Short Stuff Tomatoes
The series of dwarf tomatoes have been created by many amateur breeders working in conjunction with each other, primarily in Australia and the USA. This has been a really interesting development in the world of tomatoes for home gardeners. The term 'dwarf" means that the plants that resulted from this project are both shorter and tighter than ordinary varieties. Instead of 6+ foot rambling monsters, you have a much more compact plant averaging about 3ft. This is terrific for those of you who grow in containers. Yes, you will still need support since the crop of fruit is heavy but it will be much less the chore you had been used to. In the garden, the same holds true. The hassles of tying up your plants will be far fewer. One thing about the dwarf series is that fruit size is independent of the plant size. It can range from huge to cherry-sized along with a full spectrum of colors. There are even variegated foliage varieties! I love those.
This project created a vast number of cultivars. I have chosen a number of them with a lot of variety for you folks to get started.
I think this is going to be a terrific bunch of additions to add to our ever expanding palate of choice. Both you and I will be growing these for the first time this season. As I evaluate them this summer I will add photos and personal descriptions. There is quite a bit of information online regarding these varieties along with photos.
This project created a vast number of cultivars. I have chosen a number of them with a lot of variety for you folks to get started.
I think this is going to be a terrific bunch of additions to add to our ever expanding palate of choice. Both you and I will be growing these for the first time this season. As I evaluate them this summer I will add photos and personal descriptions. There is quite a bit of information online regarding these varieties along with photos.
Barossa Moon
Ivory
Expect lots of palest yellow small fruit with a sweet. mild flavor. Saladette size, around 2 oz.
Ivory
Expect lots of palest yellow small fruit with a sweet. mild flavor. Saladette size, around 2 oz.
Beauty King
Red with gold striping
This is a beautiful tomato! Medium in size and a truly great flavor- not to sweet, not to tangy- just right!
Red with gold striping
This is a beautiful tomato! Medium in size and a truly great flavor- not to sweet, not to tangy- just right!
Black Angus
Deep purple
This is a richly flavored, medium sized tomato running between 6 and 12 oz.
Deep purple
This is a richly flavored, medium sized tomato running between 6 and 12 oz.
Blue's Bling
Dark pink with darker shoulder
Large, often over a pound, slightly heart-shaped fruit that are sweet with a bit of tang. Guess what? This one has variegated foliage! Wow!
Dark pink with darker shoulder
Large, often over a pound, slightly heart-shaped fruit that are sweet with a bit of tang. Guess what? This one has variegated foliage! Wow!
Buddy's Heart
Scarlet red
Medium sized heart-shaped fruit that are very meaty and have a rich, well balanced flavor. A great one for sauce makers!
Scarlet red
Medium sized heart-shaped fruit that are very meaty and have a rich, well balanced flavor. A great one for sauce makers!
Bundaburg Rumball
Brown
Heavy production of 2-3 oz. fruit with a fine flavor!
Brown
Heavy production of 2-3 oz. fruit with a fine flavor!
CC McGee
Ivory colored
High yields of medium size fruit with both sweet and tart elements that creates a great balance of flavor. Has the potato leaf trait to add to the interest. This one produced outrageously well for us.
Ivory colored
High yields of medium size fruit with both sweet and tart elements that creates a great balance of flavor. Has the potato leaf trait to add to the interest. This one produced outrageously well for us.
Champion #15
Pink
A great pink slicer that average about 6 oz. This is one of a number of Champion strains...number 15 to be exact!
Pink
A great pink slicer that average about 6 oz. This is one of a number of Champion strains...number 15 to be exact!
Clare Valley Pink
Pink
Smaller sized fruit with a nice, pleasant flavor. Good production. I have enjoyed growing this well behaved plant.
Pink
Smaller sized fruit with a nice, pleasant flavor. Good production. I have enjoyed growing this well behaved plant.
Egypt Yellow
Bright yellow
Large sized, oblate yellow fruited variety that should delight you with its mild flavor. Not to sharp, not too sweet. Just right for those of you who don't care for over the top flavors in your tomatoes.
Bright yellow
Large sized, oblate yellow fruited variety that should delight you with its mild flavor. Not to sharp, not too sweet. Just right for those of you who don't care for over the top flavors in your tomatoes.
