After a tumultuous summer it’s time for me to get back to sharing my thoughts on what I’ve learned at the Urban Nano Farm.
Probably the biggest surprise were the varieties of dwarf/micro tomato that I grew in 2023. I started trialing varieties in 2021, basically from a novelty perspective. Despite the name, these small plants produce regular size cherry-type fruit. And lots and lots of fruit. I found these varieties to be over achievers.
Typically, these dwarf/micro tomatoes are determinate varieties, only growing about a foot tall and wide. This means they are well suited for growing in limited spaces, like in containers on porches, patios, and balconies. Several years ago, Tumbling Tom, a dwarf-type tomato, was selected as a Mississippi Medallion selection. I have successfully grown these in containers for several years.
This year I really wanted to compare these smaller stature tomato varieties to regular sized cherry tomato plants.
To make a long story short, the dwarf/micro tomatoes produced just as many tomatoes as their full-sized cherry tomato cousins and were easier to maintain due to the smaller size.
The one maintenance/care item I didn’t think about, but learned quickly, was that due to their productivity and heavy fruit set. Branches would break off and some of the plants were actually pulled out of their container due to the weight of the fruit hanging over the sides of the containers.
The Bottom Line: In future seasons I’m going to limit the number of full-size cherry tomato plants and grow of the dwarf/micro tomato varieties.
Here’s a list of the dwarf/micro tomato varieties I grew in 2023.
Red Fruit
- Micro Tom, red fruit, https://victoryseeds.com/products/micro-tom-tomato
- Red Robin, red fruit, https://www.trueleafmarket.com/products/tomato-seeds-red-robin
- Birdie Rouge, red fruit, https://renaissancefarms.org/product/birdie-rouge-micro-dwarf-tomato/
- Hardin’s Miniature, elongated red fruit, https://renaissancefarms.org/product/hardins-miniature-micro-dwarf-tomato/
- Rosy Fitch, rosy red fruit, https://hosstools.com/products/rosy-finch-tomato
- Florida Petite, red cherry, variable sized fruit, https://renaissancefarms.org/product/florida-petite-micro-dwarf-tomato/
Yellow Fruit
- Hahm’s Gelbe, lemon yellow fruit, https://renaissancefarms.org/product/hahms-gelbe-micro-dwarf-tomato/
- Monetka Micro, pale yellow fruit, https://renaissancefarms.org/product/monetka-micro-dwarf-tomato/
- Aztec Micro, yellow fruit, https://renaissancefarms.org/product/aztek-micro-dwarf-tomato/
Orange Fruit Orange Hat, orange fruit, https://www.rareseeds.com/tomato-orange-hat
Gary Grows at Heritage Cottage 