Regular Roma is a determinate, so I am guessing that Windowbox Roma would be too. The rule of thumb is to NOT prune determinates because you would be throwing away tomatoes, but it's up to you. What's wrong with looking out through a sea of tomato leave? (LOL).

Next time, you could try growing Micro tomatoes which are shorter!

Linda

thanks, Linda.

Nope nothing at all wrong with looking through a screen of healthy tomato plants....but they surely would make it dark inside!

I 'm not talking about pruning determinates, just pinching the growing top to make them bush out more. (I know that pot farmers nip, nip, nip to get low spreading plants, with more budding tips, but I'm not sure how that translates to tomato growing.)

I've got some mini's started too! Red Robin, Minibels, Mohameds, and Halms Gelbe...Some, but not all of these will go definitely go outside in strawberry jars in February but only in sheltered, microclimate spots.while our late winter/early spring weather (sunset zone 18) does its hot/cold/hot/cold dance.

I could definitely put some Red Robins in the windowbox, and they'd be beautiful. (They are the cutest plants, ever)

I think that the HG and Mohamed might be too small and sparse, and though I've kept Minibels in small pots in the past, I've seen that those grown in the UK garden allotments sometimes get rather tall. I suspect that mine might do the same thing in a subirrigated windowbox, with consistent water and food, so I won't be trying those there.

Are you a mini-dwarf fan, as well?

Jan

Hi Jan,

I'm a mini dwarf and a dwarf fan! I'm growing some new-to-me varieties this year, including Whippersnapper, Anmore Dewdrop, Anmore Treasures, Tumbling Tom, Jagodka and Cyril's Choice but they are all a bit on the large side.

I'm growing some of these in gallon-sized containers to see if they are as good as Red Robin.

Next year, I hope to try some of the mini's that you mention!

Do let us know how the pinching works for you. It would be most interesting if you could increase production!

Linda

Oh, I would rate at least three of those as better than Red Robin...just not as adorable! But your taste may be different.

506 Dwarf Bush, and Pipo are my tasty earlies. They fruit in two gallon pots, and grow larger than minis, but still smaller than most dwarf tomatoes. I'm also growing Lyana, which is new to me, but can fruit in a one gallon pot, or so I've read.

Truthfully. I think many small determinates can be coaxed into fruiting in pots that small, as long as they get regular food, water, light and optimum temperatures. I recall having an outstanding flush of fruit from an indoor grown Sophies Choice in a gallon pot a few years back.

From looking at your grow list, I have a feeling we are both Tatiania's tomato base customers! Cyril's Choice is new to me though. Did it come from Tatiania as well?

Will you have an outdoor garden next year, or do you grow in a greenhouse?

I would not nip any determinat, b/c they have a short bushy growth habit to begin with.
I grew one WBR 2 years ago. It grew about 3ft tall at the most. However it was planted in raised bed not in a window box.

Seysonn

Yes, many of my seeds came from Tatiania! CyrilâÂÂs Choice came from Ohio Heirloom Seeds.

I grew Pipo, Jagodka and Russian Cherry in 3 gallon pots this summer. All were excellent and tasty!

Thanks for the tip about Lyana and 506 Dwarf Bush Early. Lyana looks like a good one for the windowsill next winter!

Next year, I will repeat the 3 above in containers to get an early harvest. I plant them early, and bring the pots inside the house on chilly days. In the garden next year, I plan to try 6 dwarfs from the dwarf project, 6 cherries and 6 large fruited indeterminates.

How interesting about SophieâÂÂs Choice. I tried to grow it last year, but it was incorrect. At least I had a tasty red dwarf instead!

Linda

Linda, I hope you saved some Pipo seeds! If you did, treat them like gold! Tatiana announced last year that she was nearing the end of her supply, and I haven't found them anywhere else. I don't know why that variety never seemed to catch on....at one time I saw it being called the '42 day tomato' and thought surely that would do it, but the name didn't stick.

My seeds are old, and so far only one has sprouted, but I'm going to treat that plant like garden royalty, just so I can harvest a fresh batch of seeds.

I've only grown two of the cross hemisphere project's dwarf toms, (Iditarod Red and Perths Pride), but you've reminded me that I need to look at this year's offerings and see if I want to repeat those or grow something new. Have you made your selection yet?

jan

Linda, I hope you saved some Pipo seeds! If you did, treat them like gold! Tatiana announced last year that she was nearing the end of her supply, and I haven't found them anywhere else. I don't know why that variety never seemed to catch on....at one time I saw it being called the '42 day tomato' and thought surely that would do it, but the name didn't stick.

My seeds are old, and so far only one has sprouted, but I'm going to treat that plant like garden royalty, just so I can harvest a fresh batch of seeds.

I've only grown two of the cross hemisphere project's dwarf toms, (Iditarod Red and Perths Pride), but you've reminded me that I need to look at this year's offerings and see if I want to repeat those or grow something new. Have you made your selection yet?

jan

Hi Jan,

I saved seeds from Pipo. It's a winner! If you need some, please contact me privately and we can swap.

I also have seeds for 42 Days, so you are saying that these are the same as Pipo! I gave my seedlings away last summer and am growing it again this winter!

I have seeds for the following, so it looks as if I'll be growing:

Dwarf Mr Snow
Dwarf Rosella Purple
Dwarf Arctic Rose
Dwarf Tasmanian Chocolate
Dwarf Wild Fred
Dwarf Rosella Crimson
also
New Big Dwarf (not part of the dwarf project)

These are all rated really well for taste by Patrina, the Australian lady who is in charge of the dwarf project out there.

Linda