16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes
It sounds like you might be interested in the new releases from the Dwarf Tomato Project. The link below gives a brief description of the project, and the new varieties that have been released so far. I think the tallest of the new dwarfs is 4 or 4.5 feet.
Here is a link that might be useful: Dwarf Tomato Project
Tatiana's TOMATObase seed catalog can be searched by "dwarf" in the Description field. Not everything that comes up is a dwarf -- some are basket types -- but she usually gives plant height or at least enough information to know if it's the size you're interested in.
You can also download a .pdf version of the catalog, and IIRC there's a dwarf section there also. She's in Canada but you can order in dollars.
http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/seed-catalog/html/
[If you're not familiar with it, take a look at the TOMATObase itself to find information on more than 3,000 tomato varieties (usually OP).
There's a section listing dwarf tomatoes here:
http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Category:Tomatoes
and she also indicates which vendors sell each variety (though obviously the information can't include every vendor).]
I'm already putting out squash transplants. Melons and cucumbers will follow in a few days. The tomatoes will be transplanted to larger containers tomorrow. I plan on transplanting the tomatoes into the garden February 15th. Our long range forecast shows nothing but mid 70's and low 80's for the next few weeks. If the weather man is wrong I have plenty of burlap to cover everything if I have to.
Thanks, all. This is food for thought. I believe I will start just two or three plants a couple of weeks earlier than normal this year (which is week after next) and then start the rest at the normal time. That way, I can take advantage of whatever comes without major losses.
Wow, natal. I am really fascinated with your results. Makes me wonder how my Sungolds would have done under row covers this winter. We have have had a zone 9 winter this year. They continued to bear even after our first few light frosts out in the open.
I'm not really sure.
I have slowly ripened green tomatoes indoors (temps 40s to 60s) during the winter, but it has always been my understanding (and experience) that tomatoes after a hard freeze turn to mush on thawing, rather than ripening in any pleasant fashion.
But as long as you could avoid a freeze, have you ever looked into the "storage" tomatoes?
They have names like "golden treasure" and "ruby treasure" and are available from Peters Seed and Research. I got my seeds a few years back and haven't grown enough of them to really decide whether I like them or not.
I first got interested in them years ago after reading an article in one of my organic gardening magazines. One grower posted a discussion of them:
Here is a link that might be useful: Golden Treasure Storage Tomatoes
Trudi, I did read at the other site the information you were given and also added to that to say , well, you can read what I said and the additional link I gave.
All to say, and I said it there that I wouldn't assume those two SSE listings by SSE itself are correct as indicating two different Big Bens.
Just my opinion knowing the time line on those and who was there at the time.
Carolyn
At yet an even different site there is a very long discussion about Thing 1 and Thing 2 and you can read what I wrote there, lol. OMG, so many discussions at so many sites about two tomatoes with so many intertwined stories. Oh well. I do actually think such things are good as they create interest about interesting good tomatoes.
Thank you for your input, I appreciate it very much.
T
Yes, I've grown Giant Tree and it's no different than any other indet variety in terms of plany habit and the vines are not as long as you've suggested.
So grow it as you would any other indeterminate tomato variety.
It tastes like a tomato b/c it is a tomato. ( smile)
I think you may be confused with the Sunday ad supplements where you also see ads for somethng called Giant Tree and you see a tree looking picture with red fruits that look like Roma tomatoes. Now this Giant Tree is NOT a tomato, it's also called Tamarillo and is Cyphomandra betaceae and is a tender shrub that grows to about 10-12 feet tall, a shrub, not a tree, and fruits appear in the second year. And those fruits are quite acidic and not used for fresh eating.
So with your Giant Tree from TT you have a typical indeterminate tomato, nothing special in my experience.
Carolyn
I am also an admirer of Black Plum and have grown 1 or 2 plants regularly each year for at least 15 years.
I like the taste, though in some years its darn good and in others not so good. My good friends mother absolutely loved them and pretty well took care of the yield off of one plant herself. Others I have known say they are a very poor tasting tomato and want nothing to do with them.
My conclusion is that they are much dependent on the weather and on soil quality to reach a good taste, and
evidently, there is something in their taste which just turns some people off. But the darn things will survive drought and foliage problems better than most varieties and
will almost always give a prolific crop.
There really is no "best" but there are literally hundreds of "great" ones. So you will want to define your criteria/needs a great deal more.
The thread linked for you above offers some great choices.
Currants - agree they are problematic and not worth the trouble IMO. Especially in your zone where thousands of varieties will do and be so much better.
