While the history of Texas Tiny remains elusive (see below), we couldn't have more good things to say about this tiny but mighty cherry tomato. First of all, it is important to note that the "tiny" refers to the size of the tomatoes, not the plant, as we learned the hard way many years ago. The plants themselves have a sprawling habit, reaching 15 feet or more if you don't prune them. They are incredibly high yielding, initiating their first tomatoes as seedlings, usually while still indoors, and continuing until the first frost. A single plant will bear thousands upon thousands of tomatoes over a typical growing season and consequently, we've concluded that it is not possible to keep them picked, even with two children voraciously attacking them every day. The small, half-inch-wide tomatoes burst with flavor when you pop them in your mouth, initially releasing an incredibly intense sweetness, later complemented by a very pleasing hint of acidity. Besides being great for snacking, they are wonderful when added to pasta salads, mixed spring greens, or various other types of salads. We also love them mixed with diced cucumbers, feta, and balsamic vinegar. We simply can't say enough great things about this variety. 30-60 days from transplant. 50 seeds per packet. HISTORY OF THE TEXAS TINY TOMATO: I first received Texas Tiny as a bonus variety in a seed swap I did over a decade ago. It came in a tiny plastic bag marked with a handwritten label and no description. Since I was trialing a bunch of different dwarf varieties that year, I assumed that the "Tiny" was referring to the size of the plant, so later that spring, when a lady from the community--a lovely woman in her 80's-- asked if I had any spare plants that she could grow in a pot on her patio, I gave her one of my Texas Tiny plants to try. As the summer went on, I watched my own Texas Tiny plants grow up through their cages, out the tops, back down and then across several rows of vegetables I had planted nearby. I developed an image in my head of poor Holly being overtaken by her giant Texas Tiny plant. I was almost embarrassed when I finally ran into her late that summer. By no surprise, she quickly turned the conversation to "that tiny tomato." "Did I do something wrong?", she asked, "The plant has taken over my patio." "Hmm. I don't know," I replied. "How much fertilizer did you put on?" Finally, I broke out with a big smile and we both had a good laugh about the "tiny" tomato plant. Despite its overbearing nature, word about "Texas Tiny" spread locally and so did the seeds, with several Texas Tiny ambassadors extolling the virtues of this tiny, but delicious tomato. Although quite laborious to harvest the tremendous number of tomatoes required to produce an appreciable seed crop, at the request of gardeners, we finally gave in this year and began commercially offering seed for this unique variety.
