Tomatoville® Gardening Forums


Notices

Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old October 30, 2017   #1
Greatgardens
Tomatovillian™
 
Greatgardens's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Indiana
Posts: 1,124
Default Micro-dwarfs with fruit larger than 2 oz.?

I made a post this past summer about "Linda" -- a basket tomato from Ukraine. I would call this a near micro -- growing to a max of about 15" (although sprawling a bit). Nevertheless, a very small plant. I put two of these in a 12" hanging basket and they did great, producing a few fruit of nearly 4 oz (most 2-3 oz). I ripped out one plant and cut the other back nearly to the soil, and it regenerated, making a good run for me with some nice "fall tomatoes." I'm also going to plant a couple to grow under lights, but I'll probably have to "top" the plant due to lack of headroom.

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...ighlight=Linda

At least from my experience, that's quite a tomato from a plant so small. Patio F1 produces 3-4 oz fruit in large numbers, but it is much larger plant.

Are there others that produce relatively large fruit from near-micro plants? There is also a pink version of Linda that I'm going to try next season, but whether it will produce large fruit like Linda red remains to be seen.

-Greatgardens

Last edited by Greatgardens; October 31, 2017 at 06:34 AM.
Greatgardens is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 30, 2017   #2
Cole_Robbie
Tomatovillian™
 
Cole_Robbie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
Default

You might ask dfollet (Dan). I grew out some of his crosses, and a few did make larger fruit, but I did not keep the seeds, because I wanted cherry-sized fruit. So such a thing does exist.
Cole_Robbie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 1, 2017   #3
dfollett
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Utah
Posts: 693
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Greatgardens View Post
I made a post this past summer about "Linda" -- a basket tomato from Ukraine. I would call this a near micro -- growing to a max of about 15" (although sprawling a bit). Nevertheless, a very small plant. I put two of these in a 12" hanging basket and they did great, producing a few fruit of nearly 4 oz (most 2-3 oz). I ripped out one plant and cut the other back nearly to the soil, and it regenerated, making a good run for me with some nice "fall tomatoes." I'm also going to plant a couple to grow under lights, but I'll probably have to "top" the plant due to lack of headroom.

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...ighlight=Linda

At least from my experience, that's quite a tomato from a plant so small. Patio F1 produces 3-4 oz fruit in large numbers, but it is much larger plant.

Are there others that produce relatively large fruit from near-micro plants? There is also a pink version of Linda that I'm going to try next season, but whether it will produce large fruit like Linda red remains to be seen.

-Greatgardens
I'm not aware of any, but I'd like to find some.

I missed your original 'Linda' post. One of the things I am most interested in finding is a micro with 'tomato-size' fruit, rather than 'cherry-size'. I had one that was about 13" in a 6" pot and had fruit that ranged from 3 oz to 6 oz. - real tomato size. The down-side was that there was not a mature seed between all the fruit from that plant - Go figure.

I've got several growing right now that have fruit from mega-blossoms that look like they will be well over 4 oz and and the plant stay under 12". It's the first time I've seen mega-blossoms on micros. Four out of eight F3 plants from a one of the crosses had them. It is too early to know how large the regular single-blossom fruits on those plants will be. I have my fingers crossed.

I keep hoping someone will find a large one.
dfollett is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 1, 2017   #4
oakley
Tomatovillian™
 
oakley's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: NewYork 5a
Posts: 2,303
Default

I have a Follett chocolate cherry that is larger than most cherries
but not quite as large as you want. Growing a few out this winter.
I'm content with the size and great taste as is.
Yet would welcome a larger size.

The problem with semi-determinate micros like Linda is the wide
sprawl. I like my Winter grows to behave, stay upright and
compact without pruning.

Last April first I attached a store bought sleeve of Cumato to one
of Dan's micros. For some reason I had second thoughts about
posting, or got busy and forgot...when I come across that pic in
my photo file every now and then, I fool myself for a sec, lol.
(5 big chocolates on that tiny plant, )

....would be nice and not impossible me thinks. Cross mine with
Linda....ten yrs later might have something.
oakley is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 2, 2017   #5
Greatgardens
Tomatovillian™
 
Greatgardens's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Indiana
Posts: 1,124
Default

That's a cute story about the Cumatos! That long-term development process is a bummer for me. I'm almost 73, so I now think in terms of what can be done with F1 types. But a nice stable line would be great. Hope Dan's experiments bear fruit (and seeds)!
Greatgardens is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 2, 2017   #6
oakley
Tomatovillian™
 
oakley's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: NewYork 5a
Posts: 2,303
Default

I'm sure it exists, we just need to find it. 3oz is a good size but
2-2.5 is still a decent slicer.
Well, it does exist, as ColeRobbie found it. No seed,

I bet Dan finds one.

Like I mentioned, many seeds suppliers have some listed but
they all seem to sprawl, go wide, or need the room to trail down.

I keep coming across this pic of PatioPrincess but the copy says
18-24" and 4-5oz fruit. Seems more like 12-14" and 1-2oz fruit.
Typical bad info.
http://www.reimerseeds.com/patio-princess-tomato.aspx
oakley is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 2, 2017   #7
Hatgirl
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Ireland
Posts: 211
Default

I've been growing indoor windowsill tomatoes for a while now. The largest fruits have been on the taller 18inch plants. Megabyte/Megabite, 506 Dwarf Bush Early, and Snow Fairy are all about 3oz. But I have learned that larger fruits on small plants mean they real really good support!
Hatgirl is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:38 AM.


★ Tomatoville® is a registered trademark of Commerce Holdings, LLC ★ All Content ©2022 Commerce Holdings, LLC ★