Some dwarf project plants

ddsack · December 15, 2014

I've been working on my overdue Dwarf project reports and found a picture that doesn't really fit in with the individual dwarf family categories, so thought I'd post it in the photo gallery section for those not familiar with dwarf plants.

These were grown outside during the summer, brought back into the greenhouse in September when nights started to cool off. They had to be untied from a fence, added new stake supports, tied into a manageable bundle and wheeled on a handcart across about 200 feet of bumpy lawn. Needless to say, there was a trail of leaves and tomatoes left along the way. I pruned off all remaining unhealthy leaves and used Bill's bleach spray generously on the rest before I brought them in the greenhouse. The plants in the pictures have about 1/2 the foliage on them as before the move, and fewer tomatoes.

Sweet Scarlet Dwarf is new and currently available from Heritage Tomato Seeds, the other two are only F3's and still in development. Dwarfs are great for people who don't have unlimited garden space, or who can only grow on patios or balconies. Dwarf does not have to mean tiny plant or tiny fruit!

**mdvpc** · December 15, 2014

Dee-Nice photo!

Barb_FL · December 15, 2014

Nice looking tomatoes. I would say the trip was successful.

What size buckets are they?

I started a few dwarf seedlings on 12/1 - of course they are tiny and only the Arctic Rose is getting the first true leaves. Sweet Scarlet Rose was highly recommended for my climate but was not available when I purchased my seeds from Heritage. Good to know that it is available now.

Sun City Linda · December 15, 2014

I have been watching for Sweet Scarlet to show up at Heritage and just purchased it! I am anxious to try it. =)

ddsack · December 16, 2014

Barb, all of my pots are hand-me-down scrounges from my niece who has managed a couple of different garden centers, so I never really know what size they officially are -- but 5 gallon containers or grow bags seem to be fine for dwarfs. You can go smaller if you keep up with a fertilizing schedule. (mine is hit and miss!)

Linda, you will love Sweet Scarlet Dwarf, and I hope you get a chance to try Dwarf Blazing Beauty as well, I predict that will be the next big hit from the Dwarf Project.

Labradors2 · December 16, 2014

I just bought Sweet Scarlet seeds too!

Thanks Dee for sharing the pictures. I had assumed that the plants would be more bushy and somehow less in need of staking, but now I realize that I shouild put the ole tomato cages to good use!

Adding Blazing Beauty to my list for next year or whenever it is available!

Linda

KarenO · December 16, 2014

Linda, I would say these plants have been quite heavily pruned as they would have very thick foliage cover I think if they were not. I will use cages on mine too next year.
Very Nice looking tomatoes and I am looking forward to growing some new to me dwarf project varieties next year!
KarenO

ddsack · December 16, 2014

Yes, the dwarfs eventually need support because though the branches are thick and the plant can self-support for quite a while, they do keep growing, and eventually it will topple to one side. Also when the fruit loads up, the supporting stems can pinch off or even break off.

I think Tania is the only one right now that has Dwarf Blazing Beauty listed as available, but I'm sure others will pick up this winner in the next few years.

As Karen noted, (and as I mentioned in the first post) the plants lost a lot of greenery during the move and fall pruning. Since the dwarfs are indeterminate, they keep on growing up and up.

spjcbjp · December 22, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddsack

I've been working on my overdue Dwarf project reports and found a picture that doesn't really fit in with the individual dwarf family categories, so thought I'd post it in the photo gallery section for those not familiar with dwarf plants.

These were grown outside during the summer, brought back into the greenhouse in September when nights started to cool off. They had to be untied from a fence, added new stake supports, tied into a manageable bundle and wheeled on a handcart across about 200 feet of bumpy lawn. Needless to say, there was a trail of leaves and tomatoes left along the way. I pruned off all remaining unhealthy leaves and used Bill's bleach spray generously on the rest before I brought them in the greenhouse. The plants in the pictures have about 1/2 the foliage on them as before the move, and fewer tomatoes.

