It's a great time of year for tomatoes. I actually have one little Rosella Purple that has set on, so if nothing get it, I will get to try one. Have you grown Boronia yet? If not, you have to try that one. By my taste buds, it's right up there with Cherokee Purple.
I have not tried that variety. I did not buy any new dwarf's last season. I decided to use the seed I already had. Next year, I want to try a couple more. I'm interested in Tasmanian Chocolate. I believe you said it was really good, and others have told me that as well.
@@TheMillennialGardener Yes, Tasmanian Chocolate is a very good producer and has good taste. I would say that Boronia might produce just a few less tomatoes, but has better taste than the Tasmanian Chocolate. I would rate Boronia as the best overall Dwarf that I have tried so far. I'm hoping that I get to taste that one Rosella Purple that you recommended. I started it so late that it was already hot by the time I had it out in the garden. It did set on one tomato in the heat though. We are hitting triple digits once in a while and mid to upper 90s most of the rest of the time.
I don't understand people insist to give the dog a name. I say stop doing that, dogs are dogs. Not people. the most stupid thing is giving hurricane a people's name, sometimes terrible disease a people's name, that's disgusting.
I was at a friends house once and they were showing me their garden and greenhouse. They said they had to put a gate on the greenhouse door in the summer when it was open because their dog would go in there and eat half the tomatoes!
My dog would certainly do that as well if I let him. He is very polite, though. He won't eat off the vines. He just sits and asks with his eyes very nicely.
Hey Dale. I finally got a ripe Rosella Purple. I think I already told you that I started it way late. You are right. It's a great tasting tomato. I can't wait to grow it again next year. I only got the one ripe tomato from it before we had a week of rain and blight showed up. I pulled it because it hadn't set on any tomatoes lately, so it wasn't worth the effort to try to keep it going. I know it's a long ways off, but I'll be sure to give you credit for the head up when I grow it next year. I only have the Tasmanian Chocolate and the Boronia going right now. The Tasmanian Chocolate is growing like crazy, and has set on nearly 30 tomatoes at the top of the plant. I don't know if I can keep it going until they all ripen, but I'm going to give it a try.
I'm planning on planting the Rosella Purple, Adelaide Festival, Tasmanian Chocolate, and the Boronia; however, the Boronia is out of stock at VS. Thanks to both of you gentlemen's videos, I'm going to try dwarf tomatoes in the desert southwest. Happy holidays!
LOL the finale with Dale is absolutely hilarious! Well done Dale! Thanks for the "flavor notes" on the tomatoes. I'm not a huge acidic fan so I think I'll shy away from the 2 acidic ones. Great video!
Dale is good on camera. Much better than I am, and much more handsome. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Dwarf Emerald Giant is an absolutely incredible tomato. To me, it's pretty spectacular, but I have to remind myself at times that not everyone likes what I like, so I try to be as descriptive as I can be. Fred's Tie Dye has been great this season, but the tough skin can be a turnoff for some. The meat is so good, though.
🤣🤣 What a great video! Dale just adds that extra something to your content. I’ve been sharing your videos and channel like crazy in my gardening groups on FB. You’ve seriously outdone yourself this year!
Thank you, I really appreciate it. Dale has stolen my heart. He's my buddy. I'm glad you're enjoying the vids so far. I'm trying to improve the quality.
You sure are opening my eyes to different tomatoes. I've usually just grown the same ones yr after yr. I'm excited to add some of these to my next year's crop. It sure sounded like they all tasted great, Lol 👍
Never heard of dwarf tomatoes till today when I watched Midwest Gardener! All the yrs I've gardened, it's either indeterminate or determinate tomatoes! It does take lots of time to take care of those tall, trellised indeterminates! Lots of time. I'm intrigued by the thought of having lots of tasty tomatoes without being married to my garden!! Question: How bad is the powdery mildew on those dwarf tomato plants that have very little air circulation & are just jam-packed with leaves? It's a constant battle in my yard ...having to be on the lookout for pm... and... then when it attacks, having to spend hrs trimming off affected leaves plus cutting off more leaves to increase air circulation. Add that to nipping out the suckers... and wrapping twine around the plant as it grows. Wow.... So, am I correct in thinking that dwarfs don't need to have a 7' tall trellis... and don't need leaves trimmed to create air circulation... and don't need to have suckers pruned out...??? Really??? Wow!! Yes, pls let me know if that's correct, and also about the pm. Thank you! I LOVE DALE! What a sweet, drooly doggie!
