Tomato Windowsill Varieties

Each season I grow two windowsill varieties in the porch – this season it’s Sweet ‘n’ Neat yellow and Red Robin.

It’s great to show tomatoes growing to visitors who call in – even the tropical fish in the tank to the side pay an interest!

However, the aim is to find the best windowsill tomato out of the many that are available.
Windowsill varieties aren’t always the most prolific producers – numbers of toms can be few and sometimes the size can be a bit too small for practical use. Chasing a whole tomato around a plate that is too small to spike on the end of a fork is a bit frustrating! Of course taste also plays its role.

As you can see from the photo above, Red Robin is doing well. Its size is good for a windowsill variety and there are plenty of tomatoes on the plant.

The Sweet’n’Neat has produced less tomatoes (so far) but the taste is intense and similar to a Tumbling Tom yellow – it wouldn’t surprise me if Tumbling Tom yellow had a role in its breeding.

I think I’ve grown around eight windowsill varieties over the past few seasons and Vilma is still the one to beat for size and quantity, although Red Robin is showing results that are equally good.

Tomato Taste
It should be mentioned that taste changes from season to season – depending on growing conditions and nutrients used.

In my experience, the best tasting tomatoes have received plenty of sun, have not been over-watered and have received the right amount of quality nutrients.

Here are a few recommended varieties for growing in pots on a sunny windowsill.

• Micro Tom
• Vilma
• Tom Thumb
• Balconi Red and Yellow
• Sweet ‘n’ Neat

I guess tomato size, numbers and taste would be more consistent if we grew our tomatoes in high-tech greenhouses using computers to administer the food, but where is the challenge or fun in that?