Sweet Scarlet Dwarf is new and currently available from Heritage Tomato Seeds, the other two are only F3's and still in development. Dwarfs are great for people who don't have unlimited garden space, or who can only grow on patios or balconies. Dwarf does not have to mean tiny plant or tiny fruit!

Hi DD

Brand spanking new here at Tomatoville. Jealous of your beautiful maters you have there. Can you please tell me about "Bills Bleach"? I'm trying my hand at container maters this time of year since I have no luck whatsoever when it's warmer. I'm in West Central Florida, west of Tampa. I get the dreaded virus(s) every year. Thanks for your time.
Betty

ddsack · December 23, 2014

Hi Betty,
Thanks for your kind comments, my shorter season growing can be frustrating , but I'm actually enjoying my enforced break right now!

Bill is a respected poster here that does a marvelous job growing heirloom tomatoes in Alabama all year round. He grows in challenging conditions of heat, humidity and rain and has come up with a formula for mixing bleach with water which can halt or slow down many fungal spores already on the plant. It is important not to go over his recommended dosage. I will give you a link here to just one of his many discussions on this topic -
http://tomatoville.com/showthread.ph...ghlight=bleach

I have used it a few times and am a believer. I don't think it will do much for viral diseases, but has worked for various fungal leaf diseases and grey mold, which I get in cooler weather. Since I don't have very good ventilation in my small unheated greenhouse at night, I did some preventative spraying on the plants before bringing them in. I did one more pruning inside after the bleach did it's work, but I had no more disease til I shut the place down for winter.

spjcbjp · December 23, 2014

Thanks DD!

I will for sure give it a try. It is so hot and humid here beginning usually in late April, sometimes sooner, that I have yet to defeat fungus, virus(s) etc. Bugs I can handle. I'm originally from Kentucky, so I've never, ever seen problems there like we have here due to the humidity. If my tomatoes were on vines like yours in the picture, the sun would burn them, so it's necessary to have leaves for some shade. I'm sure there's a tried and true system for here in Florida, but I'm still working on it...LOL

Vespertino · December 28, 2014

I've also bought sweet scarlet seeds and I can't wait to see how well things go!

I had good luck with the 5 gallon grow bags, with a caveat that I planted those out too late. However, it did get just as big as another dwarf that was in the ground much earlier, it just didn't get to flower before the summer heat was in full swing. I will be giving it another go with grow bags for the dwarfs this year.

December 15, 2014	#1
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,220	Some dwarf project plants I've been working on my overdue Dwarf project reports and found a picture that doesn't really fit in with the individual dwarf family categories, so thought I'd post it in the photo gallery section for those not familiar with dwarf plants. These were grown outside during the summer, brought back into the greenhouse in September when nights started to cool off. They had to be untied from a fence, added new stake supports, tied into a manageable bundle and wheeled on a handcart across about 200 feet of bumpy lawn. Needless to say, there was a trail of leaves and tomatoes left along the way. I pruned off all remaining unhealthy leaves and used Bill's bleach spray generously on the rest before I brought them in the greenhouse. The plants in the pictures have about 1/2 the foliage on them as before the move, and fewer tomatoes. Sweet Scarlet Dwarf is new and currently available from Heritage Tomato Seeds, the other two are only F3's and still in development. Dwarfs are great for people who don't have unlimited garden space, or who can only grow on patios or balconies. Dwarf does not have to mean tiny plant or tiny fruit! __________________ Dee **************

December 15, 2014	#2
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Dee-Nice photo! __________________ Michael

December 16, 2014	#5
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,220	Barb, all of my pots are hand-me-down scrounges from my niece who has managed a couple of different garden centers, so I never really know what size they officially are -- but 5 gallon containers or grow bags seem to be fine for dwarfs. You can go smaller if you keep up with a fertilizing schedule. (mine is hit and miss!) Linda, you will love Sweet Scarlet Dwarf, and I hope you get a chance to try Dwarf Blazing Beauty as well, I predict that will be the next big hit from the Dwarf Project. __________________ Dee **************