I want to grow 3 new dwarf tomatoes next year - which would you recommend? I know you like Rosella Purple. But I have heard of Uluru Ochre- have you tried that? Any other?
What's the best way to eat an acidic tomato? In a certain salad, cooked in, or with, a certain meal? I've never had one. Your taste test description sounded borderline scary, but intriguing. 😄 ETA: Nevermind you provided examples towards the very end, but if you have more specifics like a type of sandwich, etc., cool.
I have seen dwarf tomato seeds and have always shied away, because I assumed the fruit would be small as well. This was very eye-opening! Also, I bet the Emerald Giant would be good fried or grilled. I used to grow Granny Smith green tomatoes and stick them on the grill with a little salt, pepper and garlic powder. I'm sure these would be amazing for that as well.
Surprisingly, the Dwarf Tomato Project varieties usually make the same-sized fruit as open pollinated indeterminates. Most of them are crossed with heirloom indeterminates, so they have very similar fruit. Every Dwarf Tomato Project variety I've ever growth has had stellar fruit, and ALL of them have been consistently good. I've grown plenty of indeterminate varieties that were boring and bland, but I've never had a single bad DTP fruit. Dwarf Emerald Giant is the strongest-flavored, most acidic tomato I've ever tasted. It has so much flavor it is crazy. It's almost like someone squeeze lemon juice all over a tomato - that's how acidic it is. It's pretty incredible. It's a Top 5 tomato for me. Maybe Top 3.
What would you recommend for one that is sweeter, or more balanced sweet/acidic? Brandywine, German Johnson and Cherokee Purple are probably my top three indeterminate heirlooms, with Kellogg's Breakfast being my favorite yellow/orange. If you have any guidance towards "matching" those, it would be much appreciated!
Have to tried the Park Seed Bio Dome? I've tried the Burpee seed starting kits but have had mixed results. I've placed the kit by a south-facing window, but maybe I need a grow light. I'm thinking of trying the Bio Dome to see if I get better germination. Happy Holidays!
I have not. I've only ever used the Jiffy greenhouses that are only a couple bucks. Honestly, I've had such success using them I've never considered another way. My germination rates are through the roof using those and a seedling heat mat. I say give it a shot. Happy holidays!
@@TheMillennialGardener Maybe heating mat is what is needed. Are you going to do a starting from seeds 101? I watched you video on using seed starting mix? Cheers!
@@archstanton9703 I have made videos in the past using peat pellets. That's generally how I like to do it because they're sterile and don't have fungus gnat eggs in them like seed starting mix does. I think that's a reason why I tend to have such a high success rate because a fungus gnat outbreak can destroy your seedlings. I can probably make a new one, though. I'll be starting my tomatoes in about 3 weeks, believe it or not!
@@TheMillennialGardener I've planted seeds inside using the Jiffy peat pellets but have had mixed results. While mold has grown on the peat pellets watering with tap water. I don't know if this has anything to do with a low germination rate. I might try using the a heating pad to see if that speeds up germination and look for something to prevent the mold. By the way, I grew a couple lettuce plants inside using seed mix soil and got gnats even after I mixed the soil with boiling water. Maybe next time spaying the soil surface with neem oil will prevent the gnats. Thanksfor the reply!
@@archstanton9703 I recommend hydrating peat pellets with boiling or scalding water, letting them cool to room temp, then moving them onto a heating pad into the sun with the greenhouse top on. You MUST take the greenhouse top off daily to vent them and drain the condensation off the lid or you’ll create a rot-prone, anaerobic environment. Doing this daily, tomatoes should germinate in 4-6 days and peppers in 7-14 depending on how hot they are (the hotter they are, the longer the germination time).
Only the plants are dwarf-sized. The fruits are as big as indeterminates! They are fantastic creations and I will grow them as part of my garden forever.
