Hanging Basket OP Cherry Tomato Suggestions

[greenthumbomaha]

I'm considering starting a few plants for gifts to friends and neighbors that aren't into pruning or anything fussy. It would be a nice complement to the heirloom slicer transplants that I share for inground growing. If it comes from me it has to have great flavor. It would also need to live comfortably in an average 10 or 12 inch repurposed hanging flower basket.

Any suggestions of what to gift?
I want to stress OP, and good flavor. If they wish to purchase a hybrid, which has been mentioned in other threads, they may do on their own. If I'm going to put the effort in, I want to offer something that can't be purchased at Lowes.

- Lisa

[AlittleSalt]

I can think of it, but the name isn't there. It's an heirloom ... one of the first (Part of it's name) Over 100 years old... Dwarf something...The internet only brings up Craig's stuff

[Whwoz]

Is New Big Dwarf what you are thinking of Salt?

[Patihum]

Sirja's Love, Rosy Falls and Whippersnapper are all good basket varieties with good flavor.

[NarnianGarden]

Ditmarsher too.

(the name reminds me of the famous British gardener Alan Titchmarsh...)

[DapsSeeds]

I love Ditmarsher. And Floragold Basket is a good one too.

[greenthumbomaha]

I've grown Ditmarsher as an early selection in a large container and full size inground plants overtook it. I ate and enjoyed it very early on so that is a plus and it was highly productive. Keep em coming and I'll check my seed stash for undiscovered treasures!

- Lisa

[Fred Hempel]

Maglia Rosa

[greenthumbomaha]

Originally Posted by Fred Hempel

Maglia Rosa

Absolutely!

Looks like I'll be keeping a basket or so for me!

- Lisa

[Cole_Robbie]

Tumbling Tom is a hybrid, but it is easy to save seeds and select the tumbling seedlings. It is the nicest looking basket plant I have tried. The yellow is even tolerable to eat...the red, not so much.

[greenthumbomaha]

Lilliput and Limbo are ready for transplant, both kind donations from MMMM. I'm excited to try them. Peardrop will hopefully be among the seeds saved from my epic tray drop. Maglia Rosa is waiting for planting too. I have previously enjoyed it in a container, and it was huge grown in a 5 gallon pot.


The suggestions above are very tempting for next year, but now I am short of baskets, I usually re-purpose cheap 10 inch plastic floral baskets, but mine have mostly cracked or split. They are more expensive to buy new than I thought. Lowes typically reduces their hanging baskets to a dollar when heat of the summer takes their toll on plants. I should have dumped the plants and stocked up last year.



Any success with metal baskets lined with coir? Should I use a potting mix with moisture control? Its been years since I grew a tomato in a pot except for the dreadful topsy turvy, and that one kept trying to turn itself upwards.



- Lisa

[Cole_Robbie]

Anmore Treasures is a variety I meant to suggest when you asked your original question. I just remembered it today when going through my seeds. You are welcome to some seeds if you want them.

[greenthumbomaha]

Thank you. I might, if I don't have it already. I need to go through my seeds too.
Does it taste better than Tumbling Tom to you?


- Lisa

[MrBig46]

I also thought of growing some tomatoes in a small pot and when they will have ripe fruit, donate them to someone. I bought the seeds in the shop, varieties that are perhaps suitable for balconies: Venus, Vilma, Aztek and Bajaja. Plants still look good. I don't know how tomatoes will taste.
Vladimír

[greenthumbomaha]

Vladimir, I'm concentrating on tomatoes for hanging baskets, a little larger than micro dwarfs. I'm also adding more indet varieties to my garden. Flavor is important to me. I've been buying variety packs of good tasting firm cherry tomatoes in red green and orange, grown in Mexico during the winter. They cost $5 for a small package about the size of a large handful.
I usually prefer to grow soft and sweet cherries like Sweet 100 , Sungold, and Esternia in the summer, but now I appreciate more of a variety. The additional plants will take quite a bit of garden space up, and picking is tedious, but much better to enjoy them as much as possible when the cost is FREE !
I hope you have room to add some good tasking cherries like Maglia Rosa and those suggested above to your balcony along with the smaller plants.