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Old January 12, 2022   #1
habitat_gardener
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Default 2021 dwarf tomato results, and plans for 2022

In spring 2021 I grew one bed of 13 different dwarf tomato varieties, plus 6 dupicates scattered through the garden. The yields are listed after each one. These are roughly in the order of “least likely” to “most likely” to grow again. I was most looking forward to Uluru Ochre, but those were the ones that stayed on the table uneaten the longest, so I probably won’t grow it again.

Dwarf Parfait 0
Sweet Scarlet Dwarf (2) 0
Dwarf Kelly Green (2) 0, 1
Dwarf Arctic Rose 9 (small, deformed, got moldy fast)
Dwarf Jade Beauty 5 (small)
Uluru Ochre (2) 8, 15 (large but didn’t like)
Brandy Fred 1 (large)
Rosella Crimson (2) 5, 5 (small-medium, don’t remember the taste)
Dwarf Red Heart 18 (small, don’t remember the taste)
Sleeping Lady (2) 12, 29 (small, good taste, will try again)
Geranium Kiss 51 (cherry, will try again)
Aftershock 10 (large, will try again)
Coastal Pride Orange (2) 5, 5 (medium, unblemished, good flavor, will try again)

It was a dismal tomato year overall because of the earlier, hotter, and longer heat waves, and maybe from growing tomatoes in the same soil for 3 consecutive years. My best tomatoes came from determinates. I had several indeterminates that produced nothing. I’m still going to have a bed of indeterminates, but probably will try more determinate and dwarf varieties so that I can shade them from afternoon sun.

This was the first year I grew a whole bed of dwarf varieties, and I love the look of these rugose shrubby plants! I'm eager to try more of them. So far, I’ve narrowed the new-to-me varieties for my 2022 garden down to the following.

Sweet Satsuma
Kookaburra Cackle
Pink Passion
Blazing Beauty
Dwarf Purple Heart
Dwarf Golden Heart
Dwarf Purple Reign
Sweet Sister Sunny
Adelaide Festival
Big Green Dwarf
Rosella Purple
Saucy Mary
Sweet Sue
Sweet Splash Electra
Orange Cream
Coorong Pink

I’d be interested in your reviews if you’ve tried any of these.
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Old January 12, 2022   #2
eyolf
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Off the top of my head:

Dwarf Arctic Rose was a good performer.

Dwarf Beauty King (not on your list) was the most disappointing of my dwarves last year.
Many lovely tomatoes without much flavor.

My garden is in north central Minnesota, on glacial till soil.

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Old January 13, 2022   #3
Father'sDaughter
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I'm trying to transition to mostly dwarf varieties myself given the limited gardening time I have now that I'm working in the summers (had them off at my old job).

Of your 2022 varieties, the only one I have grown was Pink Passion. While it's a good tomato and I have a soft spot for it because I did some of the grow outs for it, as a Pink it's more of a sweet tomato and I prefer a bit more bite.

I've so far settled on Sleeping Lady and Fred's Tie Dye as every year, must grow varieties. If you like bold flavors with some complexity and rich/tartness, these are good ones. I'm rotating in different ones each year to try and find another 2-3 to add to the must-grow list. And while I will still grow the two San Marzano varieties that I found do well for me, I'm also transitioning the paste section of my tomato garden over to dwarfs. My goal is enough canned purée to use on pizza throughout the year, and a stash of "sun" dried tomatoes. The new paste dwarfs are able to do this, so I will stay with them.

I hope you have a better year!
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Old January 13, 2022   #4
KarenO
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If interested in a dwarf cherry, I have a new release called Sweet Baby Jade A productive semi determinate potato leaf dwarf from my breeding project.
It’s a gwr cocktail. Tangy- sweet. Bushy productive plants.
KarenO
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Old January 13, 2022   #5
DK2021
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I absolutely loved Taiga last year--one of my top two for the season--so would be interested in trying Sweet Baby Jade. How/where can I purchase seed?
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Old January 13, 2022   #6
KarenO
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DK2021 View Post
I absolutely loved Taiga last year--one of my top two for the season--so would be interested in trying Sweet Baby Jade. How/where can I purchase seed?
If you message me I can let you know.
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Old January 13, 2022   #7
DK2021
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KarenO View Post
If you message me I can let you know.
I'll do that, thank you!
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Old January 13, 2022   #8
PNW_D
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Adelaide Festival my favourite tomato of 2018 - this is it!! Amazing flavour - the only one I really wanted; unfortunately not a big cropper
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Old January 13, 2022   #9
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This year I am looking forward to trialing Sweet Baby Jade, along with my compact favourites: Maglia Rosa and EM Champion.

