Thread for posting assessment of the new Dwarf Project varieties - Page 10

July 31, 2011

I grew Mr. Snow, Emerald Giant, and Beryl Beauty this year from the project as well as New Big Dwarf. All four grew with enthusiasm until they were about 36" tall with blooms. Then the heat of late May, early June arrived along with some septoria. The Septoria caused the lower leaves to drop. The heat (105 degrees today, 107 forecast for tomorrow) has attempted to kill all four dwarf plants. While the main stems and branches have succumbed, they have also produced new growth from the root balls or low on the old main stems. The new growth is producing blooms, but I think it is a wasted effort until the weather cools a little. If the new growth can survive until cooler weather, I expect to again have healthy plants blooming and producing fruit.

I didn't get too sample any tomatoes from the spring plantings, but hope for better from the fall crop.

Ted

**Patrina_Pepperina** · July 31, 2011

Thanks for the info on Rosella Purple (and others) folks. Rosella Purple is one of the more compact children of the Sleepy family, and maybe a determinate? Not sure, maybe semi-determinate... but the Sneezies by comparison get rather tall yet are still of the dwarf-type with thick stems and rugose foliage. My daughter's Snowy F2 plant was so heavy it bent the stake, a thick recycled plastic stake that can't break. That plant needed a cage!

Ted, sorry to hear of your troubles there in TX! In your climate you might need to do fall planting like Michael, who grows for the project each year during the Southern Hemisphere growing season. He's on the SH team in fact

Maybe you could try rooting some cuttings from your plants and planting them in a month's time? Anyhow I hope you get an opportunity to sample some tomatoes after all the hard work!

Good luck!
Patrina

July 31, 2011

Patrina,

Thank you, but I don't consider my experiences a problem; only a learning opportunity. I received my commercial seed to late too really expect productive plants within the growing window between last frost and early heat. I am growing some plants as cuttings for fall plantings, but not the dwarfs. My interest this year is to see how well they grow and produce from secondary growth. My hope is the fully developed root balls will result in larger, healthier fall plants. If it doesn't work, I will grow the dwarf plants earlier next year and possibly grow from cuttings in the fall. This has been an unusual year. We typically have some hot weather, but the extreme heat and duration of the heat is unprecedented. Hopefully next year will be more normal.

I love the dwarfs!

Ted

delltraveller · August 5, 2011

This should put a smile on Patrina's face. I picked my very large Rosella Purple tomato yesterday (nearly ready but picked to ensure it's continued safety) and it weighed in at over 1 1/2 pounds. Right there in between 1 1/2 lbs and 2 lbs, so 27-28 ounces, that sort of range.

August 5, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by delltraveller

This should put a smile on Patrina's face. I picked my very large Rosella Purple tomato yesterday (nearly ready but picked to ensure it's continued safety) and it weighed in at over 1 1/2 pounds. Right there in between 1 1/2 lbs and 2 lbs, so 27-28 ounces, that sort of range.

How tall is the Rosella Purple plant and how many fruit are on it?

Thanks

Ted

**Lee** · August 5, 2011

Oh, and photos too. We must have photos!

Lee

delltraveller · August 5, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by tedln

How tall is the Rosella Purple plant and how many fruit are on it?

The plant is 35 inches tall, about 28" wide. It has five other fruits on it and a bunch of tiny just starting to form tomatoes and is still blooming. One of the fruits is almost ready to pick and is probably in the 8 ounce range. One still green is in the 12 ounce range. Two are small, maybe still growing and developing.

We've been having that ridiculous hot, humid weather that has impeded fruit set, but that gap in fruit production may have allowed that early produced tomato to get so big.

There's no special feeding or secret methodology. It did it all on it's own.

delltraveller · August 5, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lee

Oh, and photos too. We must have photos!

Lee

I took some pictures of the fruit with my old-fashioned 35mm camera (film, remember film?) and when I finish the roll and get it developed I'll post a picture or two.

**Patrina_Pepperina** · August 6, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by delltraveller

This should put a smile on Patrina's face. I picked my very large Rosella Purple tomato yesterday (nearly ready but picked to ensure it's continued safety) and it weighed in at over 1 1/2 pounds. Right there in between 1 1/2 lbs and 2 lbs, so 27-28 ounces, that sort of range.

