Baby Micros Started

[JosephineRose]

Still searching for the best tasting micro to overwinter indoors. I just read another thread saying Golden Hour - my next chosen trial - was not great tasting (contrary to raves on a certain TV program).

Anyone have any suggestions on varieties for me to try?

[AKgardener]

Vilma . Tiny totum Lara 5 jocolos Aztec .. Red Robin will have to grow those again

[AKgardener]

So far gandolf is the only dwarf I was able to grow inside I got 3 clusters of flower 5 each I have 4 tomatoes on the bottom 2 so far in the middle the top have opened yet. I topped it so it can focus on the fruit because it’s a trial ans not looking for production yet .

[KaguyaCloud]

Glad to see that another person’s micros are budding and flowering at such a fast rate.

[AKgardener]

I had to get rid of all the ones I just started there little bugs crawling in the mix ..I can live with a few gnats but I don’t know what the other is..

[GoDawgs]

I might have finally figured out a succession planting interval for my micros so that when the currently producing one is on it's second (and usually last) round of fruit, the next one behind it is setting its first greenies. 14-20 days between starts seems to work. Now that's using all the same variety. Otherwise, finish times will be all jumbled up again.

[AKgardener]

Bunny hop a yellow tomato worth growing worth trying .. these are a keeper

[GoDawgs]

I decided to grow the summer micros outside on the front porch. Heavy sigh.... I forgot that the porch is almost all shady in the summer. It's WINTER that it's sunny. So..... since the plants were already started I decided to find room for them on the pallets in between the dwarfs and big 'maters. Here they are, just transplanted on June 21:

24.06.21 Seven new micro tomatoes.JPG

They sure grow fast! Here they are today, six days later:

Tartufo (L) and Mohammed (R)

24.06.27 Tartufo (l), Mohammed (r).JPG

Mini Marzano (L) and Pendulina Orange (R)

24.06.27 Mini marzano (l), Pendulina Orange (r).JPG

Orange Dream (L), Golden Hour (C), and Krasny Milo (R)

24.06.27 Orange Dream (l),Golden Hour (c), Krasny Milo (r).JPG

I also decided to grow them in 2 gallon pots. It's probably larger than they need but I found that if the pot is too small then the roots get so tight in there that there's no room for water. And water being sneaky, it will find some small route down to a drain hole and out, leaving the plants a bit thirsty. Time will tell.

[AKgardener]

Oh Lordy haha those look amazing I thought I was the only one that went nuts on micro this summer outside I won’t count inside haha
I have
Tiny totum
Groovy tunes
Red Robin
Chocolate
Bonsi
Yellow cream
Emerald city
Yellow brick road
Ruby slippers
Chubby bunny
Christmas tree
Fat frog
Nina nutron
Orange hat
Orange Russian
Vilma. Bunny hop
Tom

[GoDawgs]

Great day! You sure took the micro ball and ran with it! I needed a break from messing with them indoors so outside they went. Besides, they're small enough that they fit right in the spacing between the biggies. There's ALWAYS room for micros.

[AKgardener]

I sure did my husband said stick to what I’m good at so I did .. I’m not starting anymore inside I’ve got empty racks but I also don’t want to burn myself out I have 15 inside I just planted to carry on when these go tits up..then planted the patio choice red tomato and alaska to finish off the season in the fall going into they will all stay indoors..micro are a blessing haha

[AKgardener]

Anyone who grows micros or mini dwarfs I just wanted to share what I thought of the new ones I picked the other day.. first emerald city green when ripe the first one was so off putting I didn’t want to try it again .. I picked a new one yesterday it’s was so sweet very surprised..pinoccho orange it was kinda fruity hard. To describe.. bunny hop a little tart but needed to go longer the first time but second it was tart and sweet and just a good tomato all around..I will grow those again..every things else is basically at a stand still I should of just kept them indoors.

