This page has a list of tomatoes that we have carried in the past, we do not necessarily have all of these varieties for sale every year. For more information, and a list of tomatoes we have this year see the 2022 update page.
In 2005, Craig LeHoullier of North Carolina commented in a Garden Web Forum that there was not much of a selection of dwarf tomatoes that had heirloom quality flavor. He thought it would be a good idea to breed some of the better ones with some good tasting heirlooms.
Patrina Patrina Nuske-Small of Australia decided to try a few crosses and see if they would pollinate. They did and the Dwarf Tomato Project was started. With a goal of creating great tasting dwarf tomatoes and an all volunteer crew on two continents, history is being made. No giant plant companies, no plant botanists, just ordinary gardeners who love tomatoes and the thrill of finding new varieties. Over the last 10 years almost 40 new varieties have been released that will bring great taste to space challenged gardeners.
For more information on the project or any of the varieties check out the Dwarf Tomato Project homepage and read Craig’s story of the project here.
We are happy to carry some of these varieties and will be adding more each year.
Dwarf plants have very thick central stems and unique wrinkly darker bluish green leaves that may be either potato or regular leaf in shape. They also start out smaller so seedlings will look smaller than regular tomatoes plants.
Please note that dwarfs are quite heavy producers and will need support to help with the weight of the branches even though they are short.
Many of the determinate plants are quite suitable for growing in containers as do not grow very large. Some will still need a little bit of support, but the usual tomato cages you get from the store will be sufficient for them. Most tomatoes grown in containers will need a container of a minimum of 5 gallons. 7 would be better and you can even grow an indeterminate in a container of 10 gallons or larger. You will need to water container grown plants often so remember to check the soil for dampness level. Growing in containers is great for those of you who are garden space challenged. You can even move the container to follow the sun if you have too much shade in your growing area. Tomatoes require 6-8 hours of sun a day to produce fruit and even longer is better. Tomato plants plus soil equal weight, so it might be a good idea to have your containers on casters if you need to move them.
We are also proud to carry Root Pouches – a biodegradable fabric container in sizes perfect for growing tomatoes. They are constructed of recycled water bottle fibers and natural fibers and should last around 6 years. Root Pouches make for happier plants as the roots can breathe and not circle around the pot as they are air pruned. This makes for really good root production and healthy plants. Pots are washable and reusable for many seasons.