Damn, how far south are you? June 13 and I just vibrated my first tomato flowers yesterday though most of my plants are a week away from bloom if the weather doesn't suck. ...and 56f this afternoon so the pollen will likely fail anyway. (usda zone 8)
I'm just on the edge of the subtropics, 34.1N latitude. I'm not that far south. I get my plants in-ground around the last week of March every year, but I use a lot of tricks to speed up my harvest. I start my seeds in late January so they're advanced seedlings by the time they go in ground, bury them deeply, fertilize them heavily and mulch them. It really speeds things up. I've been harvesting since mid-May in good quantities, and my first tomato was in late March :)
Has anyone tried Dwarf Tastywine ? It is a cross between Wild Fred and Brandywine. I'm looking for a dwarf that has that Brandywine flavor. I tried Cherokee Purple, it was a little too mild for my liking. This year I have growing in large containers, Burpee Steak Sandwich, Bloody Butcher and Sweet Baby Girl. I love the Steak Sandwich, I think it is very similar to Brandywine, but is an indeterminate. The other two are new for me.
Do the dwarfs stagger their fruit production like a indeterminate or set all at the same time like a determinate and die out? My favorite for flavor this year is my Super Sweet 100 followed by Cherokee Purple then Black Krim. My big hybrids fall behind those 3. I think I'm going to quit planting the determinate types. I like a staggering fruit set plus I dont think they compare in taste. Black Cherry is the best tomato I've ever grown but I couldn't find plants this year.
In my experience, these dwarfs behave as a semi-determinate. They grow to a pre-determinated height like a determinate, but they set and ripen their fruit staggered like an indeterminate. It makes them easier to manage because they keep that nice, compact determinate-tomato size, but they don't inundate you with fruit one week, then quit on you. Determinates are great for canning and food storage, but it's feast and famine if that's all you grow. These give you a nice, manageable, consistent supply.
For Rosella Purple, you can find them at Victory Seeds and Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. You can see everywhere I get mine here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-d_oOPM-JSFA.html
Mine will be like that after this week. 4 inches of rain so far in a day and a half, and it's supposed to rain for the next 5 days straight. Even my green tomatoes are bursting and splitting. It was a good year while it lasted 😰
I did not have a major problem with caterpillars this year on my tomatoes. I think interplanting them with garlic, marigolds and basil really helped! I did have an issue with cabbage worms on my peppers and brassicas, but BT made short work of them. BT is wonderful stuff.
Hi, around the 2:30 you are showing your tomatoes, they look cracked and such, not smooth and "perfect" like from a store, is that normal for them to look kind of beat up on the tops,,, are they safe to eat like that? thanks for the videos
Dr Dreamer varieties of tomatoes commercially produced for grocery stores are bred for tough skin, uniformity, shelf life and ability to ship. Those things that make a tomato good for shipping usually makes them taste bad, though. I grow mostly heirlooms. Heirlooms have incredible flavor, but a consequence is thin skin and blemishes. The best tasting tomatoes are usually prone to splitting. Not always, but usually.
Have u had luck with a brandyfred mine has so narled up leaves and really isn't flowering and producing. I know ita a potato leaf but everything is so wrapped around itself and tight
Yes and no. BrandyFred is a stingy producer of 4-6 ounce, oblate fruits. They're on the smaller side and they're not very productive...as can be expected with anything that's a Brandywine cross, it seems. However, the handful of fruits you do get are very, very good. They are similar to Rosella Purple in flavor. They're a sweet, purple tomato with good bite.
@@brianramsey3824 Rosella Purple is my favorite dwarf. They are prolific and delicious. Rosella Purple gets beaten up by the heat, so they probably won't make it the entire season. However, you can fix that by succession planting. Start your seeds, then start a second planting 3-4 weeks later. That way, you'll always have a producing plant. They are very small so you can fit them in about 2 square feet.
I purchase my seeds from many sources. Victory Seed, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Baker Creek, Tomato Growers and Burpee are where I get all my seeds.
We have been getting rain every day for 3 weeks straight. Almost 12 inches so far in June. It isn't a watering issue. I think it is just insect damage. The leaf footed bugs and stink bugs right now are off the charts.
had high hopes and grew a few varieties of dawrf tomatoes and they are all the most blah tasting tomatoes... look pretty but taste is like nothing. i will stick to my 10+ foot determinates that have flavor here in Nebraska...