Dwarf Tomato Update. 6.12.2021

The dwarf tomatoes continue to grow and look healthy and lush, but short statured. Most are blooming profusely, and there are a few tomatoes set now - BrandyFred, Extreme Dwarf, and Alpatieva 905a.

I'll have to edit in the variety names later.  It's next to impossible on my tablet.  However, the top one is "Extreme Bush" grown in a container in potting soil. The first one is Extreme Bush, on the deck, in regular potting soil.

Dwarf CC Mcgee, from the "Dwarf Tomato Project", a potato leaf type. The leaves were chlorotic but have completely recovered and it is growing nicely. Planted in the ground in the tomato bed.

BrandyFred tomato, from the "Dwarf Tomato Project", also potato leafed type.  Planted in container in a soil / compost / cactus soil mix.

I'm not sure, the labels disappeared from a couple.  I think this is "Clare Valley Pink" from the Dwarf Tomato Project.  Planted in the ground in the tomato bed.

Developing fruit on "Alpatieva 905A" grown in container in potting soil. Developing fruit on Extreme Bush, same plant posted earlier.

Plant of Alpatieva 905A, same one as developing fruit photo posted earlier.  In potting soil in container.

Another I'm not certain of.  I think this is "Dwarf Johnson Cherry" from the Dwarf Tomato Project.  That's the only cherry variety I'm growing from the project, so if it's a cherry, that's what it is for certain.

None of these dwarf tomatoes have even a third the size of regular height tomatoes, and they seem to be bloming and developing fruit as early or even before most of them.

Dwarf Tomato Plants. Progress Notes. 6.3.2021

 Here are most of the dwarf tomato plants about one month after planting outside.   The plants in containers seem to he healthier and more vigorous than the ones in the ground.  That may be variety more than location, since they are not the same ones.

 For comparison, one of the open pollinated Romas, which is determinate, is in a similar size range.

Most of the others are 2 to three times taller now.  

I curious about what this volunteer yellow cherry will be like.  It grew next to a dahlia last year and really never got water.  It was only about 4 feet tall but was in such adverse conditions.  The seedling from that looks more vigorous this year.  I imagine this is descended from Sungold. From what I read, descendants of Sungold are not as sweet. Even so, I liked last year's tomatoes, so maybe this year's will be OK.

The Purple Russian has upturned leaf margins, similar to those of Extreme Bush.  However, the leaves themselves are narrrower and not rugose, unlike Extreme Bush.

Dwarf Tomato Update. 5.28.2021

 Here are some of the dwarf tomato plants.  So far -

(1) The leaves are much thicker than regular tomato plant leaves.

(2) I think the ones I planted in containers are healthier looking than the ones I planted in the ground.

(3)  There are quite a few flowers on terminal buds.

(4) BrandyFred looks like a mutant plastic version of a to a tomato plant.  It's so sturdy, green, thick leaves.  Really an interesting and different tomato plant.

(5) CC McGee, which is in the ground, doesn't look too healthy. 

BrandyFred

Alpatieva 905A

left front Dwarf CC McGee, right front Dwarf Johnson Cherry

Left Dwarf Improved Champion, Right Extreme Bush

More Extreme Bush, with Mr. Rufus

Dwarf Tomato Update and Disease Protection. 5.21.2021

 I was reading that some gardeners are reluctant to grow dwarf tomatoes because the bottom leaves are low, and other leaves are not widely separated, rendering them more susceptible to fungal spores that splash up from the soil during rain.  That may only be theoretical, I don't know.  So I started adding a brown paper cover for soil under the dwarf tomato plants .  Im only doing that if they have real soil, not ones that are growing in artificial potting soil media.

I hope the paper makes a difference.

I have not figured out how to label photos uploaded via ipad.  The first tomato plant, in the round container is BrandyFred, and the next two, in the rectangular black container are L to R, Improved Dwarf Champion and Extreme Bush.  The last two, in the teal plant box, are Alpatieva 905A.

I've also noticed that most of the dwarf tomatoes have flower buds at their growth apex.  I wonder if that is significant?

Dwarf Tomato Plants. Progress Notes. 5.15.2021

 The dwarf tomato plants are growing nicely.  I noticed a bit of chlorosis in some when planted in the ground, which I also noted in some of the Roma plants too.  Not sure why, and that seems to clear up in new leaves.

