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Tomatoes with their bright and eye-catching shade of red are a welcome sight in any garden. The bush tomato grows in the shape of a bush. It is a great choice when planted in a pot, for backyard gardens that have limited space. You can use bush tomatoes in almost all tomato dishes. But since you get a large batch of tomatoes at the same time, they are generally used for preserves, canning, soups, and sauces.
If you are thinking of planting tomatoes, here are 13 most popular bush tomato varieties that you could consider growing. Let’s have a look.
What are Bush Tomatoes?
Bush tomatoes initially grow vertically and then spread out horizontally, growing in a bush shape that explains its name. They are also called determinate tomatoes, as they have a set or determined height to which they grow. This type of tomato plant can grow as high as 3-4 feet and produce a heavy yield of 90 to about 120 tomatoes during a 2-month lifespan. A key feature is that all the yield will ripen at the same time.
Although tomatoes are a well-loved household food today, they are said to have originated as wild plants in the Andes, parts of Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia. The word ‘tomato’ is derived from Aztec word “tomatl”, and the first domesticated tomato cultivation goes back to about 500 BC.
In 1519, Cortez came across tomatoes in Mantezuma’s
| and decided to bring seeds over to Europe where they were planted for aesthetic reasons rather than consumption. While these facts show the origins of the tomato plant, scientific research based on evidence found in a prehistoric lakebed in southern Argentina shows a much longer historical context for the tomato that the earliest tomatoes date back 52.2 million years.
13 Most Popular Bush Tomato Varieties
Here is a list of the 13 most popular bush tomato varieties and their characteristics.
1. Early Wonder
Early Wonders are best for those who live in places where the growing season is short, as the crop gets ready in almost two months. They produce a high yield of flavorful tomatoes in a short time.
- Fruit form: round, dark pink color
- Fruit weight: 6 oz.
- Days to maturity: 55
2. Bush Early Girl
Being a hybrid variety of bush tomatoes, Bush Early Girl yields tomatoes more than most other varieties. You can grow this in a growing bag, or a pot and it produces a big batch of tasty and juicy fruits.
- Fruit form: deep red color
- Fruit weight: 6-7 oz. / 170-200 g
- Days to maturity: 54
- Fruits per plant: 100
3. Mountain Merit
This tomato variety is famous for being disease-resistant and producing tasty and prolific tomatoes.
- Fruit form: medium large round
- Fruit weight: 3-3 ½ inches, 10-12 oz.
- Days to maturity: 75
- Fruits per plant: 45
4. Tangerine
Being disease resistant, this variety of tomatoes stands out for growing in containers and hot climates. The fruits have orange skin and a delicious, incredibly sweet taste.
- Fruit form: globe shape and dense meaty texture
- Fruit weight: 6-8 oz.
- Days to maturity: 68
5. Monica Roma
This plant produces a big batch of meaty, flavorful, and delicious red tomatoes perfect for sauces, salsa, and pastes.
- Fruit form: blocky-shaped and elongated
- Fruit weight: 5-8 oz. / 140-225 g
- Days to maturity: 72-74
6. Patio Tomatoes
As the name suggests, you can grow this variety of bush tomatoes on terraces and patios in containers and pots. Don’t judge this variety by its small size, as each plant produces a big batch of tasty red fruits.
- Fruit form: round
- Fruit weight: 3-4 oz. /85-115 g
- Days to maturity: 70
- Fruits per plant: 50
7. Celebrity
This variety stands out for being productive, disease-resistant, and adaptable. Celebrity grows well in variable summers as well as in hot climatic regions.
- Fruit form: medium, round
- Fruit weight: 3-4 inches, 7-10 oz.
- Days to maturity: 70
- Fruits per plant: 30-40
8. Glacier
This tomato variety gets its name for being cold-tolerant and it can even survive a light frost. The plant produces sweet and tasty fruits during the early growing season.
- Fruit form: round, globe-shaped
- Fruit weight: 2-3 oz. / 50-85 g
- Days to maturity: 55
9. Plum Regal
This hybrid variety has very tasty and flavorful fruits like plums and has high yields without any special treatment or chemicals and are best for sauces and salsa.
