Sleeping Lady
10-15 tomato seeds
£4.95
Out of stock
Sleeping Lady Dwarf Tomato (10-15 seeds)
The 'Sleeping Lady' tomato is a fascinating variety, particularly known for its association with the Dwarf Tomato Project.
Background:
'Sleeping Lady' is a result of the extensive Dwarf Tomato Project, a collaborative international breeding effort aimed at developing compact, well-flavoured tomato varieties suitable for smaller gardens, containers, and adverse growing conditions.
It originated from a cross made by Patrina Nuske Small in Australia between 'Budai Torpe' and 'Black from Tula', named the "Grumpy" family. 'Sleeping Lady' was later selected and named by Sherry Shiesl in Alaska, reportedly after a local legend about "the Sleeping Lady."
It was introduced to the public in 2011.
Growth Habit: Despite being an indeterminate (vining) tomato, 'Sleeping Lady' is a dwarf indeterminate. This means it will continue to produce fruit throughout the season until frost, but the plants remain compact, typically growing to about 90 cm to 1.2 meters in height. This makes it excellent for containers or smaller garden spaces where traditional indeterminate tomatoes might be too sprawling.
Foliage: It has regular leaf, rugose (crinkled or wrinkly) foliage, which is a common characteristic of Dwarf Tomato Project varieties.
Fruit Characteristics:
Colour: The fruit ripens to a unique brick red, chocolate, or mahogany-brown hue, often with green marks on the shoulders. This "dark" colour is similar to varieties like 'Cherokee Chocolate' or 'Paul Robeson'.
Shape: Oblate (slightly flattened globe) to round.
Size: Medium-sized fruits, typically weighing between 80 to 200 grams.
Taste: Sleeping Lady has a well-balanced and pleasant flavour, sweet with a slight acidity, often with a rich, "dark" tomato taste, sometimes compared to its parent 'Black from Tula'.
Productivity: It's quite prolific and a heavy producer for a dwarf variety.
Season: Early to mid-season, with first ripe fruit ripening around 110 days from seed sowing.
Growing Tips for 'Sleeping Lady' (and Dwarf Tomatoes in General):
Container Growing: Excellent choice for large pots 8-14 litre or grow bags due to its compact size.
Support: While it's a dwarf, its branches can become heavy with fruit. It benefits from stringing, staking or some form of support (e.g., a sturdy cage) to prevent branches from falling over, though it doesn't need vertical support like a full-sized indeterminate.
Pruning: Unlike many traditional indeterminate tomatoes, dwarf varieties generally do not require pruning of sideshoots.
Sunlight: Full sun (at least 6-8 hours daily) is essential for good fruit production.
Watering: Consistent watering is important, especially for container-grown plants, to prevent issues like blossom end rot.
Soil: Well-draining, fertile soil.
Open Source Seed Initiative (OSSI):
'Sleeping Lady' is an OSSI-pledged variety.This means that the seeds are open source, and you have the freedom to use them in any way you choose. In return, you pledge not to restrict others' use of these seeds or their derivatives by patents or other means, and to include this pledge with any transfer of these seeds or their derivatives. This ensures the variety remains accessible to home gardeners and breeders.