Dave
Bio:
I have not dried tomatoes, but I did follow that link and Brokenbar suggested Opalka for drying. I cannot comment because again, I have not dried tomatoes, and frankly don't care to consume them. However, I do make tomato sauce (from all types of tomatoes) and my favorite tomato for sauce is Opalka. Given Brokenbar suggests it for drying and I can recommend it for sauce/cooking it might fit the bill for you. It has very few seeds and is not juicy. It makes a naturally thick sauce. They taste lovely cooked (or fresh - or in salsa) too. You mention heirloom in the subject... and I'm not sure if it's an heirloom, but it's OP... You don't know me, but I'm particular about my tomatoes and I LOVE opalka.
Hope this is helpful. Good luck in your quest.
Raybo, so did you keep those 12 bags and used them? what was your result? Not sure what you paid but if I get the new stuff for around $6/ea bag delivered to me, I think its much cheaper than what most sites are selling for.
What are other choices if I end up with Tomato-Tome 3-3-6? I used Perfectly Natural that had 6-6-6 last year and got decent results. But that bag costs between $10-$15 plus shipping.
Even if it is likely the new TomatoTone, at $6.00 per bag delivered, I would definitely keep them. I still have several 5 pound bags of the Old TomatoTone left, so I simply blend one bag of the Old, and one bag of the New together. I think I get the mutual benefits of both doing it this way. I should be good for the next 5 to 7 years doing this.
Raybo
But it is almost impossible for the average home gardener to control enough of all the variables to insure that their seed is significantly modified by their growing conditions...I think that it is scientifically incorrect to maintain that plants (themselves) "adapt" to their environment. Rather it is the random genetic modifications of their seeds that cause subsequent offspring to be different from their parents. Depending upon how the modified generation fares in its (similar) environment, it may be more favorably, similarly favorably or less favorably disposed to thrive compared to such abilities of its parents. For example, trying to develop a cold-tolerant tom plant by growing a tom cult in northern Canada will not promote the development of cold tolerant offspring any more than growing the same thing in central Mexico. BUT, upon the growing out of several generations in a cold environment, the phenotypes whose seed has be modified by RANDOM changes such that it is more tolerant of cold weather will perform better in a colder environment... likewise those modified such that they are less tolerant of cold weather than their parents will not perform as well as their parents.
Reggie
The blue related varieties that Tom is offering are quite different from the standard OSU and P20 straight ones and there are lots of folks interested in them, so much so that the latest batch Tom put up sold out in less than a day but then were restocked. At first Tom didn't say that what he was selling was not stable, but then corrected his website to indicate that.
There are many who love to do large growouts, those that have room to do so, to see what kind of selections they can make and work with.
As you know, this thread should have gone to the Seed Exchange Forum and I'd like to post one of the rules over there which certainly applies here as well and it has to do with your offering to sell seeds. And might be of interest to others as well.
(This forum is for the purpose of exchanging material, there should be no need to mention money in any postings. If money is mentioned, the posting will be considered an advertisement and the poster will be banned.)
Carolyn
SSE catalog says Beam's Yellow Pear won out over 24 other Yellow Pear varieties when they did a comparison in 1998. They may have been rating other qualities besides taste, although they say it has great flavor. That's just what I read; haven't tried it yet.
I grew Medovaya Kaplya this past summer with outstanding results. Large, healthy plant that was the last to die (out of 18 other varieties). Looks just like yellow pear, at least close enough for the novelty factor.
The biggest surprise was the flavor. Absolutely outstanding! The yields was also fantastic. This will definitely be a mainstay in my future plantings (Along side my Brandy Sweets, Those were pretty good too).
I cannot find any faults with these tomatoes and I am absolutely positive that they will replace Yellow Pear.
I have grown Yellow Out Red In from Sandhill. They lasted until the next season's tomatoes started coming in. Again, flavor isn't great, about "grocery store" level, but much cheaper to save your own than buying at the store in February! Plus they are really cool--yellow skins, but when you slice them they look like they are bleeding!
Googling it, many sites have photos that don't really look like mine did, theirs just look red out red in--this site has the photo closest to the yellow mine were.
Carla in Sac
Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.localharvest.org/tomato-seeds-yellow-out-red-in-C12335
I grew large cherry variety that I planed in Apr 2011, to this day it keeps producing with no fertilizer, I am amazed on how long life these things have. And with current weather that is sort of spring like already, its blooming very hard again along with my 10 other heirloom tomato plants that I never pulled out. My thought was to use the tomato plants to support pea vines but both are thriving now.
Go with large cherry, I also heard that black cherry is the same way. Oh, I am in Corona area so that should work for you too.