Dwarf tomato results 2021

[habitat-gardener]

In the spring of 2021 I grew one bed of 13 different dwarf tomato varieties, plus 6 dupicates scattered through the garden.
The yields are listed after each one. These are roughly in the order of “least likely” to “most likely” to grow again. I was most looking forward to Uluru Ochre, but those were the ones that stayed on the table uneaten the longest, and I probably won’t grow it again.
Dwarf Parfait 0
Sweet Scarlet Dwarf (2) 0
Dwarf Kelly Green (2) 0, 1
Dwarf Arctic Rose 9 (small, deformed, got moldy fast)
Dwarf Jade Beauty 5
Uluru Ochre (2) 8, 15 (medium to large but didn’t like)
Brandy Fred 1 (large)
Rosella Crimson (2) 5, 5 (small-medium, don’t remember the taste)
Dwarf Red Heart 18 (small, don’t remember the taste)
Sleeping Lady (2) 12, 29 (small, good taste, will try again)
Geranium Kiss 51 (cherry, will try again)
Aftershock 10 (large, will try again)
Coastal Pride Orange (2) 5, 5 (medium, unblemished, good flavor, will try again)

It was a dismal tomato year overall because of the earlier, hotter, and longer heat waves, and maybe from growing tomatoes in the same soil for 3 consecutive years. My best tomatoes came from determinates. I had several indeterminates that produced nothing. The weather here seems to go from summer (90+F almost every day) to winter (well, California winter, which means daytime highs below 55F), with hardly any spring or fall. I’m still getting used to it after living several decades in the Bay Area where it seemed to be 70s most days.

Still, I love the look of these rugose shrubby plants, and I’m planning to try another round of dwarf tomatoes next year. So far, the lineup includes the following definites
Aftershock
Coastal Pride Orange
Sweet Satsuma
Kookaburra Cackle
Pink Passion
Blazing Beauty
plus whatever comes in from the MMMM or surfaces from my seed vault.

If you also have a hot, hot summer, what dwarf varieties did well in your garden?

[Acer Rubrum]

In South Dakota summer gives us week long 90+ temps interspersed with 80's. So not quite as hot as your summers, but I can tell you what dwarf types worked here

Desperado did well the last two years. Last year I had good luck with Peachy Keen, Sweet Splash Electra and Italian Gold as well. This year I plan to try Confetti and possibly a few others dwarfs.

[AKgardener]

I only grew 2 dwarf varieties for 2021 and got nothing from either plant Tasmanian chocolate and the uluru ochre won’t grow neither again . I grew everything in a greenhouse but still was a sad year for tomatoes thanks for the info it helps me pick out the dwarfs to stay away from

[Seven Bends]

I grew Italian Gold this year (two plants). They were wonderfully healthy and highly productive, but unfortunately I didn't care for the taste. To me, they had a slight pumpkin/winter squash taste when cooked into sauce. I taste the same squashy thing in Jaune Flamme, but not in Kellogg's Breakfast, Hillbilly, Pineapple, Orange Banana, or Sungold, so I don't think it's just a color psychology thing. But it's probably something specific to my taste buds and not generalizable. If I liked the flavor, I'd definitely grow Italian Gold again, because it was worry-free and the tomatoes were beautiful and plentiful, plus the plant was small and well-behaved. Pretty leaves, too.

[wykvlvr]

Pink Passion was a will return dwarf for us even if we had a really horrid tomato year. It won on flavor and are hearts about the size of my hand. The other one that I would love to grow again is one I didn't plant... it was a purple or dark pink, smaller round tomato that was wonderful. Problem of course is as I said I didn't plant a tomato that fit that description. I did save some seed so may grow some and see if I get more like it...

[Toomanymatoes]

I grew 12 different dwarf varieties last season. Of the 12, I would probably grow 3 or 4 again (BrandyFred was the best tasting for me). Next season I am cutting that back to 8 or 10 new dwarf varieties and trialing more determinates.

[habitat-gardener]

I grew 12 different dwarf varieties last season. Of the 12, I would probably grow 3 or 4 again (BrandyFred was the best tasting for me). Next season I am cutting that back to 8 or 10 new dwarf varieties and trialing more determinates.

I've been looking at "heat-resistant" tomato varieties on various sites and trying to restrain myself from ordering a dozen!

Which of the dwarfs would you grow again?

[MissTee]

Dwarf Scarlet Heart and Lemon Ice both productive, salad sized hearts. Scarlet Heart pinged a lot of the tastebuds, well worth a grow again.