Of the Project Dwarfs, I really liked Dwarf Mr. Snow, Wherokowhai, Rosella Purple and Rosella Crimson, but I did get a lot of disease on them in my garden where Septoria and Early Blight blow in on the wind/rain.

Linda
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Old January 13, 2022   #10
MapleTree
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I grew Purple Heart and Sweet Splash Electra last year, both in containers. They both did well and I liked them, though I was more blown away by flavor of the S. S. Electra. Purple Heart was a nice meaty tomato, though. I'm growing S. S. Electra again this year, but in the ground. I considered growing Purple Heart this year as well, but I'm doing two other varieties that will be producing dark colored hearts so Purple Heart might get lost in the mix if I grow it right now. I'm also strongly considering growing Orange Cream for 2022.

I'm taking Linda's advice and adding Malia Rosa to my baskets this year. It will be fun to try those.

Does anyone know when the 2022 Dwarf Project new releases will be out? I'm hoping they release Oriole this year. That one looks cool.
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Old January 13, 2022   #11
eyolf
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KarenO View Post
If interested in a dwarf cherry, I have a new release called Sweet Baby Jade A productive semi determinate potato leaf dwarf from my breeding project.
It’s a gwr cocktail. Tangy- sweet. Bushy productive plants.
KarenO
Does anyone in the States have this one?

After receiving the MMMM mailing, I won't be trialing anything else new this year, but am intrigued.

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Old January 14, 2022   #12
Americangrams
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Default Sweet Baby Jade

I helped Karen with the selection process for Sweet Baby Jade and I am in the states. If anyone is interested you can email me at: terranovatomatoes@gmail.com

Dwarf varieties tend to be more susceptible to disease for me in my hot and humid garden, Sweet Baby Jade performs very well. From the dwarf project, I would have to say that Uluru Ochre was my favorite. I love the unusual coloring and the tangy taste.

Teresa
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Old January 14, 2022   #13
DK2021
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Hi Teresa, I was going to email you off-forum for seeds. Thanks!
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Old January 16, 2022   #14
hl2601
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Hi Tanya!
I have grown Dwarf Purple Heart
Dwarf Blazing Beauty
Dwarf Sweet Sue
and Rosella Purple.
My climate is very hot with many temp swings so maybe a bit more like your last summer.
Blazing Beauty was gorgeous and did well. Nice sweet but balanced taste-would grow again.
Purple Heart- not very productive
Rosella Purple- while very yummy, was also not heat loving enough for me and not productive.
The best of this bunch was Sweet Sue. While a later tomato, it is gorgeous snowy white when young, then matures more yellow with a blush at the bottom. Less acid but in no way insipid. I grow it maybe every other year.

Others that work well for me that you might checkout-
Dwarf Velvet Night
Dwarf Tennessee Suited
Lime Green Salad
Dwarf Gloria's Treat
Dwarf Awesome
Dwarf Sonrojo's Monster
Desperado
Pit Viper
Dwarf Maura's Cardinal- this one was a surprise. Sm red, super productive. Just kept going.

Hope that helps!
Heide
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Old January 27, 2022   #15
Greatgardens
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I would recommend Dwarf Pink Passion and Coastal Pride Orange. DPP is quite early for me and has a good balanced taste. CPO is likely the very best open pollinated dwarf I've grown. Mild, a bit sweet, and for me has better tolerance to Septoria than most. My luck with most dwarfs (in EarthBoxes) has been spotty, but these two are worth growing, IMO.
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