More compact vegetable selections available

Compact varieties are definitely a new trend in many types of plants over the last few years. The commercial horticulture market has come up with dwarf hybrids for shrubs, annuals, perennials and vegetables. It is about breeding a plant to fit in tight spaces such as 10-, 12- or 14-inch pots.

These new introductions of vegetable varieties will do just that, flourish in 10-, 12- or 14-inch pots. They are great selections for those of us who lead busy lives. For seniors who can’t do strenuous gardening tasks like they have in the past. For those of us who live in cities or in apartments with a balcony. In fact, they might not be a bad idea for rural residents either. Place them in pots and protect them from grasshoppers, hail and high wind.

 Here are the new introductions. They consist of tomato varieties, zucchini, potatoes and an herb.

 Tomato “Sweet N Neat” is called a compact determinate. It can be placed in a 10-inch pot in full sun with fruit that grows in grape-like clusters. In 48 days, you can start harvesting the fruit.

 Tomato “Cherry Fountain” will do well in a larger pot of 12 to 14 inches or a hanging pot. The vine trails and will be covered with bunches of cherry-sized tomatoes in 60 days. It still needs full-sun, watering and fertilization.

 Tomato “Better Bush” will do well in a 10- to 12-inch pot. It has the same cultural requirements as the others. As the name implies, it grows in a bushy habit. The plant will produce throughout the summer and reaches maturity in 68 days. As an added plus, “Better Bush” is labeled as highly resistant to verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt and nematode disease (VFN). The VFN is often on the seed package or on the container label when you purchase it. Verticillium and fusarium wilt are soil-borne fungal diseases that clog the xylem structures or the water conducting tissue in tomatoes and other vegetables. Nematode disease is called Root Knot Nematode that attacks the roots of the tomato plant. Crop rotation lessens the chances of this happening in your garden. Rotate your tomatoes every couple of years, if not every season.

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