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I am growing 10 varieties of tomato from seed and in an occasional series am profiling each in turn. Today is the turn of Garden Pearl (Gartenperle). (Others I’ve covered so far are Alicante, Black Cherry, Carbon, Gardeners Delight, Moneymaker, Shirley and Sungold. Still to come are Red Robin, Tigerella and Tumbler.
To eat, Garden Pearl is:
- Small, cherry size, bite size.
- Sweet, flavoursome, extremely sweet, very tasty, very sweet, sweet & tasty, rich & tangy.
- Reddish pink, pink-red, deep ruby red, pink to rosy red, red, pearly red, pinkish red, pinky red, pink.
To Grow, Garden Pearl is:
- Bush, dwarf bush, dwarf trailing bush, compact bushy habit, neat compact habit, vigorous.
- Outdoors.
- Specially bred for patio pots, tubs,window boxes and hanging baskets.
- Self branching , cascades from 10 to 18 inches long so needs to be raised off the ground.
- High yielding, prolific, very prolific, heavy cropping, abundance of fruit.
- Early to crop and continues to crop all season long.
To buy Garden Pearl:
- Seeds come in packets of around 40 to 50 and work out at about 3.5 to 5 pence each.
Garden Pearl seems to work best when grown in container off the ground. This can be as high as a hanging basket, in a pot which sits on a table or other raised elevation, or if on the ground, in a pot with 18 inches sides to give the trusses clearance from the ground.
Update – at the 2009 Hampton Court Flower show I took a couple of photos of Garden Pearl plants – the fruit isn’t yet ripe – but the photos give a nice idea of the growing habit of this tomato variety.
Have you grown Garden Pearl? What would your recommendation be on the best height off the ground to grow it ?
Photos of Garden Pearl seedlings 2.5 weeks after sowing.
{ 31 comments… read them below or add one }
I have just planted garden pearl in a raised growbag. Trying to find out if I take off the side shoots as it grows? Also have red alert and I understand one leaves the side shoots to do their thing!
Cheers, Mike
Hello – Thanks for stopping by and getting in touch.
Garden Pearl is a bush/determinate variety which means it has its own self limiting/stopping mechanism when it comes to growth. Whereas the types referred to as cordon/indeterminate have no such ‘built-in ability’ so require gardener intervention !
With bush types no pinching out of the sideshoots is required – just let it do its own thing .
Which is as you say exactly what to do with Red Alert as well. I haven’t grown that so double checked – and that too, is as you thought, a bush/determinate variety. So you get to enjoy all the tomatoes but only half the work !! Good Choices !
hi to you all. im growing three garden pearl one in a raised container about 2 feet off the ground and the other 2 in hanging baskets about 12 inch diameter. the one in the large raised container is by far the more productive. i have cut some flowers back on the plants to allow a bigger tomato to grow which has worked. too many flowers would not be a good thing but will still grow a smaller tomato. good luck to you.
Hello
Thank you for stopping by and getting in touch.
I think Garden Pearl looks good in a raised container – it seems to suit its lax style !
Interesting that it is doing better in that than in the hanging baskets. Maybe it just needs that bit more room to spread its roots out and the larger container provides that.
I hope you get a good harvest from all your plants – I remember last year Garden Pearl was good for lots of fruit.
Hi,
I planted Garden Pearl this year early and am delighted with the plants. I shall grow them on in large pots raised off the ground by about 15 inches to the bottom of the pot – following the advice that you have given.
Some plants will be given to others to see how they get on.
Regards, Francis
Hello. Thank you for stopping by and getting in touch.
I’m glad the advice might come in handy. I think Garden Pearl is becoming a bit of a classic in its own right and is going to be a variety that becomes quite well known. I think it helps that it now seems to be the case that it is just referred to as Garden Pearl – and not Gartenperle- or both as was sometimes the case in some catalogues! I am sure the gifts of your home grown plants will be very welcome – especially as it is a straightforward variety to look after – and very productive. Lucky receipients! And happy growing!