[KaguyaCloud]

Anyone who grows micros or mini dwarfs I just wanted to share what I thought of the new ones I picked the other day.. first emerald city green when ripe the first one was so off putting I didn’t want to try it again .. I picked a new one yesterday it’s was so sweet very surprised..pinoccho orange it was kinda fruity hard. To describe.. bunny hop a little tart but needed to go longer the first time but second it was tart and sweet and just a good tomato all around..I will grow those again..every things else is basically at a stand still I should of just kept them indoors.

From my experience growing micros, they can take 2-3 weeks to fully ripen after they turned to their final color. Don't be fooled by those ruby red skins. Usually the best indicators from my experience are slightly squishy flesh and that they detach easily from the sepals when harvested. If you see some that have slight wrinkles to them on the tops or sides, those are the best in my opinion.

[AKgardener]

I love growing them they keep me busy in the winter I have so many to try at this point and there are always more to find..I will take your advice some I definitely need to wait on

[AKgardener]

My micro

[rxkeith]

if anyone starts micros for later in the year, this would be for inside what time has worked best?
in the past i have started them late winter after the new year, but never in the fall/late summer.
these would be on a window sill getting natural light.


keith

[AKgardener]

I’ve decided to start mine mid July for early winter..the ones above were all started at the end of February and now getting all my flowers and tomatoes by the time these are done I’ll have winter ones .. new strategy this time I usually don’t grow them in summer only a few then I wait until September.. just trying to time it right so when those are done I can start again in late February or March..

[GoDawgs]

Most all of the micros I've grown have been done totally indoors during the winter. There have occasionally been some late winter pots that finished out on the porch as the weather warmed. But this year I started seven new-to-me micros on May 19 so they could grow outside start to finish. They're sitting among their big brothers and sisters. That reminds me I need to take height and spread measurements of these.

I'm still playing with timing. At some point (early August?) I will start two that will spend early fall outside and then come indoors when it starts getting cold. Then two more (late September?) and two more early December for indoor growing.

[rdback]

So @GoDawgs, I'm thinking about diving into the micro pool this Fall/Winter. I'm hoping I can take advantage of your and @AKgardener's previous micro experiences, and help me choose what varieties to start with. Ideally, no one wants to grow a spitter, . Here are the seeds I currently have:

Baby
Birdie Rouge
Bonsai
Flora Gold
Hardin's Miniature
Monetka
Tiny Tim
Venus
Vilma
Yellow Canary

Are any of these worth growing? Should I avoid any of these? Do you have any other recommendations? What are some of your favorites so far? I know you two have grown quite a few micros, and I would appreciate your tutelage. Anyone else is welcome to share your thoughts as well. Thanks in advance!

[AKgardener]

@rdback I have a bunch started as well I’m growing 2 on your list right now, Vilma and tiny tim.. this is just my opinion and I Whst u like and prefer.. baby is it cute doesn’t give you much and flavor not much .. but I grow just because my husband loves how small it is.. Vilma to me the the best I’ve tried so far it’s sweet and to me a full flavor tomato on a small plant.. Tom tasted the same as baby but for me a little better Will always grow because it’s cute.bunny hop for me was a great yellow tomato worth trying ..along side of jocolos. Was another yellow I liked .. I didn’t care for bullfinch but I think I could of done better not ruling it out.. I have all the varieties you listed have grown them outside but they never ripened in time for me to try so I will be starting them over .. I liked Rosie finch husband didn’t I liked Laura 5 I started both of those to see if it is different indoor vs out since I grew them outside.. tiny totums worth growing and I have those started as well.Nina nutron suprised me with great tomato flavor it was sweet and taiste good.. I have so many varieties I can’t count anymore but I will start what u have on your list so we can compare I’ve grown a lot inside but most on your list I tried outside and never got any to my own fault hope this helps.. and far as fertilizer I use the down to earth starter mix with worm castings that’s it… a teaspoon in a 1 gallon pot..
So far my list this winter
Vilma
Tom
Tiny Tim
Rosy finch
Laura 5
Chistmas tree
Tiny totum
Regina red
Henry Harrington
Nina nutron
Florida petite
Mini bel
Andrina
Mohamad
Lil Lisa
Spunky bird
Farther frost
Groovy tunes
Tiny tiger