs. heirloom, but I guess I should stick with determinate varieties since I don't think I've got room for some of the indeterminates I've seen on here (8+ feet tall? no way that's gonna fit on my patio). __________________ -Kelly "To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow." - Audrey Hepburn Bloom where you are planted. Last edited by TexasTycoon; July 14, 2015 at 04:04 PM. Reason: additional info

July 14, 2015	#5
TexasTycoon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2015 Location: Round Rock, TX, Zone 8b Posts: 1,157	Thanks for all the suggestions! I added some more info to my original post. I'll of course do my own research on varieties before deciding (who knows, might even find another winner at my local nursery), but I figure suggestions from TV hold a bit of weight. Worth, I agree on the idiotic door placement. What's worse is that the door from the apartment and the door to the storage both open out onto the patio, so I'm constantly moving things around (all of our big plants are on carts) and heaven forbid both of us want to be out there at the same time. Lots of times I'll be watering and my husband will open the door right into me because it's so dang cramped out there. Oh well, we make do. It's a 15 month lease and then hopefully we'll have a house, so not much longer to deal with it (it's up in May, but I'm still planning for the worst case scenario of having to renew the lease if we haven't saved enough). __________________ -Kelly "To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow." - Audrey Hepburn Bloom where you are planted.

July 15, 2015	#11
Bipetual Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Illinois, zone 5a Posts: 579	I'm in Illinois, but my first year I had pretty decent luck with Celebrity hybrid. They got about 4 feet tall in a five gallon bucket and they weren't all that bushy. They should be reasonably easy to find as plants, mail order if all else fails. If you want to start your own seeds there are a lot of choices out there, and the list would be longer. Edit: Here's an article I found recommending Heatmaster or Florida 91. Maybe some more southern gardeners can give you some more feedback! http://homeguides.sfgate.com/heat-re...nts-36163.html Last edited by Bipetual; July 15, 2015 at 06:40 PM. Reason: More information

July 14, 2015	#2
Labradors2 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Ontario Posts: 3,891	Hi Kelly, I am growing some compact tomatoes in three-gallon containers. They are: Jagodka Russian Cherry Pipo Early Annie They are all red cherries and do very well for me here in the north. I think they all taste excellent too. There are many other varieties to choose from. Linda

July 14, 2015	#3
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	When I lived in an apartment in Hyde Park in Austin (Tangle Wood North) on 45th street there were some UT students from Iran that lived next door to us. They had an Old Smoky charcoal grill going in the living room with a fan set up to blow the smoke outside. Biggest pigs I have ever seen in my life. Any of the dwarf tomatoes would do great for you look some of them up. Maybe someone would be sweet and send you some seeds. I dont have any to offer. I have always thought it was idiotic to design doors in the middle of a wall in a small area. Worth

July 14, 2015	#4
NarnianGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Finland, EU Posts: 2,550	Some of the compact varieties I am growing this year are Tasmanian Chocolate (dwarf) and Mohamed (microdwarf)... there are many options for smaller space.

July 14, 2015	#6
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	A small variety that I planted in the garden this morning is, Pinky Blast. I planted them 18 inches apart. They grow to about 2' tall and about 18" wide with little tiny leaves and produce lots of regular size cherry tomatoes.

July 14, 2015	#7
schill93 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2015 Location: Nevada Posts: 275	Just a reminder to future posters. The OP did state that she was interested in FULL SIZE tomatoes, not cherry tomatoes. Something that I have learned my first year, is to seek the advice of local knowledgeable nursery people as to variety in your climate (not referring to Home Depot or Lowes by the way). Or perhaps someone who lives in your area on this board. You could peruse the posters here and look for people in your area and just PM them with your question. One of the varieties I chose was recommended by a grower here in the desert, and it is the one that really thrived here in our 106 degree temperature. I know of some plants that are excellent in heat here, but not familiar with the dwarf varieties, so someone more knowledgeable needs to chime in.

July 15, 2015	#9
Ed of Somis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Somis, Ca Posts: 649	I was thinking of the dwarf project tomatoes, as well. Many of them are quite new...and probably much is not known yet (like how they do in real heat). That still might be a great place to start. I am fairly happy with my Livingston's Dwarf Stone...but the fruit is not really big (for me).

July 15, 2015	#12
Dangit Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Simi Valley, Ca Posts: 46	I planted a bush early girl in a container about a month and a half ago. It is around 2 feet tall now, and I counted over 20 tomatoes set a few days ago. The fruit is supposed to be larger that the regular early girl. That is all I know about it so far. I'm in zone 9, hot and dry. Dangit

July 15, 2015	#13
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I second the suggestion to look into the dwarf varieties that were created by members of this web site. Any of them will produce tomatoes when grown in a 5-gallon bucket. And they taste great, especially compared to hybrid dwarf varieties.