@tpheine @opensourcegardens I'm not aware of seeds meeting both requirements. I'd start with any organic seeds from pure bushy plants and a trial-and-error approach. It may also depend on your hydroponics setup (light conditions and the like)...
In any case I'd love to hear about your experiences....
@tpheine @organictraveller good luck
@tpheine @wyliecoyoteuk God luck! I wasn't successful with my Tumbling Toms, most likely bad luck with the seed charge (they would not germinate, quite unusual for tomato seeds). But the tomatoes of the only plant were delicious!
@organictraveller @tpheine I actually bought mine as established seedlings because I had germination failures. In fact 2 seedlings cost about the same as a packet of seed.
@wyliecoyoteuk @tpheine The bushy tomatoes which work well for me in smaller pots on the balcony are 2nd generation of a plant I bought at an organic farmers' market w/out knowing the variety. But I could harvest some seeds and s-mail.
@organictraveller @tpheine here are photos of my tumblers and Ola Polka. they are nearly finished now, but I have been picking tomatoes since may.
@organictraveller @tpheine Whoops, Actually June, sorry.
@organictraveller @tpheine
Some tomatoes are hybridised, in which case the seeds that you take from the adult plant may be sterile, or if they do grow, they are not true to type.
@wyliecoyoteuk @tpheine So long taking seeds from organic tomatoes worked nicely for me, but this year I probably had one plant from a hybridised variety: beautiful plant, flowering nicely - but the fruits would not develop at all.
@wyliecoyoteuk @tpheine For the sake of completeness: That #tomato plant was indeed an infertile #hybrid: Its few small fruits did not contain a single seed :/
@organictraveller
Thanks for the information.
@wyliecoyoteuk
@tpheine @organictraveller If you pinch out the growing tip at around 30cm, the plants will spread from lower down, and form more bushy growth.
@tpheine @organictraveller The length of the artificial day can have a big influence. Plants do most of their growing at night.
@tpheine @organictraveller you might want to try bell peppers, as there are varieties that will produce 8 or more ripe peppers and only grow about 30cm.
@wyliecoyoteuk
I grow 3 bell pepper plants. 3 baby leaf salads and 3 Mexican baby cucumber. And hopefully 3 tomatoes soon.
@organictraveller
there are, btw, open source bell pepper plants from the US Open Source Seeds Initiative:
https://osseeds.org/ossi-varieties/stoplight-bell-mix/
@opensourcegardens
Thank you very very much! Highly appreciated!
@wyliecoyoteuk @organictraveller
@opensourcegardens
@wyliecoyoteuk @organictraveller
@jezra
Update.
The Mexican Baby cucumber (back row) are growing nicely and I guide them around the hydroponics system. Bell peppers (2nd back row) are reaching 40cm height, but only 2 of 3. Baby leaf salad (2nd front row) is awesome! Tumbling Tom (front row, right) already exceeded 45cm height. Fuzzy Wuzzy (front row, middle) is on track but Canary (front left) seems to have issues.
@tpheine @opensourcegardens @organictraveller @jezra If you pinch out the growing tips, the tumblers will bush out from lower down.
@organictraveller
I had to replace my first Cocktail Tomato Rotkäppchen plants, as they grew more than 80cm and broke. The artificial lights are at 40cm height. Anyway, I have ordered Tumbling Tom seeds, as recommended by @wyliecoyoteuk , Fuzzy Wuzzy and Yellow Canary. Let's see if this will work.