December 16, 2014	#8
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,220	Yes, the dwarfs eventually need support because though the branches are thick and the plant can self-support for quite a while, they do keep growing, and eventually it will topple to one side. Also when the fruit loads up, the supporting stems can pinch off or even break off. I think Tania is the only one right now that has Dwarf Blazing Beauty listed as available, but I'm sure others will pick up this winner in the next few years. As Karen noted, (and as I mentioned in the first post) the plants lost a lot of greenery during the move and fall pruning. Since the dwarfs are indeterminate, they keep on growing up and up. __________________ Dee ************** Last edited by ddsack; December 16, 2014 at 12:25 PM.

December 23, 2014	#10
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,220	Hi Betty, Thanks for your kind comments, my shorter season growing can be frustrating , but I'm actually enjoying my enforced break right now! Bill is a respected poster here that does a marvelous job growing heirloom tomatoes in Alabama all year round. He grows in challenging conditions of heat, humidity and rain and has come up with a formula for mixing bleach with water which can halt or slow down many fungal spores already on the plant. It is important not to go over his recommended dosage. I will give you a link here to just one of his many discussions on this topic - http://tomatoville.com/showthread.ph...ghlight=bleach I have used it a few times and am a believer. I don't think it will do much for viral diseases, but has worked for various fungal leaf diseases and grey mold, which I get in cooler weather. Since I don't have very good ventilation in my small unheated greenhouse at night, I did some preventative spraying on the plants before bringing them in. I did one more pruning inside after the bleach did it's work, but I had no more disease til I shut the place down for winter. __________________ Dee **************

December 15, 2014	#3
Barb_FL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Indialantic, Florida Posts: 2,000	Nice looking tomatoes. I would say the trip was successful. What size buckets are they? I started a few dwarf seedlings on 12/1 - of course they are tiny and only the Arctic Rose is getting the first true leaves. Sweet Scarlet Rose was highly recommended for my climate but was not available when I purchased my seeds from Heritage. Good to know that it is available now.

December 15, 2014	#4
Sun City Linda Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: SoCal Inland Posts: 2,705	I have been watching for Sweet Scarlet to show up at Heritage and just purchased it! I am anxious to try it. =)

December 16, 2014	#6
Labradors2 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Ontario Posts: 3,887	I just bought Sweet Scarlet seeds too! Thanks Dee for sharing the pictures. I had assumed that the plants would be more bushy and somehow less in need of staking, but now I realize that I shouild put the ole tomato cages to good use! Adding Blazing Beauty to my list for next year or whenever it is available! Linda

December 16, 2014	#7
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,922	Linda, I would say these plants have been quite heavily pruned as they would have very thick foliage cover I think if they were not. I will use cages on mine too next year. Very Nice looking tomatoes and I am looking forward to growing some new to me dwarf project varieties next year! KarenO

December 23, 2014	#11
spjcbjp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Oldsmar, Florida Posts: 4	Thanks DD! I will for sure give it a try. It is so hot and humid here beginning usually in late April, sometimes sooner, that I have yet to defeat fungus, virus(s) etc. Bugs I can handle. I'm originally from Kentucky, so I've never, ever seen problems there like we have here due to the humidity. If my tomatoes were on vines like yours in the picture, the sun would burn them, so it's necessary to have leaves for some shade. I'm sure there's a tried and true system for here in Florida, but I'm still working on it...LOL

December 28, 2014	#12
Vespertino Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Southlake, TX Posts: 743	I've also bought sweet scarlet seeds and I can't wait to see how well things go! I had good luck with the 5 gallon grow bags, with a caveat that I planted those out too late. However, it did get just as big as another dwarf that was in the ground much earlier, it just didn't get to flower before the summer heat was in full swing. I will be giving it another go with grow bags for the dwarfs this year.