Boronia and Dwarf Beauty King somewhat productive. Boronia a bit richer and Beauty King more fruity.

Dwarf Arctic Rose was a stinker. Not early (like it should be), not productive, and not tasty. Mushy and musty. Very small irregular shaped fruit. I have read good things about it, so maybe I got some bum seed.

Best in Show was not a Dwarf Project variety, but a parent to many of them — New Big Dwarf. Very sweet.

[MissTee]

PS My best year with Dwarf Project varieties grown in containers was when I used Fish Fertilizer as the main fertilizer. Higher in nitrogen than what is typically recommended for tomatoes. So the last two years I have used more balanced fertilizers, but production has not been as good. Could be the results of different weather, but I’m switching back to the Musky Based Blend.

[Toomanymatoes]

I grew 12 different dwarf varieties last season. Of the 12, I would probably grow 3 or 4 again (BrandyFred was the best tasting for me). Next season I am cutting that back to 8 or 10 new dwarf varieties and trialing more determinates.

I've been looking at "heat-resistant" tomato varieties on various sites and trying to restrain myself from ordering a dozen!

Which of the dwarfs would you grow again?

Well, I am in Ontario, Canada in Zone 6 so not sure if my local climate is a good testing ground for your area. Let me review my video logs and make better notes. I had plenty of blossom drop, I believe some were worse than others, so maybe that might help (assuming it was due to my weather).

Off the top of my head:
Wilpena - did not develop any fruit. It was odd. It grew a lot of blossoms toward the end of my season, but nothing ever developed.

Uluru Ochre, Boronia, Chocolate Champion, Rosella Purple and Wherokowhai did not produce very well for me. Probably 6 to 8 fruits per plant the full season, some even fewer than that.

BrandyFred didn't produce too much either, but was my favorite tasting of them all.

Tasmanian Chocolate was quite productive and similar in taste to Rosella Purple and Chocolate Champion. Typical purple/brown tomato. It was also the largest of all the dwarves.


Lemon Ice - produced a lot of small yellow tomatoes. Was more prone to BER than all the others I grew. Taste is a typical mild yellow tomato.

I also grew:
Adelaide Festival
Sweet Scarlet
Willa's Cariboo Rose

but have to go review my notes/videos. I know they all tasted pretty good.

I would probably grow BrandyFred, Tasmanian Chocolate, Sweet Scarlet and Adelaide Festival again. I am not a big fan of bicolors and I thought the Lemon Ice was just too bland. However, others may rank them at the top.

[GoDawgs]

This is good information as I intend to try some of these this year.

[HL2601]

I love Dwarfs!
I think I grew maybe 20 last season in high heat, zone 5B. Those I have liked the best were:
Sonrojo's Monster
Awesome
Gloria's Treat
Purple Heartthrob
Maura's Cardinal
Velvet Night
Lime Green Salad
Tennessee Suited
Desperado
Pit Viper
I liked Metallica but it was later, and probably needed a better placement to really gauge performance.
Hope this helps give some new suggestions!

[Toomanymatoes]

I love Dwarfs!
I think I grew maybe 20 last season in high heat, zone 5B. Those I have liked the best were:
Sonrojo's Monster
Awesome
Gloria's Treat
Purple Heartthrob
Maura's Cardinal
Velvet Night
Lime Green Salad
Tennessee Suited
Desperado
Pit Viper
I liked Metallica but it was later, and probably needed a better placement to really gauge performance.
Hope this helps give some new suggestions!

It is always interesting how these things work out. I have seeds for over 40 different dwarf tomatoes, but of those you listed, I only have seeds for Metallica. It's impossible to keep up! I feel like I am playing an endless game of Pokémon.

[Barb_FL]

I stopped growing dwarfs a few years ago but tried to grow everything that was available at the time (up to about 2017-2018).
I always had the best production with Dwarf Wild Fred. When I would take out the inner foliage I had at least 40 tomatoes.

My production fell off each year until I stopped growing them altogether.

[mama_lor]

Are the yields in lb?
Also, damn, I just bought Uluru Ochre and Kozula 179 (very similar, at least in theory) for next year.

[habitat-gardener]

Are the yields in lb?
Also, damn, I just bought Uluru Ochre and Kozula 179 (very similar, at least in theory) for next year.

My yields are in number of fruit. It was a very challenging tomato year last year! My top 3 were two determinates and a hybrid.

I have heard good things about Uluru Ochre from other sources, so don't rely on my results.