There is an awful lot happening in the driveway right now - tomatoes ripening, disease showing up, on the cusp of eggplant overload, and hot and sweet peppers revealing a few surprises as the fruit shapes and colors emerge. What fun! I will cover eggplant, peppers and non-dwarf tomatoes tomorrow - it's dwarf update time!
I guess that the most surprising observation is that in most cases, vertical growth has slowed considerably - no wonder, since most plants are loaded with green tomatoes and it is time to ensure that they ripen. Height-wise, the biggest gainers were Wherokowhai at 5 inches (clearly still in catch up mode), Rosella Crimson (also catching up), Fred's Tie Dye, Banksia Queen and Sean's Yellow Dwarf all gaining 4 inches, and Sarandipity and Dwarf Kelly Green advancing upward 3 inches. 21 of the varieties stayed essentially the same. This is very different from the indeterminate varieties that are in grow bags, all reaching the tops of the stakes and in need of topping.
The tallest-of-allest are Jade Beauty, Sean's Yellow Dwarf, Beryl Beauty, and Emerald Giant at 4 feet tall, and Summertime Gold, Banksia Queen and Summer Sweet Gold right behind them at 46 inches tall. The Sneezy family for the most part are the tallest. At the opposite end of the spectrum are the 16 inch Rosella Crimson (the last to be planted, as a re-rooted cutting), 22 inch Yukon Quest, 30 inch Dwarf Arctic Rose 32 inch Sarandipity and 33 inch Iditarod Red and Uluru Ochre.
Despite the intense heat and risk of wilt mid-afternoon, blossom end rot hasn't been a big issue on most varieties. Only Perth Pride (several fruit), Sean's Yellow Dwarf (one), Summertime Green (one), and Rosella Purple (one) are experiencing any at all.
Disease - dreaded disease - is showing up here and there, but again - considering the heat and humidity of this summer and it being early July, I am quite delighted. The sickest varieties - as in death bed status - are Dwarf Pink Passion (Fusarium wilt) and Dwarf Wild Fred (Bacterial wilt). I've had to do some significant surgery on Dwarf Purple Heart (possibly bacterial wilt) and one Sweet Adelaide (Fusarium, I think), though both are hanging in there. Summer Sweet Gold and Summer Sunrise had some lower Early Blight foliage removed - Summer Sunrise may be starting to battle Fusarium as well. These are all troubling, yet 6 out of 38 plants suffering issues means that 85% of the Dwarfs continue to thrive and be completely healthy.
The only plant that has yet to set fruit is the recently re-rooted and replanted Rosella Crimson, but it is loaded with open flowers. I am now picking fruit from 11 varieties. In general, flavors are just delicious, in some cases exceeding my initial impressions of them in previous years. Iditarod Red, Sarandipity, Bundaberg Rumball, Dwarf Arctic Rose, Perth Pride, Dwarf Wild Fred, Dwarf Purple Heart, Big Green Dwarf, Boronia, Dwarf Pink Passion and Dwarf Golden Heart are the ones that lead the pack in ripening. Fred's Tie Dye and Uluru Ochre are blushing and will likely be next. Bundaberg Rumball is the smallest at 2 ounces, and so far, Dwarf Purple Heart the largest at 13 ounces. I am already starting to save seeds.
Here is a selection of pictures.
top row - first two are different sections of the dwarfs - you can see the diseased Pink Passion at the left of picture 1. Third pic is Iditarod Red, first ripe one on the plant, just before picking.
Second row - Unripe cluster of Sarandipity, Bundaberg Rumball and Arctic Rose, and Dwarf Purple Heart, showing the 13 oz heart shaped purple fruit just before picking.
Third row - Fred's Tie Dye beginning its blush, and unripe Uluru Ochre.
I guess that the most surprising observation is that in most cases, vertical growth has slowed considerably - no wonder, since most plants are loaded with green tomatoes and it is time to ensure that they ripen. Height-wise, the biggest gainers were Wherokowhai at 5 inches (clearly still in catch up mode), Rosella Crimson (also catching up), Fred's Tie Dye, Banksia Queen and Sean's Yellow Dwarf all gaining 4 inches, and Sarandipity and Dwarf Kelly Green advancing upward 3 inches. 21 of the varieties stayed essentially the same. This is very different from the indeterminate varieties that are in grow bags, all reaching the tops of the stakes and in need of topping.
The tallest-of-allest are Jade Beauty, Sean's Yellow Dwarf, Beryl Beauty, and Emerald Giant at 4 feet tall, and Summertime Gold, Banksia Queen and Summer Sweet Gold right behind them at 46 inches tall. The Sneezy family for the most part are the tallest. At the opposite end of the spectrum are the 16 inch Rosella Crimson (the last to be planted, as a re-rooted cutting), 22 inch Yukon Quest, 30 inch Dwarf Arctic Rose 32 inch Sarandipity and 33 inch Iditarod Red and Uluru Ochre.
Despite the intense heat and risk of wilt mid-afternoon, blossom end rot hasn't been a big issue on most varieties. Only Perth Pride (several fruit), Sean's Yellow Dwarf (one), Summertime Green (one), and Rosella Purple (one) are experiencing any at all.
Disease - dreaded disease - is showing up here and there, but again - considering the heat and humidity of this summer and it being early July, I am quite delighted. The sickest varieties - as in death bed status - are Dwarf Pink Passion (Fusarium wilt) and Dwarf Wild Fred (Bacterial wilt). I've had to do some significant surgery on Dwarf Purple Heart (possibly bacterial wilt) and one Sweet Adelaide (Fusarium, I think), though both are hanging in there. Summer Sweet Gold and Summer Sunrise had some lower Early Blight foliage removed - Summer Sunrise may be starting to battle Fusarium as well. These are all troubling, yet 6 out of 38 plants suffering issues means that 85% of the Dwarfs continue to thrive and be completely healthy.
The only plant that has yet to set fruit is the recently re-rooted and replanted Rosella Crimson, but it is loaded with open flowers. I am now picking fruit from 11 varieties. In general, flavors are just delicious, in some cases exceeding my initial impressions of them in previous years. Iditarod Red, Sarandipity, Bundaberg Rumball, Dwarf Arctic Rose, Perth Pride, Dwarf Wild Fred, Dwarf Purple Heart, Big Green Dwarf, Boronia, Dwarf Pink Passion and Dwarf Golden Heart are the ones that lead the pack in ripening. Fred's Tie Dye and Uluru Ochre are blushing and will likely be next. Bundaberg Rumball is the smallest at 2 ounces, and so far, Dwarf Purple Heart the largest at 13 ounces. I am already starting to save seeds.
Here is a selection of pictures.
top row - first two are different sections of the dwarfs - you can see the diseased Pink Passion at the left of picture 1. Third pic is Iditarod Red, first ripe one on the plant, just before picking.
Second row - Unripe cluster of Sarandipity, Bundaberg Rumball and Arctic Rose, and Dwarf Purple Heart, showing the 13 oz heart shaped purple fruit just before picking.
Third row - Fred's Tie Dye beginning its blush, and unripe Uluru Ochre.
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