I only have limited sheltered space for starting from seed and thought that a few Garden Pearl would be interesting. My plants are now showing flowers, which has prompted me to put in more seed.
I am convinced that these will out do Tumbler. Will be interested to hear your comments.
I am so delighted and envious you are already at the flower showing stage! When that starts to happen you know you are well and truly on your way to tomatoes – up to that point it could all end in just foliage ! but flowers signal the way to the point of it all !
I liked Tumbler and Garden Pearl – Tumbler has that pure red colour and was the first ever plant to produce when I started out – so I was very grateful to it for showing me that I could grow tomatoes ! Garden Pear really does have a beautiful pearlescent lustre to it – very attractive and is very prolific and pretty feathery foliage. I’d happily grow both again.
We have been buying the GP toms at trader Joe’s. Like the taste and worked great for grilling! Like that they are not to big. Alos they are a 58 day tom.
Have been looking for the plants all the big gardening place with no luck. Are we gonna have to buy the seeds?
Should they be planted in a tom cage for support like we have done with early girls and big boys?
Thanks for your help, Jim
Hello – Thank you for stopping by and getting in touch. The fact that you are mentioning Trader Joe’s and Tomato Cages makes me think you are in the US (I hope I’ve got this right as then I will be able to crown myself Miss Marple of the tomato world!) and I’m in the UK – however I have yet to find plants here of Garden Pearl – only seeds. It seems to be that tomato varieties have to long established favourites – or part of the new vogue, grafted – before you can get hold of them as plants as opposed to seeds. However as you point out the good news is that they are early to fruit.
And when it comes to cages – here in the UK we just don’t use them in the way I know American tomato growers do! Here we seem to stick to bamboo cane and ties! However I would say that Garden Pearl would be find without a cage – it’s feathery and fine leaved – and doesn’t need support – it does sprawl but in a quite pretty kind of a way – I have seen it grown in nice containers with quite high sides or hanging baskets so that the leaves and trusses can just flow down over the sides.
Good Luck and I hope you have a good crop of all your varieties.
Dearest Sally,
It just one big world with the net. All of ours Toms grow so tall that they fall over with out the cage to manage them. We love having fun in the garden.
Some pictures of our humble garden
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/RTTjQsfz5_gmedKFEZwEbw?feat=directlink
A better link to the garden,
https://picasaweb.google.com/lanningjw/Garden2008?feat=directlink
Your garden and house look beautiful – what a wonderful looking place and patch. I can see that everything wants to grow up to that lovely sunny blue sky! I can see what you mean about height – it would have to be a very tall bamboo stick to support that lot! And the sunflowers are extraordinary – they’ve let even the sweetcorn looking short in comparison.
I’m so glad the net allows us a peek into all these other lives and gardens !
Hi Sally (Miss Marple of the tomato world)
Just thought I’d let you know that I bought a Garden Pearl plant earlier this week in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. I went to buy greenhouse staging and when I saw the little plants I decided to try one. The plants were really healthy and about 8″ tall but really it was the name that appealed to me! That’s when I tried the net for some info and came across your site. Great to get your advice and read other folks experience so a big thank you to all. My only regret, having now read how brilliant this variety is, is that I just bought one but I’ll see how this goes and maybe sow seed next year.
Hello – thank you for stopping by and getting in touch. That’s great to know that you can buy that variety now as a plants – I need to get myself to a garden centre and get up to date! There would be one gardener at least groaning at the fact that it is now gaining in popularity – about 3 years ago I went to a local gardening festival and one of the questions put to the panel was on tomato varieties they would recommend – and the chap who answered first – chose Garden Pearl and waxed lyrical about it – but a couple of seats down from him one of his fellow panellers – was sighing and shaking his head – and when he got his turn – had to say he completely disagreed – not because of the fruit – but he didn’t like the flowing, feathery foliage. I am guessing that he like his veg to be a bit more military in their bearing! Still it looked very nice planted in a big galvinised tin bath on one of the stands at Hampton Court flower show a few years ago – so it might all be a question of taste and context!
