Anne's 2021 Dwarf Garden

[aclum]

OK - I give up (on indeterminates )!

After 3-4 lackluster years of tomato growing (due to age, health, and other issues), I have finally come to the conclusion that "regular" tomatoes have become just too much for me and it's time to give dwarfs a try. As I've mentioned before, I'm wheelchair bound but I think that this might actually be an advantage in maintaining the plants and harvesting the fruit (going with the flow )

I haven't paid as much attention as I should have to all the previous dwarf project threads over the years so I'm playing catch-up now. I've been searching the site but still have some questions. I know tomato taste can vary tremendously depending on the garden environment, taster's preference in tomatoes, etc., but I was wondering if any of you could come up with a flavor comparison of the following dwarfs to other non-dwarf varieties (the "usual suspects" that frequently turn up on our non-dwarf grow lists). For example, I see Wherokowhai compared to Lucky Cross......

Boronia
Bundaberg Rumball
Dwarf Pink Passion
Dwarf Purple Heart
Loxton Lad
Rosella Crimson
Uluru Ochre
Wherokowhai

(I'm also growing Mountain Gem - not a dwarf but a smallish good tasting red tomato).

Thanks for any info. Can't wait to get seeds started!
Anne

[Labradors2]

I thought that Wherokowhai tasted very similar to Little Lucky .

Have you thought about growing Maglia Rosa? I grow it every year in 3 gallon sized containers. I think it's very tasty .

Linda

[hl2601]

Off topic just a little Have you also thought about trying some Micros? They stay small and you could keep them in one gallon pots on your patio. I can share some if you need some.

[Koala Doug]

I've heard more than one person say that Rosella Purple tastes (to their palate) like Cherokee Purple.

[Wi-sunflower]

I've grown several of your choices but haven't actually had a chance to taste most of them. I just don't eat a lot of tomatoes. Boronia and Bundaberg to me were rather like most other brown/chocolate varieties.

If you want to do more in the future I have the variety Orange Pixie. Not part of the Dwarf project. It's a nice 2 bite large cherry and to me it tastes as close to SunGold / SunSugar and anything out there.

Carol

[nctomatoman]

Hi Anne - so, you want me to provide some info on our babies! Here goes

Boronia - Cherokee Purple - like, with perhaps just a bit less flavor intensity
Bundaberg Rumball - Nice balanced flavor, not a blockbuster but pleasant, good for grilling, maybe like Paul Robeson
Dwarf Pink Passion - On the sweet and mild side, think Anna Russian
Dwarf Purple Heart - very flavorful, very Cherokee Purple or Indian Stripe-like
Loxton Lad - sweet side, think Kellogg's Breakfast
Rosella Crimson - can vary a bit - at its best like Brandywine, but can also more resemble German Johnson
Uluru Ochre - this one can really knock your socks off - Yellow Brandywine, perhaps to Cherokee Purple in flavor
Wherokowhai - to me it tastes like Lucky Cross - appropriate since it is one of the parents!

[aclum]

Thanks for the responses!

Maglia Rosa does look interesting (as do the varieties Carol mentioned), but I'm trying to limit the number of plants I grow and I'm too lazy to keep up with the cherry and grape type tomatoes. I prefer the larger tomatoes on the sweet side - generally don't like the hints of tart or acidic flavors. Funny, I was "researching" Maglia Rosa a bit online last night and see that Burpee described the flavor as "reminiscent of ketchup" . I can't imagine eating straight ketchup - or even with basil and mozzarella Other places described it in more appealing ways - so might be worth a try in the future.

Micros are interesting and might be fun to try using Kratky passive hydroponics where the plants are grown in a nutrient solution. I'm afraid I'd either over or under water the plants in a pot with regular growing mix. Maybe next winter I'll try some micro-toms with indoors Kratky. (I've had success with Kratky for greens, eggplants, and peppers).

Yes, I've seen Rosella Purple compared to Cherokee Purple. I almost bought some seeds for them, but I wanted to limit the number of plants I'm growing and I see that a few of the plants I did buy come from Rosella Purple Crosses. (Plus Victory was out of the seeds )!

For now, I'm just sort of aiming at coming close to replicating my previous gardens of favorite indeterminates. Looking at a variety of colors and shapes. Past favorites are (off the top of my head and with over simplified color categories):

Black - Cherokee Carbon, Bear Creek, Black Krim, Black from Tula
Orange - KBX
Bi-Color - Virginia Sweets, Marvel Stripe
Red - Wes
Pink - Aunt Ginny's Purple, Goose Creek, Eva Purple Ball, Pruden's Purple, Anna Russian

Seems like the Boronia and Bundaberg Rumball would cover for the Blacks
Loxton Lad and Uluru Ochre maybe a good substitute for KBX ???
Wherokowhai for the Bi-Colors
Dwarf Pink Passion, Rosella Crimson, and Dwarf Purple Heart for the Pinks
(I'll have my hybrid Mountain Gem for a red)

I'm hoping the dwarfs will make me forget about my old favorites. In theory, at least I SHOULD be able to keep up with things a little better and get a decent harvest (compared to the last couple of years when things seem to have gone south midway through the season) .