Oh my giddy aunt..... (do you have that expression?) Truly MINDblowing!!!

I really can't imagine it, but would LOVE to see a pic when you get that film developed. This is the 2nd time in just a few hours that I've come across someone who uses film - the other person uses a box brownie camera!

Patrina

delltraveller · August 6, 2011

[QUOTE= This is the 2nd time in just a few hours that I've come across someone who uses film - the other person uses a box brownie camera![/QUOTE]

I would use a brownie if the film weren't so hard to get and I could find a place that I trusted to develop something exotic.

**Patrina_Pepperina** · August 8, 2011

She told me that she just uses regular film and that the reason she collects box brownies is because the lens is so good in them!

delltraveller · August 9, 2011

It's the size of film and the spools that are hard to come by. The brownie used 620 film, I think. It isn't available anymore, as far as I know. You can use 120 film, but you usually have to respool it onto old 620 spools to fit the camera. At least here in the States that's the situation.

Heritage · August 11, 2011

These are my impressions and tasting scores for the first 7 Dwarfs. I leave a little room at the high end of the scoring scale for tomatoes I haven't tasted yet. For reference, the best tomato I've ever tasted would score 8.5 on my scoring scale, the best tasting tomato in my garden this year (JD's Special C-Tex) would score an 8.0.

My scores:

Dwarf Beryl Beauty - Delicious, not quite as sweet as Green Giant but more balanced flavor. Scored this at 8.0, 7.5, and 7.5. Great producer.

Dwarf Emerald Giant - Very good, not quite as much flavor as Dwarf Beryl Beauty. Three scores of 7.0, 7.5, and 6.5

Dwarf Jade Beauty - This one needs to be ripe. When slightly green it was tart and I only scored it 6.0. When fully (over?) ripe I scored it 7.0. Heavy producer.

Dwarf Mr. Snow - Wonderful flavors, almost as sweet as Summertime Gold but more complex. Also, about 2 weeks earlier than Summertime Gold and more productive. Scored 7.5, 7.5, and 7.5

Rosella Purple - Very good flavor. Scored this 7.5, 7.0, 7.5

Summertime Gold - Nice sweet flavor. Scored 7.0, 7.5, 7.0

Tasmanian Chocolate - Again, needs to be very ripe for best flavor. Probably a notch below my best tasting black tomato this year(JD's Special C-Tex). Scored 6.5, 7.0, 7.0. Very heavy producer.

Plant height at time of first ripe fruit:

Rosella Purple - 3'
Tasmanian Chocolate - 3'6"
Dwarf Jade Beauty - 3'9"
Dwarf Mr. Snow - 4'
Summertime Gold - 4'
Dwarf Emerald Giant - 4'3"
Dwarf Beryl Beauty - 4'9"

Production by Weight:

- Tied for heaviest yield were: Dwarf Jade Beauty, Dwarf Beryl Beauty and Tasmanian Chocolate.
- Rosella Purple and Dwarf Mr Snow were the average for this group.
- Summertime Gold and Emerald Giant were the least productive, about half that of the top 3 producers (by weight).

Overall, these new dwarfs are an outstanding offering by the project group - congratulations to all involved. I'm looking forward to trying out future releases.

Here are photos of Dwarf Mr. Snow at our trial garden in Sacramento, CA. My sister did a great job with her growouts and the first picking from this "Dwarf" yielded 3 lb. 14 oz. worth of tomatoes!

**Patrina_Pepperina** · August 11, 2011

Thanks so much for the feedback Steve! It's fantastic to know that we've already achieved these sorts of results in the project, and truly satisfying to know that there is a whole LOT more to come. Next season I hope you will trial some other new ones

Patrina

**nctomatoman** · August 11, 2011

Fantastic Report.....and just the type of feedback we need and are looking for. When considering we are comparing these short growing plants with some of the long time standard setting indeterminates (flavor wise), I have to say I am very pleased indeed!

And as Patrina says, we are just getting started!

