Hi All!

I'm so glad to see this thread. I just recently became aware of the Dwarf Tomato Project, and ordered Dwarf Wild Spudleaf seeds from Heritage Seed Market. I hadn't realized there were other vendors for these seeds, so thanks for mentioning that.

I wanted a variety that most tasted like a Cherokee Purple. The HSM moderator/Ellie from Bunny Hop Seeds recommended the variety I ordered. Apparently they send a few sample seeds in their orders, so she's sending some other CP-like seeds so I can do my own comparison. (Nice! : )

I had read that Sweet Scarlet Dwarf was very good (compared to Black Krim by the gardener) and was tempted to try it but decided to try these first having not started tom's from seed before. If I have success, I'll probably plant both in the garden and in 5 gal buckets just to see how they do.

I'll be interested to check back on everyone's comments. Oh, and both of the varieties I mentioned are indeterminate. I too, didn't look at every description, but the one's I did read I thought were indeterminate.

Hi Ann, @AnnofPA thanks for posting. I did place my order as listed in a previous post and I ended up ordering them all. Hopefully I can manage them. Perhaps I'll have some help this year. I want to try one plant in a bucket (5 gallon) and one in the ground. I hope to harvest seeds since all are open pollinated varieties. But I'm not sure the best method of insuring only self-pollination and no cross pollination. Hopefully we'll be able to come back once the varieties we have are tested and share experience, and perhaps trade to try other varieties.

@AnnofPA and HoosierHarvester Last year, I successfully grew tomatoes in 5-gal buckets and am readying my shopping list for Grow Media this year again. I mix my own grow media (based on recipe from OK State U - Extemsion), and would be more than happy to "share" this recipe etc with y'all!

@BetNC , recipes sounds good to me, yes, please share. and thank you. Your tomatoes looked so nice and healthy.

Hi BetNC,

I would be happy to hear what your recipe is- Thanks! Did you grow dwarf or full sized tomatoes in it? I used buckets one other time for tomatoes but wasn't really thrilled w/the outcome. I fall into the beginner veggie gardener category, so I can't really blame the tomato plant : )

OSU Container Gro Mix

1 part compost
1 part peat moss
1 part PERLITE (NOT vermiculite)
1 part POTTING mix

and specifically for tomatoes: 3/4 cup dolomite lime (Espoma Organic Agricultural Lime is what I use)
at planting, work in about 2-3 tablespoons of a balanced fertilixzer (10-10-10 etc) in the planting hole BEFORE adding the plant.

for tomatoes, use a humic compost (but NOT any type of manure)
The potting mix can be any brand (I've used both straight Premium ProMix BX and amended MiracleGrow Potting MIX - plus 1-2 generous scoops of PERLITE).
Do NOT use anything labeled "Soil" or "Moisture Control". . . . the first compacts during the season and the last tries to drown your plant!

Looking forward to swapping photos of our 'maters!

@AnnofPA Last year, I grew non-dwarf tomato plants, both determinant and indeterminant. Some varieties did better than others - the shorter, bushy determinants out-produced the indeterminants generally.

This year, I will grow 2 dwarves, 5 determinants, 1 cherry indeterminant because of its disease resistance......and the best all-around producer from last year, a surprise indeterminant!

AnnofPA: Have you tried Rosella Purple? I tried some dwarfs in containers last year and that one was somewhat similar to Cherokee Purple (that's my favorite too!) Unfortunately it soon succumbed to blight. The one that did the best was Iditarod Red, a small early variety.

Hi Don, I haven't tried either of the variety's you mention, but took a look at them at Victory Seeds. Now I wish I would've ordered those as they're a good deal bigger than the variety I ordered. I bookmarked them for next year! Hopefully I'll have a year of tomato seed starting success under my belt by then. Thanks for mentioning them : )

UPDATE: Just received my seeds in the mail, and the gift seeds sent w/my order were Sleeping Lady and Rosella Purple! How about that?! Now I'm doubly excited to get growing! : )

Ann:
     With that sort of luck you should try the PowerBall next!
Be sure to let us know the results later this year.
Don S.

I have been following a garden forum where, currently, one of the most talked about dwarf tomato plants is one named 'New Big Dwarf'. It is actually a very old variety. If grown in a big pot, it resembles a determinate growth habit; if grown in the ground, it keeps producing. Produces 8 to 14 oz pink tomatoes. One of the main attractions for me is it is a stocky, sturdy, not too tall plant. I'm also trying a really tiny dwarf, Hahms_Gelbe_Topftomate, a yellow that reportedly produces heavily, even when grown in a small pot.

I am new to growing veggies so this may be a total disaster but fun to try.

Myles

Hi, Myles:

I've grown Hahms Gelbe before--it is a really small plant well-suited to containers. It was always a hit at our Master Gardener's plant sale. Yield was good for such a small plant!

