Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 3-4 Experience)
Dwarf Desperado. Wonderful variety from the Dwarf Tomato Project 👍. Determinate, grew 2 bushes in the greenhouse, didn’t sucker them, very productive 👋, height up to 2 ft (60 cm). Tree-type, rugose foliage (like most Dwarfs). The fruits have a beautiful spearhead shape, glossy, uniform, pinkish-crimson color, nice and firm, and very tasty 😋! Weight ranges from small up to 3.5-5.3 oz (100-150 g), averaging about 2.5 oz (70 g). They don’t overripen quickly, can hang ripe on the bush, don’t crack, and store pretty well. Mid-season, long fruiting window. One of the best determinates in my collection for the combination of yield, flavor, looks, disease resistance, low maintenance, and shelf life.
Seeds from Lena – @Belka 🙏
Edited September 23, 2019 by Svetikk
Desperado was one of the heaviest-yielding dwarfs I grew outside in the dirt this year. Really loved it. Tasty and beautiful. A definite grow-again for the future.
Seeds from Natalia Pavlovna @Yaroslavna, thank you 🙏
Can confirm. A fantastic variety. Tasty, productive, fairly early. Did great both in the greenhouse and outdoors.
Edited August 6, 2020 by inulik.k
I think my Desperado grown from saved seeds turned out even more “desperately” productive this year. Though to be fair, the 2020 season was warmer.
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Edited December 21, 2020 by Inna
I’ll second that, the variety is wonderful, the most productive out of all the small plum tomatoes I’ve grown in my ten years of tomato obsession. The only downside is that it snaps under the weight of the fruit, so you have to MacGyver some string supports. I keep it to 3-4 stems. Handles the heat outside extremely well, stores great, and ripens nicely off the vine indoors. A+ rating from me.
Productive, tasty. Kept fruiting right up until we closed up the greenhouse for the season. Giving it a permanent spot in my garden. Thanks, @Lyudmila D.
Could someone tell me when is the best time to start seeds for this one? Is it good for canning?
Could someone tell me when is the best time to start seeds for this one?
I sow them in late February. The seedlings don’t get leggy. Starts ripening early in the greenhouse.
Is it good for canning?
I haven’t canned them on their own, but yes, they’re good for it.
Full Summary: Plant, Yield, Taste and Storage
- 🌿 Plant: Determinate, tree-type dwarf with rugose leaves, growing to about 2 ft (60 cm). Seedlings stay stocky and don’t get leggy indoors. Extremely productive, but the heavy fruit load often requires sturdy staking and string supports to prevent branches from snapping.
- 📈 Yield: Phenomenal. Multiple growers call it one of the most productive small plum tomatoes they have ever grown, setting heavy crops both in greenhouses and in open dirt.
- 👅 Taste: Very tasty and sweet with firm, meaty flesh.
- 📦 Storage: Exceptional. The fruits hold perfectly on the plant without overripening or cracking, store well after picking, and ripen beautifully indoors off the vine.
- 🌎 Who Reviewed It: Six growers contributed to this thread, located across USDA Zones 3 and 4.
