Please Help Me Decide Which Dwarf Tomatoes

[barbamWY]

For 15 years I have headed up our local plant sale. I have the list of 30 at the "Growing for Market" thread. I thought we plant growers could add some of the Dwarf Tomatoes this year. Personally I have grown New Big Dwarf, Dwarf Arctic Rose, and Beryl Beauty with the latter being the most memorable.
I have seed for: Dwarf Arctic Rose, Dwarf Velvet Night, Sweet Adelaide and Chocolate Champion.
We do not have a black cherry tomato selected for our sale because none of the other growers wanted to grow a black cherry so it would be up to me. So I was thinking Velvet Night might be good. I have no experience with it.
What 3 would you pick or even 2? We are in Northern Wyoming and we can grow most tomatoes. We start our seeds in about 10 days.
Hopefully some of you can offer some guidance. Thanks so much.
Barb

[Scooty]

Are you the same as Barb_FL?

I grew VN last year. It was ok. It's bigger than a cherry to me (smaller than golfball though).

I've grown probably a majority of the dwarfs. They really span the gamut, Craig is cleverly done a wide selection to cater to about every need and want.

Is there something you're growing more for? taste? productivity? space? etc...?

[barbamWY]

Originally Posted by Scooty

Are you the same as Barb_FL?

I grew VN last year. It was ok. It's bigger than a cherry to me (smaller than golfball though).

I've grown probably a majority of the dwarfs. They really span the gamut, Craig is cleverly done a wide selection to cater to about every need and want.

Is there something you're growing more for? taste? productivity? space? etc...?

I am not the same Barb. I live in Wyoming near Yellowstone National Park. Thank you for the recommendation on my other thread for Chocolate Champion and Sweet Adelaide.

[nancyruhl]

If it for a plant sale, my own experience is that no matter how good a green when ripe variety tastes, most people aren't interested.

Are you interested in picking 3 from the 4 seed varieties you already have, or are you open to other varieties?

[barbamWY]

Nancy, if you have grown something else that was outstanding, let me know. I was hoping to avoid another order though. I have ordered 3 times from Victory Seeds this year. We do have a following for green zebra, but otherwise they wouldn't buy green.

[zendog]

I'm a big fan of Tennessee Suited. A really pretty tomato with good size fruit, good productivity and great taste. I'm not sure if the more southern state in the name would put people off, but it would be my top recommendation from what I've grown. I think I have enough seeds to share some if you'd like.

Most people also really like Rosella Purple Dwarf and compare it to a smaller (both in stature and fruit size) Cherokee Purple and I think it is a great dwarf as well.

For more of a pink/red type, Dwarf Pink Passion was very good. Early and tasty. The early part might be useful for your area. Maybe the name will help with sales - who doesn't want a little more passion in their lives?

Dwarf Velvet Night wasn't a winner for me. Perhaps in part since I always grow Black Cherry and it really wasn't close in flavor.

I've also grown Dwarf Purple Heart (great dark heart on a largish dwarf plant) and Dwarf Orange Cream (early and pretty good flavor). There are tons of them out there, so it is hard to know what to try next!

[Cole_Robbie]

Sweet Adelaide was quite tasty for me.
I think it is my favorite pink dwarf. New Big Dwarf is good, too, higher yield. NBD tastes good, but more acidic in flavor like a red tomato.

[nancyruhl]

I agree on Tennessee Suited. Great taste, production and beauty. I usually try to select a favorite from each color or category. Bicolor yellow/pink I guess my favorite is Wherokowhai, but that is a category with so many nice selections. Another group I have way too many choices on is dark tomatoes. Brown-red is definitely Tasmanian Chocolate which is one of my A listers every year. Purple brown I guess I would go with Dwarf Wild Fred. Red # 1 spot goes to Dwarf Scarlet Heart. And pink there are many great choices and I will go with Willas Cariboo Rose as it is more productive in my garden. Red with gold stripes award goes to Dwarf Beauty King.

As I grow quite a few dwarf every year, I also have many selections that didn't arise from the Dwarf Project that i am very happy with.

[Scooty]

Originally Posted by nancyruhl

I agree on Tennessee Suited. Great taste, production and beauty. I usually try to select a favorite from each color or category. Bicolor yellow/pink I guess my favorite is Wherokowhai, but that is a category with so many nice selections. Another group I have way too many choices on is dark tomatoes. Brown-red is definitely Tasmanian Chocolate which is one of my A listers every year. Purple brown I guess I would go with Dwarf Wild Fred. Red # 1 spot goes to Dwarf Scarlet Heart. And pink there are many great choices and I will go with Willas Cariboo Rose as it is more productive in my garden. Red with gold stripes award goes to Dwarf Beauty King.

As I grow quite a few dwarf every year, I also have many selections that didn't arise from the Dwarf Project that i am very happy with.

Anything with Wild Fred genes are my thing. Wild Fred is by far the best one. Most of the ones I enjoy come from that line.

I liked Russian Swirl more than Wherokowhai when grown side by side. RS is sweeter and juicy to me.

