The cutest tomato plant I have ever seen

[SewingDiva]

When I bought some heat mats off Ebay (good merchant BTW) the seller gave me a pack of Tiny Tim tomaotes, which evidently are small enough for pot culture. So here is what they look like as of today - on the left is a Brandywine, and on the right is Tiny Tim:

Both of these were started April 12: the Brandywine is maybe 6 inches tall, and the Tiny Tim is just 2 inches tall! Yes - it's that small, yet its perfectly formed. Oddly the roots on these things are more vigorous and much longer than the roots of the full size plants.

Here is a shot of them with their prospective pots. The pots are left over from city apartment days so I'm glad I can finally get rid of them:

The plan is to give these away as end-of-the-school-year gifts because they can just live happily on a sunny deck all summer, and since they live in pots you can move them around to follow the sunlight.

The fruits are supposedly about .75 of an inch in diameter and I've read conflicting views as to taste. Since we're gving most of these away to people who don't garden I figure the novelty alone makes it worthwhile.

Also, I haven't been able to find a good photo on the web of the mature plants; they are supposed to grow only about 18 inches and I can't tell if they will need a tiny trellis in each pot.

Has anyone ever tried this variety? They're the cutest things...

~Phyllis

 

[Chickchic]

I had two cherry tomato plants last year that someone gave me, some kind of homemade hybrid, that the plant never got over a foot and a half tall. They were the cutest things too, but I had a heck of a time with those little bugs under them eating the tomatoes, I think they are called silverfish? They are these oval grey looking things...

 

[Dixiedoodle]

I love new var. of tomatoes... Please come back and give us a report on taste, texture and the production of your new "Tiny Tim"! He is a cutie...Dixie

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

We've used Tom Thumb which is a similar variety.

Tiny Tim, is very susceptible to disease and pests though, so be careful. I would highly recommend planting it in a pot that you can bring in during extreme conditions since they do not do well in the open garden. They only take up about 1 square foot of space so can be planted in almost any good sized pot.

When planted in a container they can be a heavy and early producer (about 45 days) and they do taste great!

Good luck.

 

[SewingDiva]

Many thanks Carlos, that's good to know. Now that I think about it I do recall reading that it was more vulnerable than most tomatoes.

I kept one for ourselves, and instead of it living out in the garden with the veggies I think I'll keep it near the house in a paved courtyard with the rest of our ornamental container plants so I can keep an eye on it.

We'll how it does!

~Phyllis

 

[Tutter]

It's cute, I'll give you that!

I'm a little, uhm, tomato obsessed....so have quite a few varieties each year (That was the delicate way to put it!) . I do have Brandywines, but very few small tomatoes, so no, have not grown Tiny Tim.

I am, however, thrilled with the green grape tomatoes! I grew them as a novelty, and a way to fool the critters as to their ripeness, but absolutely loved their flavor, production, and hardiness. Now I can't imagine not growing them.

Perhaps Tiny Tim will be such a cute plant, and conversation piece, that you'll want one by the house in a pot each year!

I'd love to watch the little guy grow, if you have the time to share how he's doing now and then!