What is Your Most Reliable (and Productive) Dwarf?

[bobrarian]

And best tasting, I might add.

We just started harvesting tomatoes, and I'm already planning what to grow next year! After tying up a few too many stems, I want to try a few more dwarves. I've read many threads, and it seems like dwarf tomatoes can be more hit and miss than others.

We're growing Maglia Rosa, which we grew last year and loved. Also grew Dwarf Pink Passion, which produced well, but the flavor wasn't good enough for us to grow again.

So, I'd appreciate it and would love to hear what dwarves you have grown and have done well for you. (I know everyone's growing conditions are different.)

Also, we love sweeter tomatoes. I have seeds from an MMMM for Blazing Beauty, Dwarf Sweet Sue, Summertime Green, and Wherokowhai, among others. Thanks!

Bobby

[indysun]

BedSept2021 - Copy.jpg

Mine has always been Sweet Scarlet, a bit taller than most dwarfs but what a producer in my raised bed. One crop then another - i continually fertilize whole season

[AKgardener]

I would like to know the same thing glad you asked !!

[Ozarker]

I’m wondering the same thing. This is my first year growing dwarfs, and I really love their growth habit but don’t quite have any ripe fruit to evaluate yet. I could see shifting to a lot of dwarfs if I can find some with the flavor and production that I want.

[AKgardener]

I have 1 rosella purple and 1 Purple Heart throb both started in March and rosella is finally with an open flower bud so I rushed to move it inside since we’re in mid 40s again at night Purple Heart is just now catching up in growth wise but just now getting flower bud moved him inside as my daughter named him dirt Wich this is dirt 4 now haha since it’s been redone but they now have good growth good roots maybe now they will enjoy the indoor..

[bobrarian]

@Ozarker - may I ask, which dwarfs are you growing this year?

@AKgardener - good luck with those 2 dwarfs. Looking forward to hearing about your progress.

I read a post on TV from 2016 where someone included a list of dwarfs that Craig LeHoullier rated "at least 8/10 in taste" that also produces "at least 10 pounds per plant." The second part interests me more because, if I could find a dwarf that reliably produces close to 10 pounds, I would be very happy. My growing conditions are different, but perhaps that is a reasonable bar to shoot for?

To give more specifics on the results of the dwarfs I have grown:

- Dwarf Pink Passion, the one time we grew it, produced 34 little pink hearts totalling 5 lbs., 8 oz., in a 5-gallon bucket. If only it tasted a little better. Flavor wasn't bad at all, just very mild.

- Last year, Sweet Splash Electra produced 13 small tasty pale (almost white) tomatoes, for a disappointing total of 2 lbs., 10 oz., also in a 5-gallon bucket. It was late maturing, and ours didn't have variegated leaves, although the fruit matched the description. I liked the taste, rating it a 7.5. My wife didn't care for it.

I didn't count or weigh the tomatoes I got from Maglia Rosa, but it was productive and healthy and tasty!

Bobby

[Ozarker]

@bobrarian While there wasn’t a ton of rational for the selections, my first attempt at growing dwarfs features:

Eagle Smiley
BrandyFred
Rosella Purple
Noah Stripes
Velvet Night

I’m optimistic that I will get to sample my first Eagle Smiley this weekend, but it’s going to be at least another week or two for the rest. I’m happy to report that all of the varieties have grown vigorously, handled the heat, stayed healthy, and have done a good job of setting fruit so far.

[MissTee]

I posted my results and opinions last season. So here is the link to that thread: viewtopic.php?p=79587#p79587

I have grown many tasty DTP varieties (my most productive have been salad-sized, not beefsteak) but there are plenty of other good dwarf and determinate tomatoes to consider too. I am on a multi-year mission to find them!

[bobrarian]

@Ozarker That's encouraging to hear they're doing well for you. Eagle Smiley is one I'm considering growing next year. I read that Craig LeHoullier compared its taste to Sun Gold, which is high praise. If true, that is really an accomplishment. To have a manageable dwarf that is productive and early, with that kind of flavor!

@MissTee Thanks for the link. Actually, that thread was what inspired me to post this. I went back and read through it again. Great info. I have seeds for Dwarf Mary's Cherry from a swap, and it's on my list for fall planting. We like salad sized tomatoes, and try to include a couple each year.

Bobby

[AKgardener]

I did bring both mine inside thinking I was gonna save them but they went south on me all the leaves wilted and fell off.. don’t understand what happened so I put them back outside looks like I’ll be tossing them both they are only getting worse some of my other plants are doing the same thing

[Ozarker]

@bobrarian I have now sampled my first Eagle Smileys, and they are quite good. I’ve never grown Sungold (weird, I know), so I can’t make a direct comparison, but the flavor is as good as any cherry tomatoes I have grown.

[AKgardener]

Anyone grow sleeping lady started some seeds today looks delicious

[GoDawgs]

After getting off to a rocky start with that bit of herbicide damage, almost all of the tomatoes have put out fresh new foliage and are making tomatoes although at a seemingly slower pace than previously.

New-to-me dwarfs are:

Elise's Fancy
Loxton Lad
Mano
Velvet Night
Wild Fred

So far the most productive by far is Mano, with second place in quantity going to Velvet Night. Lowest/slowest producing is Elise's Fancy (just 2 so far) and Loxton Lad but like I said, don't judge these results as being normal. So far they're all pretty tasty. For me Velvet Night is a winner.

[Frosti]

576E90FA-1C7E-4DA4-9005-0443FC138AED.jpeg

I must say I'm a bit disappointed that Uluru Ochre has such poor fruit set. Maybe it doesn't have enough soil (16L) or not enough light ...

[AKgardener]

Has anyone tried purple reign? I have that on my grow list for next year