Tiny Tim Trees

18 years ago

At the beginning of June, I got sucked into this gardening addiction.

Earlier in the year, I had bought some "kits" for a dollar, with a tiny pot, a peat pellet, and a few seeds.

The pot was just to start the seed, then put it in a bigger container.

So I planted what it said were Tiny Tim tomato seeds.

I think I had two seedlings in a 3" pot, and trasplanted them spread out with just the tips sticking up. About 6" apart.

Now these plants are three feet tall. And the bases are 6" apart. And every time I turn around they are taller. Could they be getting taller as a result of being so close together?

Germinated outside in beg june - just a couple days. Transplanted end of june. They were only a few inches tall above the soil then.

I did put them in a self-watering container, and the potting mix had fertilizer included.

They are getting some small yellow flowers. The roma I bought at the nursery was doing that about 6 weeks ago.

Could they be another kind of tomato, and the packaging was wrong?

Sure doesn't look like a 12" or 18" plant to me.

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Comments (4)

gardenscout
18 years ago
All I can tell you is that it is not Tiny Tim. Mine are no more than a foot tall, with miniature leaves and tiny fruit.

Think of it as an adventure, I guess. They will probably make fruit, so keep them watered and fed and see what you get!
trudi_d
18 years ago
Sounds like a seed mixup; Tiny Tim does make very demure plants that are great for containers.

Your best hope is that they will be DETs and top out around four feet. However, you don't know what you've got--so have some big stakes in place as soon as possible because you might have INDs which will grow until frost kills them. The strong stake will easily support a DET, and it will be needed for the IND--unless you let the plants sprawl which is how they've grown for eons in the wild.

You'll probably have red fruits, if they have a zillion flowers in a cluster they're likely a cherry, but if they have a few flowers in a cluster you have something bigger in size than a cherry. When the Greenies start developing you'll have an idea of shape.

T
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containerted
18 years ago
At 3 feet, I agree that "Tiny Tim" is NOT probable. Trudi has it correct in that it's a wait and see situation.

I would ask how large the container is you are currently using. You may need to transplant again in order to more easily manage the water and nutrient needs of a larger plant.
aliceinvirginia
Original Author
18 years ago
They are very tree-like - strong vertical single stem, branches coming out horizontally at the side. The only reason I've wanted to stake these is because it gets pretty windy on my balcony, and that shakes off the blossoms of many of my plants.

My roma has multiple stems and needs much more support.

The plants are in a self-watering container. The ones from Gardener's Supply company. I think they can drink as much as they want. That might be part of why they've grown so big. However, they are occupying a tiny space in the corner. Probably not enough space to compare to a single pepper plant, much less two tomatoes. 8"x8" ?

There would be no way to get them out and separate the root balls.

I wouldn't have an appropriate second container either.

I've just gotten some 4/5 gallon buckets, but haven't gotten around to making self-watering planters yet.

If I just keep them well-watered and well-fertilized, will the lack of physical soil be a problem?

The 40 quart (10 gallon) container, 4 gallon reservoir has 3 peppers and the two tomato plants. So they have the equivalent of 2 gallons of planting mix apiece?