Latah, Premus and Sophie's Choice...anyone grow these?

[GoDawgs]

I want to try three dwarf tomatoes indoors this winter. Out of all the dwarf tomatoes listed in my database the shortest ones I found are Lahta, Premus and Sophie's Choice, all varieties that came in the MMMM. Have any of you ever grown these and can maybe shed a little light on how they do and if the plant sizes listed below are about right?

Some info I found:

Lahta - 50-60 dtm, determinate, 1.5'h x 2.5', bushy but compact, round red slicer, 2-3 oz (2") fruit.

Premus - ultra early, semi-determinate, 2', round red slicer, 2" fruit

Sophie's Choice - 54 dtm, determinate, 2' tall and compact, red globe shaped slicer, 3" fruit. "good in containers"

The Lahta and Sophie's Choice both had comments about them not liking hot weather. I started all three yesterday with the plan being keeping them outside if the heat has subsided, indoors if not. Regardless, when temps go down they'll come inside for the duration. I have a low table here in the computer room and light fixtures will hang over the plants from hanging basket brackets already on the wall. Might as well put them to use. At least that's the plan.

[MissTee]

I grew Premus indoors and Sophie’s Choice outdoors last year in containers. Premus was relatively tasty. Sophie’s Choice was a wet bag of seeds and definitely would not grow it again. It was also late and near death as fruit finally ripened. Premus may well be back in the lineup next year or the year after.

Personal experience — would not recommend bringing plants in from the outdoors. I had a huge aphid infestation from tomatoes and peppers brought indoors after the season ended, and threw my over-wintered plants in the frozen garage once I realized they would jeopardize my spring seedlings. You can check the leaves for aphids but I think they also populate the soil.

[GoDawgs]

I grew Premus indoors and Sophie’s Choice outdoors last year in containers. Premus was relatively tasty. Sophie’s Choice was a wet bag of seeds and definitely would not grow it again. It was also late and near death as fruit finally ripened. Premus may well be back in the lineup next year or the year after.

Did you find the plant sizes I listed as somewhat accurate?

[AKgardener]

I was gonna grow Sophie choice this winter as well until my husband saw the stick tomato’s and decided that’s what I was gonna try !! Let me know how it turns out and I’ll keep those in my indoor trial maters

[steve ok]

Did you find the plant sizes I listed as somewhat accurate?

I grow Premus every year. Very early, tastes pretty good, always under 2 feet tall.

[rossomendblot]

If Latha is the same as Latah, I can confirm it's very early, relatively compact but does have a tendency to sprawl.

[MissTee]

I grew Premus indoors and Sophie’s Choice outdoors last year in containers. Premus was relatively tasty. Sophie’s Choice was a wet bag of seeds and definitely would not grow it again. It was also late and near death as fruit finally ripened. Premus may well be back in the lineup next year or the year after.

Did you find the plant sizes I listed as somewhat accurate?

Sorry, yes forgot about sizes. Premus is a rugose tree-like dwarf growing 1.5 -2 feet (indoors). Very sturdy trunk grows upright, I think it just needed a small bamboo stake. (Pics 1&2)

Sophie’s Choice was more a sprawling determinate and needed a cage to keep it contained. About 2 -2.5 feet, but more spindly and RL.(Pic 3)

A3243AAF-A051-4CC2-8C9E-C1B87EC6BD00.jpeg

CE4A94F1-F6FE-435D-AC6F-8CD55EBB423C.jpeg

8A91A536-9833-4D45-B497-C9A3C5F22F8F.jpeg

[GoDawgs]

If Latha is the same as Latah, I can confirm it's very early, relatively compact but does have a tendency to sprawl.

Thanks for that input! It seems I spelled it wrong in the post title! DUH! Latah it is.

[GoDawgs]

Sorry, yes forgot about sizes. Premus is a rugose tree-like dwarf growing 1.5 -2 feet (indoors). Very sturdy trunk grows upright, I think it just needed a small bamboo stake.

Sophie’s Choice was more a sprawling determinate and needed a cage to keep it contained. About 2 -2.5 feet, but more spindly and RL.(Pic 3)

Thanks for the info. I can probably use one of those cone shaped cages that stick in the pot or ground for Sophie as someone gave me a few of those cages.

[eyolf]

Premus was a delightful performer for me in a "reservoir pail" (homegrown earthbox); l grow 3 or 4 tomatoes every year like this, setting them out on a sunny garage apron then bringing them in if temperatures begin dropping too low.

I also grow a Habanero or similar pepper that way...we don't generally have a long enough season for them otherwise. And some flowers to brighten the mood.

I didn't see quite as large fruit as advertised but the form was correct...cute little beefsteaks.

Latah has appeared in my gardens every third or 4th year. I wouldn't recommend it in a container, because it isn't very well behaved.

I have grown Sophie's Choice twice and while there was a great deal of chatter about it maybe 15 years ago, it wasn't very good for me.

Three tomatoes I have received from the MMMM swap that I think might have promise are Efimir, Olomovic, and Ocharovnie Komnatnyi. Efimir especially, offerred fruits in the 6-7 ounce class in a determinate plant that never got taller than about 15" in soil.

I have no tried it in a container however. I was impressed with a variety Dale at Delectations carries called Totushka; in the ground it forms a literal mound of 5-6 ounce flattened gloves about like half a basketball.

In a pot it was a brat, flopping over one side like a toddler having a fit. Still lots of tomatoes though.

[Tormahto]

OhioGardener (Debbie Premus) will be the expert on that variety. In my garden, a good tasting, very early, average production tomato, on a plant of about 18" tall.

Sophie's Choice was slightly better tasting, a wide range of fruit sizes, later maturing, always one of the earliest to die in my garden, a much taller plant.

I'll have to find and check some old notes on Latah. If I remember correctly, this may be one hideous tomato, near tasteless bags of gel and seeds, almost no flesh. It was hugely productive, though. The only other variety that I may have it confused with is Siletz.

A new, to me, variety that has promise is Juni. It is tied with Cole for my earliest ever to ripen, 74 days from sowing. It grew to about 15" tall, and then some critter chewed off all of the leaves and much of the branches, too. I never had that happen in the garden, before. Something ate all of the tomatoes, except one. That one tomato tasted better than Premus, Sophie's Choice, Latah, Siletz and Cole.

[eyolf]

Re: Siletz, mentioned above.

I grew it once in about 1996, according to notes. I only wrote: "not as early as promised; lots of sunscald. Don't repeat"

It came as part of the MMMM treasure trove in 2022, and I planted two this year. Still unimpressive. I'm assuming it's done well for growers in the west, possibly at higher elevation, but I wouldn't consider it a well-behaved container sort.