Linda

@Myles do you save seeds? I had a hard time deciding which ones to try and ordered more varieties than I intended. Am hoping to swap some seeds next year to try some others.

I have already chosen my tomatoe varieties for this year: 4 late blight resistant determinants, 2 dwarves and 2 indeterminants - all to be grown in containers.

I guess I must be some-what of a rebel, since I WILL "top" my indeterminants, either after 5' (the height of my bamboo support pole) and/or the fruit is out of reach! My guess is that "topping" wil stop their growth UP and re-direct growth OUTWARD! Anyway, that's my hope!!!!

HoosierHarvester said:@Myles do you save seeds? I had a hard time deciding which ones to try and ordered more varieties than I intended. Am hoping to swap some seeds next year to try some others.

I will attempt to save seed from the varieties I'm growing. I need to research how to go about it so I do it correctly. I will be happy to share.

I'm also trying 'Red Robin', another tiny dwarf that has received some nice comments; 'Garden Gem' from the University of Florida Tomato Research Program, a small red plum looking tomato that has also been well received and Black Krim. I've read Black Krim is tasty but isn't a big producer.

Myles

If I understand correctly from other reading, tomatoes are more likely to self pollinate than to be cross pollinated by insects or bees. I've never done this before, but I hope to purchase some little drawstring organza bags and when I've seen the flowers begin to form, I hope to cap that stem off with the organza bag to insure no cross pollination. Since I hope to grow mine in large containers or buckets, they will be sitting close to each other, different varieties. I don't even know how many flowers will be on a stem or cluster, or even approximate; but as I see that the flowers are gone, I will remove the organza bag and somehow mark that stem cluster for future harvest of seeds.

"... I hope to cap that stem off with the organza bag to insure no cross pollination."

This sounds like a good idea. Thank you for sharing.

Myles

A newer determinate that is small and meant for containers is Geranium Kiss. Hybrid, I think, developed by Peace Seedlings, which is a new company started by the daughter of Alan Kapuler. Territorial seems to also be carrying it, but check out Peace Seedlings, I've been a fan of Alan since the 1980s when he developed Peacevine tomatoes and I was just learning to start seeds under lights. Nice to see the family tradition continue, Geranium Kiss has great reviews for taste and resistance to foliage diseases.

Hey folks - just joined (was told about this forum from my Victory Seeds pal).

Yes, I know just a bit about this project! Glad to be here...here is some info on my website

http://www.craiglehoullier.com...

I am into a really busy stretch, so will pop by here occasionally when I can. Ask anything!

HoosierHarvester said: ... Perhaps for testing purposes I will grow mine in the buckets. I just don't have a drill to put holes in the bucket. Not sure how I can do that. Lowes has 5-gallon buckets for $3 each, and that's lots cheaper that most pots/containers that size. ...

There are a few ways to cut holes in buckets.

Its gotten rare for anyone to have a soldering iron, let alone the old, heavy, plumber's kind, but those melt holes in plastic, neat quick and clean.

Instead there are "crafty tools" for burning marks into wood, and the higher the power, the faster you can stop smelling burnt plastic.

If you have a heavy nail, pliers and a gas stove or a propane-cylinder torch, you can heat up the big nail red-hot and then MELT holes right through thick plastic.

If you have a very sturdy knife with a thin blade, like some shop knives or big "X-Acto"-like knives, and very steady, strong hands, you CAN push a knife through plastic three times and cut out small triangles of plastic. But it is easy to slip, and then pretty easy to stab yourself, so think twice.

A hacksaw will cut through plastic, like along the bottom rim, though you might gum up the sawblade.

Bring a bag of vegetables or a potted plant with blooms, and knock on some doors, asking to borrow a hand drill and a 1/4" spade bit. Ask first at homes you've given vegetables or seedlings to in the past.

Here are some places to ask for free buckets.

Many sources, like car washes, painters and drywall contractors store dubious chemicals, so you'll need to wash some of those tubs well and maybe let them sit out in the rain before you drill holes.

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burger joints (pickle tubs)
school cafeterias
restaurants (especially Asian)
bakeries & doughnut shops
delis
supermarket bakeries (this was where I got lucky most recently)
supermarket delis
car washes
painters & drywall contractors (if they don't use plastic-lined cardboard tubs)
cat peoples' kitty litter tubs - ask them to save you come (maybe less UV-resistant)
discarded horse troughs, especially if they have become leaky
Trash dumpsters outside burger joints, restaurants, delis and school cafeterias. (That's where I got most of mine in the past, a dumpster next to a Dunkin Donuts and a deli.)
--

Not-free sources:

Home Depot ("Homer's buckets" for $5 or "Leaktite" in the paint isle 10/$30)

"Indoor hydroponic shops", where they won't believe you really want to grow tomatoes

"Dollar Stores"