The ˈTiny Timˈ tomato variety is particularly suitable as a balcony tomato due to its low growth height. Introducing the tiny bush tomato and its properties.
One of the smallest tomato varieties is the ˈTiny Timˈ, which nevertheless bears numerous fruits at a height of less than half a meter. We clarify the origin of this strain and its needs in cultivation.
Tiny Tim Tomato: Profile
| Fruit | cocktail tomato; deep red |
| Flavour | mild, sweet, slightly acidic |
| Maturity | early |
| Growth | Dwarf tomato, up to 50 cm |
| Location | Pot, balcony box |
| Special feature | determined variety |
Origin and history of the tomato variety
The Tiny Tim tomato originally comes from the USA, where it was created by crossing the currant tomato ˈRed Currantˈ and ˈWindow Boxˈ at the University of New Hampshire. It came onto the market as early as 1945 and has been a popular tomato variety for the balcony and pot culture ever since.
Flavour and properties of ˈTiny Timˈ
ˈTiny Timˈ reaches a height of just 40 to 50 cm. The first tomato fruits ripen early from the end of July and have turned deep red by then. The fruits are about 3 cm long, round and weigh up to 20 grams. The yield is high compared to the plant height. The taste of ˈTiny Timˈ is mild, sweet with a bit of acidity, the fruit is noticeably juicy when you bite into it. The bush tomato, which is small in size, is seed-resistant, so you can always get the tomato seeds yourself, dry them and sow them next year.
Pot tomato ˈTiny Timˈ planting and caring for
The ˈTiny Timˈ is an ideal pot and balcony tomato, which requires little care due to its height and resistance to diseases. It's quite burst-resistant, so it can take a beatingrain outdoors. However, the ideal location for the ˈTiny Timˈ is sunny and sheltered from the wind, where it will reward you with a bountiful harvest. From mid-May, after the ice saints, early ˈTiny Timˈ young plants can be planted in pots and balcony boxes. Fill pots and planters with a diameter of at least 25 cm with pre-fertilized potting soil, such as our Plantura organic tomato and vegetable soil. The nutrients it contains provide your tomato plants with the first time after planting. In addition, all of our soils do not contain any peat, which is harmful to the climate, and instead store water with the help of the high compost content.
You don't have to pay much attention to caring for the Tiny Tim tomato. The plant grows in a determined manner, which means that it stops growing in length completely after a certain number of flowers have formed, unlike the stick tomatoes that continue to grow forever. This ensures a compact plant, but also ensures that the fruits of the bush tomato all ripen within a relatively short period of time and no new ones are reproduced. It is therefore absolutely necessary to refrain from using the tomatoes with 'Tiny Tim', as this would reduce the maximum yield of the small shrub.
In summer, plants, especially those in small pots, should be watered sufficiently. A mulch layer of grass clippings significantly reduces evaporation and the soil dries out more slowly. From June the ˈTiny Timˈ should also be fertilized regularly. For pot culture and tomato cultivation on the balcony, we recommend organic liquid fertilizers such as our Plantura Tomato & Vegetable Fertilizer. This is applied together with the irrigation water about once a week and provides the necessary nutrients for vigorously green and high-yielding tomato plants.
Harvest and Use
The first fruits of the Tiny Tim tomato ripen as early as the end of July and can now be harvested. If the red-colored fruits give slightly when pressed with a finger and if they feel a bit soft, you can harvest them without hesitation. The ˈTiny Timˈ can simply be nibbled, but can also be dried well or used in salads and sauces.
Tip: Unlike indeterminate, ever-growing stick tomatoes, ˈTiny Timˈ does not form any further axillary shoots. This means that once all the tomato fruits have been harvested, the plant can be discarded as no new flowers or fruits will form.
Tomato varieties with a low stature can easily be cultivated in a small space. We introduce you to the bush tomato ˈSilbertanneˈ,which also impresses with its filigree foliage.