I have two gartenperle plants growing – about 12 – 18 ” in the greenhouse (didnt realise they were trailing until I read your website) can I raise them up in the greenhouse and let them grow there?
Hello
Thank you for stopping by and getting in touch. I like to raise them up as I they have the kind of foliage that tumbles and tangles a bit. But they don’t have to be high – just off the ground enough so that the leaves etc don’t end up on the ground. I expect that they would be fine however they were grown – it seems to be one of those varieties that just gets on with it! But I like things to be a bit tidy- not too much – but not too much trailing foliage, mainly as I grow outdoors and it makes it easier to move round what is quite a small garden.
I hope you have lots of wonderful tomatoes from them – and do get back in touch and let us know how they all turned out.
Two of “my” plants are now showing tomatoes but the sad thing is that these are plants that I have given to friends! I keep looking at those that I have and all the signs are there but so far no tiny toms. Lots of flowers and of course lots of hope.
How are all you other “pearl” growers getting on?
Keep on keeping on, Francis.
Hello – Am very glad to hear that your plants are coming along well – even if it’s away from home! I am sure your generosity in giving away the first-to-fruit plants will be noted and repaid! A neighbour came by this afternoon with a huge punnet of freshly picked strawberries from the local farm shop – as a thank you for all the tomatoes I sent her way last summer!
Such a lovely gesture – I am sure your “pearls” will be come back as “diamonds” in some way or another!
Hi Sally,
One question – my garden pearl is showing flowers, but is it self-pollination? I only have one plant…
by the way I’m growing my garden pearl indoor by a window as I don’t have a garden…
Hello. Thank you for stopping by and getting in touch.
Your lone Garden Pearl should be fine. Even indoors! Tomato flowers are complete in that they have male and female parts in one flower. So they don’t need another plant – and each individual flower should self pollinate. The pollen needs to move from one part of the flower to another -which is why there are recommendations for tapping the cane etc ( which you don’t need with Garden Pearl as it’s a sprawler!) and there needs to be a certain humidity in the air – but all that said – hopefully the plant will just get on with it – and the first you will know about it are your tiny little green “pearls” of tomato fruit!
Hi, I have been to visit my Garden Pearl plants given to A N Other and the toms are starting to colour – many of them and lots of flowers. The location is about 20 miles from me and a bit more sheltered. Of course I am pleased for my friend but if I visit again and the toms are ready to eat, I shall have to try them! Francis.
I am very much liking the idea of you travelling 20 miles to keep tabs on the progress of your tomato plant gift!
With some fruit already beginning to colour -and with still plenty of flowers to set – it sounds like there should be more than enough to share! But I would ring ahead to check you are timing your next visit to maximum tomato munching benefit!!
Just bought packet of Garden Pearl seed in Bridlington,will be growing them in Chorley, Lancashire some in g/house and some outside,will let you know how I get on later in year,ps thanks for a lovely website.My regards, Brian.
Have just pricked out 80 Garden Pearl seedlings, I thought a visit to the internet was in order to find some information about them I was horrified at the first site visited said nothing but negative things. I breathed a sigh of relief when I found this site.
Just goes to say that the old saying is true.” One mans meat is another mans poison”.
Hi can you advise if it is possible to save the seed from garden pearl to grow the next year? Will they taste the same? Thanks Paul
Hello,
As far as I know it’s not an F1 – so it should be fine to save and expect the same tomato back next year! Try it and see – would be interested to know how you get on. The good thing about Garden Pearl is there is no shortage of tomatoes – so no shortage of seed to experiment with!
I’ve grown these up on a windowsill and then in a small greenhouse. They’re looking (and smelling) pretty healthy and about to flower. Is there any reason not to move them outside now? Or would they prefer the more sheltered life?
I’ve grown them outside very successful and I know other growers have to. So they aren’t one of those varieties that needs to be greenhouse raised.
on the other hand with the rain, wind and lowish temperatures we have been having recently – you might find that they would this year at least – prefer the more snug, sheltered accomodation of the greenhouse. I know I would!!
Excellent. I’ll try some in and some out and see what happens.