Harvest our first ripe tomato yesterday--it was the Maralinga. Really great taste, and a nice meaty tomato. We had it with just a drizzle of balsamic and served on some bibb lettuce leaves. I didn't weigh it, but it was probably at least 8 oz.

Today I harvested another Maralinga and several Kangaroo Paw Green. I tthought the KGP may have gotten a little over-ripe, as they were starting to get more yellowish in color.but after re-reading the description, it said they have amber skin when ripe. But, they were hiding so well in the dense foliage I could have easily missed them.

mom2goldens said:Today I harvested another Maralinga and several Kangaroo Paw Green. I tthought the KGP may have gotten a little over-ripe, as they were starting to get more yellowish in color.but after re-reading the description, it said they have amber skin when ripe. But, they were hiding so well in the dense foliage I could have easily missed them.

So today we had our first tomatoes from Kangaroo Paw Green. They were really amazing--the beautiful green flesh inside of a yellowish skin. The taste was really good--mild, and slightly sweet, and the tomatoes were fairly meaty. The fruits were on the smaller size--probably 3-4 ounces each. I really liked these though---not tart like a typical green tomato.

mom2goldens said:So today we had our first tomatoes from Kangaroo Paw Green. They were really amazing--the beautiful green flesh inside of a yellowish skin. The taste was really good--mild, and slightly sweet, and the tomatoes were fairly meaty. The fruits were on the smaller size--probably 3-4 ounces each. I really liked these though---not tart like a typical green tomato.

That sounds good.

This is my second year growing tomatoes from the Dwarf Tomato Project. I have to say that I am so impressed with how compact and healthy the plants have been. I like my two choices this year (Maralinga and Kangaroo Paw Green) better than my selections last year (although those plants were also beautiful and healthy).
I need to consider growing more of these dwarf varieties in the future--they've done very well in my garden.

Smaller plants can fit into tighter spaces. Pots if nothing else.

I grow all of my tomatoes in containers (Earthboxes). I have a small suburban lot, and need to "hide" my garden from our overly-strict home owners association

mom2goldens said:I grow all of my tomatoes in containers (Earthboxes). I have a small suburban lot, and need to "hide" my garden from our overly-strict home owners association

Well, it works for you.

Yeah--kinda sad, but still glad I can garden.

mom2goldens said:Yeah--kinda sad, but still glad I can garden.

The reason I am against Homeowners Associations. Too many rules!!

I'm trying to start taking some photos. Don't know how often I'll get here to post until closer to late autumn or winter.

I tried to get an early start on mine, which this year may have been a set-back. I set my plants out in the buckets the first of May. We had light frost a couple times (not touching the plants though as it was spotty), but lows often of 40 almost seemed like through the entire month. I used large clear plastic and styrefoam cups to cover the plants at night on some nights since they were set out as very small plants. They sat still for quite a while. The plants in buckets are easy to monitor because they are right around my back patio. I noticed even after the weather started to warm and bloom clutches (or whatever term they are called) were being formed, that none were being pollinated and no fruit being set. Even after it has gotten hot in July, this still seems to be happening ... there will be a clutch of 4-6 blooms on the stem and only 1 or 2 will set a fruit. Anyone else have this experience with their dwarfs? I thought that tomato blooms were self-fertile, pollinating themselves.

As said above, these plants seem to be extremely healthy. I did take and plant 3 in buckets for my mom, but for some reason her plants aren't looking too healthy. Perhaps she is watering (too) much.

I had plants left over in small pots and ended up giving several to an aunt. My mom visits this aunt often, and says her plants are doing better than both of ours ... she also used buckets. She got her plants from me and planted at least 3 weeks later. I had kept the small seedling plants in 2" containers and they were kept in a mini greenhouse. So they even looked better than the ones I had planted in the buckets. I guess my aunt has also feed her plants 2 or 3 times with miracle grow since planting. Mine have gotten no extra fertilizer, but according to my mom, this can certainly help. (I have not seen my aunt's plants, only my mom has.)

About a week after I gave plants to my aunt, I planted a couple of each variety direct in the garden. They are much farther away and do not get monitored. But, they are already producing ripened fruit, whereas the bucket plants only have 3 or 4 fruits (if that) on each plant and still green. So the in ground plants were planted appx. the first of June. They are extremely large healthy plants which I made the mistake of not staking or caging. The stems looked so nice and heavy and dense, I didn't think it would be required, but is for best results.

Harvested first ripe is Sturt Desert Pea and Dwarf Mahogany. I'll make another post with the photos of the ripe tomatoes.

Sturt Desert Pea:





There were actually two (2) ready. The photo top and bottom view is from the larger of the 2. It was actually about 8 ounces. I wasn't ready to eat the large one, so cut open the more rounded smaller one which was about 5-6 ounces.

Good tomato flavor and texture.

Dwarf Mahogany:





There were actually two (2) ripened tomatoes on this plant as well. But something had taken a bite out of the other. This variety I'm thinking I didn't harvest soon enough. To me the outside doesn't really look mahogany, but just dark green shoulders, which is unappealing to me, but. When I cut into the tomato, coloring did appear mahogany, so I guess that's how it got it's name. But as for taste texture, I was disappointed. It was what I call mealy, or perhaps mushy-like. Though actually the flavor was good. I will have to try to get one harvested a little sooner to taste again.

I also wanted to say thanks to everyone else for posting. Hopefully there will be some seed saving going on. Would really enjoy swapping for a few other varieties.

I got some seed from my Kangaroo Paw Green today.....will try to get some more, and will also try to remember to get some from my Maralinga.

I won't have large quantities, but I'd be happy to trade a few seeds with someone for some new varieties.