Isbell's Big Dwarf Tomato

Nature & Nurture Seeds

Solanum lycopersicum

$4.99

Pkt(≈25 seeds)
Big tomatoes on a dwarf plant! High yielding, dwarf plant perfect for containers and small gardens. Bushy plants have thick stems loaded with medium sized, pink beefsteak fruits. Flavor is meaty with a delicate balance of sweet and acid. Bred by Isbell’s & Co of Jackson, Michigan in 1909, Isbell's Big Dwarf was the first of its kind. This variety has been used as breeding stock for Craig LeHoullier’s Dwarf Tomato Breeding Project. Plants grow about 3 ft tall and don’t need pruning, but for best results, stake plants once they start producing fruit.  As with many old heirloom types, fruits vary in size and shape and have some cracking. (aka New Big Dwarf) 90 days to maturity.

Start tomato seeds inside at least 6 weeks before last frost (around 4/1). Ideal temperature for germination is 85° (use a heating mat). Days to germination: 5-14. Once leaves appear, grow plants at 72°. Plant seedlings outside late May into fertile garden soil (with lots of compost or decomposed manure) at a spacing of 18” apart. These tomato plants are dwarf and only need to be staked with a sturdy stake - no pruning required. Tomatoes are susceptible to several fungal diseases (including Early and Late Blight and Verticillium Wilt). To prevent blight, keep foliage dry by watering with drip irrigation/soaker hoses. Crop rotation is also key to preventing tomato diseases. Ideally, plant tomato plants in a spot that has not had any Solanaceae crops (tomato, peppers, eggplant, potatoes) growing there for 4 years.