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| I am trying to find a tasty dwarf or compact determinate plant that produces fruit larger than a standard cherry tomato. The issue is that it should be suitable for a basement hydroponic set up where they would need to be kept under 20 inches high. I've grown a couple of "normal" plants in the past but the constant pruning required wastes a lot of time and of course nutrients. I've also tried a number of dwarf types but with very mixed success... Rejina, Venus and Sweet Tumbler all did well topping out at about 12 inches but they produce really tiny (but tasty) fruit. Iditerod and Japanese Red both stay very close to the proper height and produce slightly larger than golf ball sized fruit but they are not the tastiest..(taste seems very close to supermarket varieties) Obviously it takes a great deal of time from germination to harvest and I don't have either the cash or the space to grow too many failures. So since this is the largest collection of Tomato wisdom that I know of I thought I would ask here... |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by suncitylinda 9A SoCal Inland (My Page) on Wed, Dec 17, 14 at 11:17
| I have grown Lime Green Salad a few times and it may work for you. Fruits are at least golf ball size with many larger with strong production. Taste is sweet and good and plant says small. I am currently growing German Extreme Dwarf Bush, which I have grown before but cant remember real well. Good comments on it, good taste for a small early and also stays small. |
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- Posted by containerted 6a (My Page) on Wed, Dec 17, 14 at 16:53
| I would like to recommend one from the Cross-Hemisphere Dwarf Project. Dwarf Arctic Rose rarely gets taller than about 24 inches and is determinate. The Fruit, which are in the "pink" family will get as large as 4-6 ozs, which can be a slicer. Its taste is easily the best small plant you'll ever find. I've grown it in smaller and larger containers and also in the main garden with equal success. It is also quite early and usually produces ripe fruit within about 60 days of transplanting the seedlings. The plants have stout stems, but need support for the heavy load of fruit they produce. Seeds are available from some of the commercial sources. If you can't find a source, get back to me. Ted, who has others that might fit the same scenario, including GWR's and yellows. |
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| Heh, I've just started Hahms Gelbe Topftomate for indoor testing- it's only been a few days so they haven't peeked out yet. And I have 10 kinds of tomatoes slated for container testing this summer. I try to container grow during the summer to test and collect seed before trying it out in hydro tubes over the winter. Year before last was beans- and this year was a wash for containers. So now I'm on to tomatoes. I'd be interested in what others not success has been. It's great to know what works, but it would also be helpful to know what hasn't worked for folks too. |
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| I'm not convinced that an indoor tomato grown under lights will ever have the same fullness of flavor as if grown outdoors in natural sunlight. Not that it shouldn't be done, just that expectations for flavor should not be too high. I am no expert, but so far anything grown indoors for me, has only been a small step up from the better grocery store tomatoes. |
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| Thanks for the suggestions... and thanks containerted for the pointer to the Cross-Hemisphere Dwarf Project .. that looks really interesting. ddsack, I agree that outdoor are better than indoor (so far) but I am still getting some results that are leaps and bounds ahead of the grocery store. |
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| For better flavor from grocery store tomatoes, buy them at least 2 to 4 days ahead of intended use. Buy them well colored, bruise and blemish free and firm. Give them at least 2 more days at a good relatively warm room temperature to complete ripening to where they start to soften all over. They will taste much, much better than when you first got them at the store. They are picked green, almost ripe rather than actually so, and held there. They need a period of additional heat to finish up ripening, improving their taste by a surprising amount. Never as good as fully ripened in the garden, but they generally don't need to taste like cardboard either, providing you take a bit extra effort with them. |
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| Bella Rosa - excellent. Dave |
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| This is not a recommendation But I will grow the followings: --- Hahms Gelbe Topftomate (German) The picture below (from internet): Hahms Gelbe Topftomate |
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| Very cool Seyson! I intend to grow those two next year! I have to second Ted's recommendation for Dwarf Arctic Rose. I grew it inside last winter and it was incredibly prolific, giving me tons of large pink tomatoes! Linda |
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