Thanks for the update for fireduck. Thinking of dwarfs for next year.

V...I think you would enjoy growing them as a novelty...more than your "main crop". They are really quite compact....yet indeterminate. I want to continue to learn more about what variety is best for my garden. Most of us get to the point where we keep adding and adding. I am trying to keep things manageable...but it is hard with my "gardening sickness". haha

I have planted five dwarfs from the dwarf project for the last few years, each year trying new ones. The must have dwarf varieties for us are Summertime Green (a green when ripe) and Sweet Summertime Gold and are grown every year. We so far haven't been able to find a regular OP with the same luscious flavor of these two. Although I am trying again this year with Green Giant (a parent used in a lot of the dwarf breedings) and Lillian's Yellow Heirloom. This year I have Rosella Crimson, Dwarf Purple Heart, and Sweet Scarlett Dwarf also. I grew Sweet Scarlett Dwarf last year, but want to give it one more chance. For now I can only report on Summertime Green and Sweet Summertime Gold as I am very familiar with those. We love them! I would say SSG is a "sorta" dwarf. This year the big box store tomato cages aren't working for this variety and I have had to put in stakes to support the cage. For a dwarf it is really big. The basic premise of the dwarf project I think was to develop compact plants that can be grown in small containers, with regular size tomatoes with great flavor. So even apartment dwellers and those with no room for a big garden can have good tasting tomatoes. I've picked 3 Sweet Summertime Golds, all when blushing and still not ripe. I can't wait. They are mostly around 8-10 ounces, but here is the first one picked, a whopping 14.5 ounces! I am sure it was from a fused bloom. My mouth is watering thinking about it!

Jennie

Jennie, that Summertime Gold looks awesome.
I am also growing Rosella Crimson and Dwarf Purple Heart
but they are not showing fruits yet, last time I checked.
I will review them when they have ripe fruits. But HGT is amazing.

Sey

thanks for the reports! These compacts are fun....and if we can narrow them down to the best varieties...that would be awesome. goodluck on those Jen and sey.

I'm growing a Sweet Adelaide in a 15 gallon fabric pot. She has a few fruit, but I do not think she liked the terribly rainy June we have been having in Northern Virginia. Two immature fruit have been plagued with blossom end rot, and the leaves are very curled.

New Big Dwarf may be a good option ! It is a hardy plant and appears to be prolific - here's an example - photo taken today

The jury is still out on my 2016 dwarfs. Any new reports on your best/worst dwarfs...now that we are nearing the 2015 end of season???

I think I have 3 clear winners:

=== Hahms Gelbe : Very small bush. Very early and productive.

=== Rosella Crimson: Not early but productive. I have heard Lindalana saying Rosella Pink/purple is even better..

=== Pink Passion , worth to grow again.

I would like to grow New Big Dwarf, based on Hudson's results.

Sey

Thanks sey...I always like when many people tout a particular varietal (like Rosella Purple). I don't know about New Big Dwarf...

Fireduck, other than Hudson here, quite a few people in another board have good reviews on NBD. One more touted often is Summertime Gold. IMO, both of them are worth to try out.

Sey

These are the dwarfs that I grew this year:

Sweet Scarlet (red)

Rosella Purple (purple)

Rosella Crimson (pink)

Wherokowhai (red/yellow)

Mr Snow (white)

Arctic Rose (pink)

I grew them all in my vegetable garden, in tomato cages only two feet
apart.

They all did very well except for Arctic Rose, on the end of the row, who
complained early on with stressed, curled leaves, only grew 2’ tall, and then
died an early death. I don’t have a clue what happened. Fortunately, I have
grown this variety in a container before and know that this is not the norm. My previous one was loaded with fruit and gorgeous. At
least I got a few early, tasty tomatoes to enjoy.

Rosella Purple was my favourite

Wherokowhai was the most productive and a very close second.

Mr. Snow tasted great and was productive, but suffered BER

I was expecting more from Sweet Scarlet which had a lot of intense flavour,
but was a bit too tart for my liking. It was great for cooking.

Rosella Crimson was good tasting too!

I can recommend all of the above dwarfs.

I too want to try New Big Dwarf next year!

Linda