July 31, 2011	#137
Patrina_Pepperina Cross Hemisphere Dwarf Project™ Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New South Wales, Australia Posts: 3,094	Thanks for the info on Rosella Purple (and others) folks. Rosella Purple is one of the more compact children of the Sleepy family, and maybe a determinate? Not sure, maybe semi-determinate... but the Sneezies by comparison get rather tall yet are still of the dwarf-type with thick stems and rugose foliage. My daughter's Snowy F2 plant was so heavy it bent the stake, a thick recycled plastic stake that can't break. That plant needed a cage! Ted, sorry to hear of your troubles there in TX! In your climate you might need to do fall planting like Michael, who grows for the project each year during the Southern Hemisphere growing season. He's on the SH team in fact Maybe you could try rooting some cuttings from your plants and planting them in a month's time? Anyhow I hope you get an opportunity to sample some tomatoes after all the hard work! Good luck! Patrina __________________ Truth is colourful, not just black and white. PP: 2005

August 5, 2011	#141
Lee Tomatopalooza™ Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NC-Zone 7 Posts: 2,188	Oh, and photos too. We must have photos! Lee __________________ Intelligence is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put one in a fruit salad. Cuostralee - The best thing on sliced bread.

August 8, 2011	#146
Patrina_Pepperina Cross Hemisphere Dwarf Project™ Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New South Wales, Australia Posts: 3,094	She told me that she just uses regular film and that the reason she collects box brownies is because the lens is so good in them! __________________ Truth is colourful, not just black and white. PP: 2005

August 11, 2011	#149
Patrina_Pepperina Cross Hemisphere Dwarf Project™ Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New South Wales, Australia Posts: 3,094	Thanks so much for the feedback Steve! It's fantastic to know that we've already achieved these sorts of results in the project, and truly satisfying to know that there is a whole LOT more to come. Next season I hope you will trial some other new ones Patrina __________________ Truth is colourful, not just black and white. PP: 2005

August 11, 2011	#150
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	Fantastic Report.....and just the type of feedback we need and are looking for. When considering we are comparing these short growing plants with some of the long time standard setting indeterminates (flavor wise), I have to say I am very pleased indeed! And as Patrina says, we are just getting started! __________________ Craig

July 31, 2011	#136
tedln Guest Posts: n/a	I grew Mr. Snow, Emerald Giant, and Beryl Beauty this year from the project as well as New Big Dwarf. All four grew with enthusiasm until they were about 36" tall with blooms. Then the heat of late May, early June arrived along with some septoria. The Septoria caused the lower leaves to drop. The heat (105 degrees today, 107 forecast for tomorrow) has attempted to kill all four dwarf plants. While the main stems and branches have succumbed, they have also produced new growth from the root balls or low on the old main stems. The new growth is producing blooms, but I think it is a wasted effort until the weather cools a little. If the new growth can survive until cooler weather, I expect to again have healthy plants blooming and producing fruit. I didn't get too sample any tomatoes from the spring plantings, but hope for better from the fall crop. Ted

July 31, 2011	#138
tedln Guest Posts: n/a	Patrina, Thank you, but I don't consider my experiences a problem; only a learning opportunity. I received my commercial seed to late too really expect productive plants within the growing window between last frost and early heat. I am growing some plants as cuttings for fall plantings, but not the dwarfs. My interest this year is to see how well they grow and produce from secondary growth. My hope is the fully developed root balls will result in larger, healthier fall plants. If it doesn't work, I will grow the dwarf plants earlier next year and possibly grow from cuttings in the fall. This has been an unusual year. We typically have some hot weather, but the extreme heat and duration of the heat is unprecedented. Hopefully next year will be more normal. I love the dwarfs! Ted

August 5, 2011	#139
delltraveller Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Iowa Posts: 481	This should put a smile on Patrina's face. I picked my very large Rosella Purple tomato yesterday (nearly ready but picked to ensure it's continued safety) and it weighed in at over 1 1/2 pounds. Right there in between 1 1/2 lbs and 2 lbs, so 27-28 ounces, that sort of range.

August 6, 2011	#145
delltraveller Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Iowa Posts: 481	[QUOTE= This is the 2nd time in just a few hours that I've come across someone who uses film - the other person uses a box brownie camera![/QUOTE] I would use a brownie if the film weren't so hard to get and I could find a place that I trusted to develop something exotic.

August 9, 2011	#147
delltraveller Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Iowa Posts: 481	It's the size of film and the spools that are hard to come by. The brownie used 620 film, I think. It isn't available anymore, as far as I know. You can use 120 film, but you usually have to respool it onto old 620 spools to fit the camera. At least here in the States that's the situation.