I prefer sweeter but bold tasting yellows/oranges (in order of preference): Summer Sunrise (better than Summertime Gold grown side by side), Sweet Sue, Blazing Beauty, and Mr. Snow would be my stand outs there.

Pure red would be Sweet Scarlet.

[barbamWY]

I think I am going to have to put in another order to Victory Seeds at this rate. I have looked at other threads and listened to podcasts and have heard Wherokowai and Rosella Purple mentioned as good. Russian Swirl, might be a go just because our customers like Russian tomatoes. I have also seen Mr. Snow mentioned but it might be harder to sell. I have had two votes for Sweet Adelaide so that could be a go. I guess I will have to trial more Dwarf tomatoes. I do like to sell what I have grown, so I guess I will need to grow more. I have a six acre yard so I just have not had a need for smaller tomato plants, but I will give some of those mentioned a try. Keep them coming if you think of anything. I have 10 days before I start seeds.
Barb

[Scooty]

Originally Posted by barbamWY

I think I am going to have to put in another order to Victory Seeds at this rate. I have looked at other threads and listened to podcasts and have heard Wherokowai and Rosella Purple mentioned as good. Russian Swirl, might be a go just because our customers like Russian tomatoes. I have also seen Mr. Snow mentioned but it might be harder to sell. I have had two votes for Sweet Adelaide so that could be a go. I guess I will have to trial more Dwarf tomatoes. I do like to sell what I have grown, so I guess I will need to grow more. I have a six acre yard so I just have not had a need for smaller tomato plants, but I will give some of those mentioned a try. Keep them coming if you think of anything. I have 10 days before I start seeds.
Barb

I've tried most if not all pre-2018 dwarf maters. They span a huge gamut with respect to taste, texture, size, growing habit....

Uluru for example is the first (and maybe only) orange-black tomato I know of. It's like a savory black tomato with some of the lighter flavor profile of an orange tomato.

Russian Swirl looks much like Wherokowai. Unless you had the two plants side by side, with bisected fruit. I doubt you could tell the difference.

[salix]

Nancy, so glad to hear that my W's Cariboo Rose is productive for you. It is for me, as well

[greenthumbomaha]

Good info here in the this vs that. Everything is subjective, but appreciate knowing in advance what to expect.

Taste is important, but I also factored plant size in my grow list. I have two dwarf trays started for a club plant share. I'm including two foot varieties for people that have downsized to condo style residences. Someone mentioned they don't want to overwhelm their outdoor space so they had given up the idea of growing tomatoes. Don't now if this type of housing is is a factor in your area. Can't remember your other list but I started a few hanging basket varieties and I think I'll hog them for myself.


Order more seeds than you thing you need, always


- Lisa

[barbamWY]

I placed an order with Victory Seeds and it is already on its way. I ordered Russian Swirl and Willas Cariboo Rose. We are pretty rural but we do have a college population and seniors who are apartment dwellers. Even those of us with acreage , plant a few plants in pots. Thank you everyone.
Barb

[Scooty]

Originally Posted by barbamWY

I placed an order with Victory Seeds and it is already on its way. I ordered Russian Swirl and Willas Cariboo Rose. We are pretty rural but we do have a college population and seniors who are apartment dwellers. Even those of us with acreage , plant a few plants in pots. Thank you everyone.
Barb

Since you mentioned apartment dwellers and container planting.

Originally Posted by Scooty

Carolyn mentioned in a post that there's no such thing as a low-acid tomato, just degrees of sugar. So maybe that's what I'm finding....

In any case, Brix and PH only touch a bit on taste. Pink Bumblebee and Black Krim came at at the same levels, but the Black Krim tastes less acidic to me. There's less nuance to the PBB flavor and maybe that's why it tastes more tart.

-------

All the dwarf tomatoes pretty much stopped growing and these were the some quick measurements out in the field. Everything required a garden stake to steady the plants simply because without them the fruit would tip them over with the windy corridor that is the midwest.

I didn't need cages for any of these minus the Purple Heart and Sarandipity. PH grew way too many suckers and heavy fruit that there was no other way to steady it. Sarandipity was too vine-ish and there wasn't enough thick tree like stem to keep it to one stake.

Russian Swirl 36"
Purple Heart 39"
Choc Champ 32"
Wild Fred 30"
Rosella Crimson 34"
Taz Chocolate 33"
Arctic Rose 27"
Sweet Adele 37"
Sarandipity 32"
Sleeping Lady 36"
Summertime Gold 43"
Pink Passion 28"
Summertime Gold 43"
London Lass 27"
Sweet Scarlet 39"
Wherokowhai 26"
Costal Pride Orange 26"
Blazing Beauty 36"
Summer Sunrise 47"
Sweet Sue 49"
Kangaroo Paw Yellow 32"
Kangaroo Pay Brown 26"
Golden Gypsy 40"
Jade Beauty 39"
Kangaroo Paw Green 32"
Uluru 50"
Banskia Queen 44"


other dwarfs
Polish Dwarf 26" (container)
Polish Dwarf 37" (field)
Sophie's Choice 16" (field and container)
Mano 20"

From my older thread on dwarfs in 2016