​

Micro dwarf tomatoes have traits to them that allow people with limited time and space to still enjoy the fun of gardening! On top of this, you can grow these all year long indoors as long as you have a window that gets a minimum of 8-10 hours of sunlight a day.

​

Below is some of the more common advantages to growing these fun varieties, as well as a growing guide!

 

Size:

​

- Most micro dwarf varieties do not get taller than 10 inches! This is different to normal tomato varieties as they usually get around 5 ft tall or more! You can grow so many of these in the ground and it takes up hardly any room at all!

​

- You can also grow them in pots as small as 1/2 gallon! They are perfect for patios, windowsills, or even kitchen counters allowing you to harvest fresh tomatoes right off the plant for any of your upcoming meals!

​

Production:

​

As most would guess, these do not give the same amount of tomatoes as regular varieties, but still produce an abundant amount of fruit for how tiny the plants are!

Almost all varieties produce cherry tomatoes, but some do produce small beefsteak type tomatoes such as the "Florida Petite" tomato variety.

​

Most varieties will produce a minimum of about 12-15 fruits, so you will want to grow more plants depending on how much you enjoy tomatoes, or how big your family is. 

​

Maturity:

​

Most varieties are extremely early maturing giving you fruits long before any of your larger varieties are ready to harvest meaning you can keep planting a succession crop throughout the season! 

​

On average, your plants will reach maturity around 60 days after transplanting your plants into the ground. 

​

Variety Diversity:

​

The best part of growing these in my opinion is the diversity in how many varieties there are! There are so many different shapes, colors, and sizes that come with these tiny plants! This allows you to grow different varieties until you find one that your taste buds like the best!

​

Among the different colors of tomatoes that these micro dwarfs can produce are red, yellow, orange, green, pink, and purple! 

​

How to grow Micro Dwarf Tomatoes:

​

1. Start by finding a seed tray or small container to start your seeds in. I recommend 2.5 inch plastic pots but you can start them in smaller, cheaper pots as well, but may need to transplant more. The 2.5 inch pots will be able to hold your plants nicely for their first 6-8 weeks of growth. 

​

2. Once you have your seed starting supplies, you want to find a good soil mixture. I prefer growing mine in a half compost, half sphagnum peat moss blend, but potting soil will work just as well. Avoid using garden soil as this can get very compacted in the containers, and the small plant will have a hard time sending their roots down. 

​

3. Start seeds indoors about 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost date. This allows you to get well established starts in the ground, and betters the chances of survival at their earliest stages of growth. It will also give you a harvest earlier in the season! Plant your seeds at a depth of about 1/8th of an inch deep. Make sure to plant a couple of seeds in case one doesn't sprout. Keep the soil moist, but not soggy. Germination, and plant growth occurs best at around 75-85 degrees.

 

4. If you purchase a bagged soil mixture that includes fertilizer, you wont need to fertilize at all. This makes growing these tomato plants even easier! If your soil doesn't include fertilizer, you will want to fertilize every two weeks or so. If you are growing in containers, you will want to use a fertilizer that is not too strong. You can achieve this by adding half the recommended amount of fertilizer that the package says.

​

5. Once you see 2-3 sets of leaves on the plant, that's a great time to transplant into a (minimum of 1/2 a gallon, but I would recommend 1 gallon size) pot or garden bed!

 

6. Keep the plants well watered and make sure to have drainage holes if you are growing in containers. Wait until the top two inches or so of soil is completely dry in between watering. This will decrease the possibilities of diseases such as root rot or blight.

 

7. After about 60 days, your tomatoes will be ripe and ready to pick! If you pick them right when the ripen, they sometimes tend to produce more flowers and give you a second harvest!