Anyhow....any more comments welcome!

Anne

[aclum]

Hi Craig!

Thanks so much for your response!! (You sent it just as I was composing my last post). Really helpful and great to have the specific descriptions all in one place. I think I'll be happy with my choices. Thanks for all the work you've put into the Dwarf Project as well as all the other Tomato things you've done over the years! You've helped to make my life much more interesting than it would have been otherwise

Anne

PS Looks like you read my mind re: the specific varieties!

[rhoder551]

I've grown Purple Heart and Alpine Rose here in the San Francisco bay area. Purple Heart is a winner as far as production and taste... Alpine Rose, not so much. Where you are you probably get warmer summers then I do so perhaps Alpine would do well for you, I've seen raves for that one online. I have seeds for other dwarfs which I will grow this season but so far those two are the only varieties I have grown.


I should add that the Purple Heart needs support which I provide but for some reason it always falls over anyway probably because it puts out so many regularly size fruits on a smallish plant. Although the plant falls over it still manages to grow and the tomatoes ripen. A winner in my opinion...

[aclum]

Thanks for that info Rhoder. Nice to hear from someone in the Bay Area. I'm pretty sure that we've got warmer summers than you have in most of the greater bay area. Don't recall an Alpine Rose - are you thinking of Artic Rose? I've got some seeds for Artic Rose, but for some reason it didn't appeal to me this year.

I'm using a computer app to plan my garden right now so I'll leave extra spacing for the Dwarf Purple Heart. I'll have the 9 varieties (8 dwarfs plus the Mountain Gem) together in a 5' x 16' raised bed in two rows. I'll probably put the Dwarf Purple Heart and Mountain Gem in one row along with Dwarf Pink Passion and Bundaberg Rumball and put the rest (which I assume might not be so big) in the other row.

Going over the descriptions on Victory Seeds, I see that some are labeled "dwarf" and others "determinate dwarf." How seriously should I take these descriptions? Are the determinate dwarfs going to stop producing before the season's over?

I got my Victory Seed order on Friday and started the seeds yesterday in DE. I started the Mountain Gem and a few eggplants and peppers one week ago. I can barely see the (pelleted) Mountain Gems breaking through the DE and I've got several Felicity (not hot Jalapeno) seedlings up and under the lights. So we're on our way!

I also started some fava beans in DE for plant out in a few weeks. I'm planning to sow pea and snow pea seeds directly in the garden once I can get the beds cleaned out and the soil can dry out a bit after our recent heavy rains. Peppers and eggplants will go in after the legumes are harvested. When they're big enough to pot up, I'll put the eggplant and peppers in Kratky and grow them there until the legumes are out of the way. The peppers and eggplants did REALLY well in Kratky last year until I inadvertently let them get too dry and (if they didn't kick the bucket) became very bitter. Last year I had no problems transferring plants from DE to Kratky to soil, so that's my plan for this year while waiting for favorable conditions in the garden.

Anne

[rhoder551]

Oh yes, thank you.... Arctic Rose. I'm going to try that one again in a container.



Hope your garden grows well..sounds like your growing a lot of veggies!


I've never heard of Kratky so looked it up. Sounds interesting...

[oakley]

I believe you will be happily surprised with your switch to a Dwarf project adventure.

I'm glad you have seed. I just checked Victory and it seems they have sold out of many varieties.
(if you find one you want to try, just ask. I have seed and grow many)

One nice plus...I start mine earlier than indeterminate. Gives me a head start on the season. They grow
sturdier and do not bolt. Thick main stems. I grow a few dozen on my kitchen deck as well as micros.
Nearly zero tending. Just a morning hello with coffee. My main garden turns into a jungle by August.

They do need a stake or some type of support/tying up but that is about it.

More varieties can be grown in a smaller footprint.

[gssgarden]

Purple Heart is definitely a winner for me. She'll be back this year again.

If you like Greens, I suggest Jade Beauty. Another wonderful tasting one for me.

Greg

[biscuitridge]

Originally Posted by oakley

I believe you will be happily surprised with your switch to a Dwarf project adventure.

I'm glad you have seed. I just checked Victory and it seems they have sold out of many varieties.
(if you find one you want to try, just ask. I have seed and grow many)

One nice plus...I start mine earlier than indeterminate. Gives me a head start on the season. They grow
sturdier and do not bolt. Thick main stems. I grow a few dozen on my kitchen deck as well as micros.
Nearly zero tending. Just a morning hello with coffee. My main garden turns into a jungle by August.

They do need a stake or some type of support/tying up but that is about it.

More varieties can be grown in a smaller footprint.

Oakley
I would love to try a dwarf or two, maybe you can recommend a sweet large one, thanks!

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by gssgarden

Purple Heart is definitely a winner for me. She'll be back this year again.

If you like Greens, I suggest Jade Beauty. Another wonderful tasting one for me.

Greg

Agree on DPH. . I grew it like 5 years ag8. I loved its color, shape and taste.
But it is not true dwarf. It is compact indeterminate. crows tall and bushy.
I will grow it this year.