I decided to make a list of the dwarf cultivars that I'm testing this year, along with available trait info.

Variety / Info / Days to ripe tomato / Plant height / fruit size

Alpatieva 905A / a Soviet era Russian type from 1950 / 65 days / 18-24" tall / 2 to 5 oz

BrandyFred / Dwarf Tomato Project / 75 days / ? / 10 to 16 oz

CC McGee (light yellow) / late / ? / 4 to 8 oz

Clare Valley Pink / Dwarf Tomato Project / 84 days / ? / small to medium tomato

Dwarf Champion Improved / historic tomato (early 20th century?) / 85 days / ? / 3 to 8 oz

        (Dwarf Champion was developed in 1889 .  I don't know about the "improved".  Size is Dw. Champion)

Dwarf Johnson Cherry / Dwarf Tomato Project / 65 days / ? / cherry tomato

Extreme Bush / historic tomato (Germany, mid 20th century?) / 50 days / 12 to 28 " tall / 3 oz

Tanunda Red / Dwarf Tomato Project / 75 days /?  indeterminate  / 4 to 10 oz

For comparison, here are some "normal", non-dwarf tomatoes.  The Lemon Boy and Early Goliath Hybrid have fully recovered from their "wall'o'water" debacle and are nice and green and growing.  Several tomato plants are blooming.  Several of the dwarf tomato plants also have flower buds.

Tomato, Cucumber and Squash Seedlings. 5.9.2021

 About 3/4 of the seedlings are in the ground now.  This is it for planting seeds in containers for the year.

I wanted Pink Banana Squash but none have germinated.  I bit the bullet and ordered a packet on line.  Postage was significant for one packet, but this is the last chance to try to germinate some of this variety for the year.  I found them on the Victory Seeds website, which is a company that I'm coming to like.  They sent the seeds out the next day and I got them two days later.  We'll see if they germinate.

Some of the squash and cucumber seedlings.  Also some Chinese Chives.  These pickle seeds are form ones that I saved last winter, great germination but who knows what the cucumbers will be like, because I didn't isolate the plants or flowers and I don't know if they were hybrids.  Squash seedlings quickly outgrow these little containers.  I planted the Gete Okosomin and one of the Yellow Zucchinis in the garden yesterday.  Others to follow, and giving away a couple of zucchini plants.

I've planted most of the basil but there are still a few to go.  Same with peppers.

A few of the remaining "Extreme Bush" tomatoes.  I'll give away a plant and find a location for the rest.

The Soyu Chinese Cucumber packet was from 2016.  I planted about 6 seeds.  So far, one has germinated.  That's good enough but a few more would be better, so I planted another container.   I'm glad I saved the old seed packets.  This summer I can let one go overripe for seed saving.  [Edit - that photo was yesterday.  This morning I saw that two more seedlings have emerged.]

The rest of the cucumber seedlings.  I planted more than I want, because I didn't know which ones would grow.  Varieties are Alibi hybrid, a Bush type that doesn't designate if hybrid, another Bush type that is F1.  I think I'll plant all of the hybrids together, and try to isolate at least one of the Bush type for saving seeds.  Maybe the ones that I grew form saved seeds this year, and the other Bush type that does not state Hybrid.  These should be ready to plant in the garden in two weeks.

Vegetable Garden. 5.4.21

 The vegetable garden is coming together nicely.  I did a lot of work over the past few months, building the new raised beds, removing the old ones, filling the soil, changing the in-ground beds around.  Now, most of that is done.  There is always something, but now I can relax a little more.

The second raised bed.  Everything is taking off now.

This winter I was excited to find Lemon Boy tomato seeds after years of looking.  The I planted the plant out early with the water cone for protection, and the leaves burned.  It's making a come back, yay.  That's also good news because I wondered if they were planted out too early.  It looks like they are just fine.

Mostly the third raised bed.  It's quite a mix.  The radishes are ready to eat.  That will happen with the lettuce and spinach, too, before the peppers need the space.

These are the hybrid Roma tomatoes.  They will need a sort of trellis before they flop over.

So far Extreme Bush tomato is looking nice in its container.

These thornless red raspberries are descended from some that grew under the fence into my yard from a neighbor, which I moved from the Vancouver place last year.  There were some good raspberries then.  This looks like a much better year.

 

Most of the vegetable garden.  There are more tomatoes than I will grow next year.  This is my tomato test garden year.