Elise's Fancy
Bright yellow
A variegated foliage one! Love it! Oblate shaped fruit run from medium to large. Excellent flavor along with beauty. What's not to like?
Bright yellow
A variegated foliage one! Love it! Oblate shaped fruit run from medium to large. Excellent flavor along with beauty. What's not to like?
Firebird
Crimson red/gold stripes
This is a stunning beauty. Sold out last year. Medium to large sized fruit will amaze you with its sweet and rich flavor.
Crimson red/gold stripes
This is a stunning beauty. Sold out last year. Medium to large sized fruit will amaze you with its sweet and rich flavor.
Fuzzy Wuzzy
Red w/orange striping
Small torpedo shaped fruit on Angora plant. About 24 inche
Red w/orange striping
Small torpedo shaped fruit on Angora plant. About 24 inche
Grandpa Gary's Green
Yellowish green
Globe to oblate shaped fruit running 4-6 oz in size. Mild lightly sweet/tart well balanced flavor.
Yellowish green
Globe to oblate shaped fruit running 4-6 oz in size. Mild lightly sweet/tart well balanced flavor.
Grinch
Green
Terrific flavored green with the typical size running around 8oz.-sometimes much larger.
Green
Terrific flavored green with the typical size running around 8oz.-sometimes much larger.
Hazy's Dream
Purplish pink
High yields of round 4 oz. round fruit with a very pleasant balanced flavor.
Purplish pink
High yields of round 4 oz. round fruit with a very pleasant balanced flavor.
Kangaroo Paw
Deep red with brown shoulders
Very productive with medium sized fine flavored fruit.
Deep red with brown shoulders
Very productive with medium sized fine flavored fruit.
Kookaburra Cackle
Brown
Highly productive with a great flavor learning toward the tangy side. Average size is about 6-7 oz.
Brown
Highly productive with a great flavor learning toward the tangy side. Average size is about 6-7 oz.
Loxton Lad
Orange
Fruit varies from medium to quite large (1lb). Very good, balanced mild flavor.
Orange
Fruit varies from medium to quite large (1lb). Very good, balanced mild flavor.
Mahogany
Deep red with chocolate shoulders
Variable in size from medium to quite large-up to 20 oz.- flesh is firm, mild and slightly tart.
Deep red with chocolate shoulders
Variable in size from medium to quite large-up to 20 oz.- flesh is firm, mild and slightly tart.
Marong Moon
Pale yellow
A cherry, this light yellow should delight you with its even flavor.
Pale yellow
A cherry, this light yellow should delight you with its even flavor.
Moby's Cherry
Yellowish orange
This is a great flavored larger cherry- it has a balanced flavor, not hyper sweet like many. Nice to have a cherry type that does not turn into a monster!
Yellowish orange
This is a great flavored larger cherry- it has a balanced flavor, not hyper sweet like many. Nice to have a cherry type that does not turn into a monster!
Noah's Stripes
Purple with green stripping
Medium to large fruit with oblate shaped fruit. Unusually good flavor.
Purple with green stripping
Medium to large fruit with oblate shaped fruit. Unusually good flavor.
Peppermint Stripes
Green with light and dark green and pink stripes
A large delicious slicer with unusual green flesh showing pink marbling.
Green with light and dark green and pink stripes
A large delicious slicer with unusual green flesh showing pink marbling.
Pink Livija
Pink
4-14 ounce oblate fruit with excellent flavor and a good slicer.
Pink
4-14 ounce oblate fruit with excellent flavor and a good slicer.
Purple Heartthrob
Purple with metallic green stripes
Strongly heart shaped fruit excellent production of 4-10 oz. fruit. Flavor is outstanding. Interior is a rich burgundy/crimson.
Purple with metallic green stripes
Strongly heart shaped fruit excellent production of 4-10 oz. fruit. Flavor is outstanding. Interior is a rich burgundy/crimson.
Sean's Yellow
Yellow
A medium to large yellow that has a great, balanced flavor.
Yellow
A medium to large yellow that has a great, balanced flavor.
Scarlet Heart
Red
Small (3-6 oz) strongly heart shaped full-flavored fruit.
Red
Small (3-6 oz) strongly heart shaped full-flavored fruit.
