Grow log by airscapes · Original thread
What you can learnA technical micro-dwarf tomato trial covering nutrient formulation, environmental control, compact fruit load, ripening, and taste under artificial light.
*The days were calculated automatically and approximately.
But they are beautiful. Keep us posted on any taste difference after you move them outdoors.
I am hoping that as they continue to ripen they taste better.. I also have not personally tasted any, will try some tomorrow at lunch!
I had one today, could have been a little bit riper, did not taste "Bad", just very mild compared to Campari..
It looks so colorful in there!
What beautiful hidden gems!
Lynnee, I just looked up my FB posts from last year (made for just this purpose) My outdoor Burpee Early 4th of July tomatoes took 87 days from seed to mouth. Birdie Rouge, assuming the first one is ready to eat in 7 days, will be exactly 87 days, seed to mouth!!
They are still looking great, airscapes.
Are the grow tent tomatoes developing faster or slower than your outdoor plants, airscapes?
It is hard to tell, I have never grown these. The plants I use for outside are some of the shortest days to maturity on the market. I think the Burpee early 4th of july are 48 days. I normally start them middle of April now, plant first or second week of May and eat first fruit last week of june/first week of july all depends on weather. In years gone by I would start sooner and have marble sized tomatoes when put out side. This did not really speed things up as the roots were pot bound and I was trying to mananage a dozen 7" pot inside. Once moved out the would just sit there in the cold soil. So now I put them out when they are just growing out of the 4" pots and let the root system grow in the ground. These dwarfs are a bit slower I think but not to much. Ellie (Bunny Hop Seeds) says they are all very early but did not give me days to maturity.
My AG Heirloom red and yellow tomatoes grow with tight canopies like your Birdie Rouge. They appreciate having those interior shoots cleared out, too!
Beautiful, healthy root system!
Not bad. The roots are not out of control
The plant is tiny.. I mean, I have had bigger heads of lettuce! Description said it gets no more than 12" tall, it is about 9" now, and has a LOT of fruit on it for the size of the plant.BTW for the real AG units, this DIY unit holds 2 Gallons of water so I am thinking the Birdie Rouge would work well in most any of the larger AG units for sure. One other thought on the roots.. I am doing R&R every week and watering with 1/2 strength so the plant does not need to search for food. Could be why the roots are not going nuts or it is just due to the Dwarf characteristics.
airscapes, yes, the micro dwarf tomatoes usually curl under.
WHOHOO! Thanks Sher! I was really worried they were getting too much of something!
Same here - when I grew the Orange Hat and Micro Tom, they also curled under.
That thick, downward-curling canopy is what drives me crazy about the AG heirloom red tomatoes, and the AG golden harvests to a lesser extent.The canopy hides the ripening tomatoes, and if you aren't diligent about checking for ripeness, the tomatoes may actually split before you notice them.
Try picking a couple as soon as or just after they enter the breaker state or any time before fully ripe. If not familiar with the term, it is when the fruit just starts to color. At this point the studies show that not much other than water will pass through the membrane to the tomato. If picked at this point the fruit will ripen off the vine as it would on and should taste the same if left to hang. I think that taste part has a lot to do with the variety, but it is worth an experiment as it can save you a lot of spit fruit, especially when grown outside. I pick my outdoor Ealry 4th of july Burpee's as soon as the start to show orange with no taste difference but never do they split unless I miss one like you say.. hiding under a leaf!
airscapes, I will try that. My tomatoes do ripen on the countertop when I terminate a plant.