Sleeping Lady
deep, dark red
A small to medium sized fruit, very productive and ripens to a mahogany shade. Hailing from Alaska from original breeding work done in Australia. I think that of all the tomatos I grew last year, Sleeping Lady had the absolute best flavor. A smallish tomato with big taste.
deep, dark red
A small to medium sized fruit, very productive and ripens to a mahogany shade. Hailing from Alaska from original breeding work done in Australia. I think that of all the tomatos I grew last year, Sleeping Lady had the absolute best flavor. A smallish tomato with big taste.
Snakebite
Pink
4-16 oz oblate fruit with a bright tangy flavor.
Pink
4-16 oz oblate fruit with a bright tangy flavor.
Sweet Stuff Electra
Palest yellow, variegated foliage
Stunningly beautiful variegated foliage with small (to 3 oz) fruit with a fine flavor. From N.C.
Palest yellow, variegated foliage
Stunningly beautiful variegated foliage with small (to 3 oz) fruit with a fine flavor. From N.C.
Sweet Sue
Yellow
This is a large very sweet yellow that is a super producer and quite disease resistant. A winner!
Yellow
This is a large very sweet yellow that is a super producer and quite disease resistant. A winner!
Tasmanian Chocolate
Brownish red
This one took me by surprise. Why? I did not realize when I bought the seed that it was part of the dwarf tomato project. I am ashamed to say that I thought it was a cherry type! Sometimes it pays to read seed descriptions a bit better. Duh!
Well, as I patiently waited for little chocolate colored fruit I noticed what a dense, thrifty looking group of plants they were. Deep green, short with thick foliage. I did not even need to waste the tall posts I had them staked with. Then, those little cherry fruits started to grow...and grow and grow some more. What?!? I got ripped off by the seed vendor! I went back and check the listing and actually READ the whole description. What a dim-bulb I can be. What I had was an outstanding variety that as I recall, was developed in Australia (oh yeah, Tasmania...duh AGAIN!).
What a terrific screw up! I loved it! These deep brown/red slightly flattened fruit were just great AND this is a great choice for container growing. I recommend Tasmanian Chocolate for anybody who has space restraints and want to try something a bit different.
Brownish red
This one took me by surprise. Why? I did not realize when I bought the seed that it was part of the dwarf tomato project. I am ashamed to say that I thought it was a cherry type! Sometimes it pays to read seed descriptions a bit better. Duh!
Well, as I patiently waited for little chocolate colored fruit I noticed what a dense, thrifty looking group of plants they were. Deep green, short with thick foliage. I did not even need to waste the tall posts I had them staked with. Then, those little cherry fruits started to grow...and grow and grow some more. What?!? I got ripped off by the seed vendor! I went back and check the listing and actually READ the whole description. What a dim-bulb I can be. What I had was an outstanding variety that as I recall, was developed in Australia (oh yeah, Tasmania...duh AGAIN!).
What a terrific screw up! I loved it! These deep brown/red slightly flattened fruit were just great AND this is a great choice for container growing. I recommend Tasmanian Chocolate for anybody who has space restraints and want to try something a bit different.
Tiger Eye
Brown paste type
Lots of 4-6 ounce paste tomatos with a well balanced flavor profile.
Brown paste type
Lots of 4-6 ounce paste tomatos with a well balanced flavor profile.
Velvet Night
Purple cherry type
Cherry variety with variable sizing- 1 to 3 oz fruit. Excellent flavor. Lenny was very enamored of this one.
Purple cherry type
Cherry variety with variable sizing- 1 to 3 oz fruit. Excellent flavor. Lenny was very enamored of this one.
Walter's Fancy
Pale yellow
Variegated potato leaf foliage! Medium to large size fruit that are somewhat oblate shaped. Outstanding intense flavor with a balance of sweet and tart. I have noticed the variegation of the dwarf series remains quite consistent thru the season-quite beautiful.
Pale yellow
Variegated potato leaf foliage! Medium to large size fruit that are somewhat oblate shaped. Outstanding intense flavor with a balance of sweet and tart. I have noticed the variegation of the dwarf series remains quite consistent thru the season-quite beautiful.
Wild Fred
Purple
Slightly irregular in shape, these medium sized fruit boast a remarkably good flavor.
Purple
Slightly irregular in shape, these medium sized fruit boast a remarkably good flavor.