- Fruit form: plum-shaped
- Fruit weight: 4-6 oz. /110-170 g
- Days to maturity: 80
10. Sunrise Sauce
This is the right kind of tomatoes to grow in small spaces like balconies or terraces as they only grow to a height of 30-36 inches. This high-yielding tomato variety has easy-to-peel bright orange skins with meaty, sweet, and juicy flesh.
- Fruit form: medium, round
- Fruit weight: 4-6 oz. /110-170 g
- Days to maturity: 50-60
11. Better Bush Tomato
This hybrid variety of tomatoes grows in a very strong and compact bush that grows as high as 5 feet. You can grow these in small gardens and containers, but the plants need support to produce red, tasty tomatoes, best for sandwiches and salads.
- Fruit form: medium, round
- Fruit weight: 8 oz. / 220 g
- Days to maturity: 68
- Fruits per plant: 90-120
12. Little Bing Cherry Tomato
It produces large batches of red cherry tomatoes in a short time and a small space, which are best for salads and other tomato dishes.
- Fruit form: small
- Fruit weight: 1 oz. /28 g
- Days to maturity: 60-65
13. Baby Boomer Hybrid
This is a hybrid cherry tomato variety that grows best in balconies and patios and produces large batches of red, cherry-type fruits with a great tomato flavor.
- Fruit form: small, cherry-type
- Fruit weight: 1 oz. / 28 g
- Days to maturity: 50-55
- Fruits per plant: 300
Pros and Cons of Bush Tomatoes
Pros:
- They produce a big easy-to-harvest batch of tomatoes. are compact in size.
- Can be grown in comparatively smaller spaces.
- Once the bush tomato plant has completed its life cycle, it can be removed from the garden and the space used for crop rotation.
- Bush tomatoes are great in how they can survive in different climates and different humidity conditions.
Cons:
- It is not great that these varieties of tomatoes have their fruit ripen at the same time.
- If not planted in a container, they can become quite large.
- Although it is said they don’t need support, they might do better with some supportive framework to which the plant can be tied.
Care Tips for Bush Tomatoes
Bush tomatoes are an easy variety to grow. Place it in a sunny location and it will thrive. The care tips below will help you keep your tomato plants strong and healthy and reward you with a great yield.
· Pots for growing tomatoes
You can grow determinate tomato varieties in pots and containers, but the ideal pot size that allows space for a strong root system is 18-inch diameter.
· Best time to plant
Spring is a great time to prepare the soil and plant your bush tomatoes.
· How to fertilize your bush tomato plants
A mixed liquid fertilizer of 1 tbsp to 4 liters of water every 1 to 2 weeks would keep your plants happy. The fertilizer should be high in phosphorus, medium to high in potassium, and low in nitrogen.
· Soil needs for bush tomatoes
A moist, well-draining soil that is enriched with organic matter will help your tomato plants to thrive.
· Support to the plants
As already mentioned, bush tomato plants do not grow very tall, but still, they may need support because they grow thick and bushy. When the branches bear fruit, they may break under the weight of tomatoes and may collapse.
Cages are a great way to provide support for bush tomato plants as they provide support to the branches as well and can be adjusted according to the size of the plant.
· Pruning
It is thought that determinate tomato plants do not need any pruning. Although they may not need pruning as much as the vine tomatoes, you still need to prune them. When pruning is mindful not to pinch off suckers. Suckers are the new shoot that emerges at the joint where the leaf meets the stem.
Remember to remove the bottom leaves as this increases the airflow and reduces the chances of the plant catching diseases. Having a good airflow means that the plant gets dry quickly, leaving no humidity, and fungal and bacterial diseases do not affect the plant.
Removing yellow leaves is also a good idea, and in case the plant seems overcrowded you could remove some leaves to make sure there is better airflow.
· Harvesting the tomatoes
Since bush tomatoes produce large batches of tomatoes in a single go, you must be prepared for the harvest season. Plan what you will do with your tomatoes whether it be preserving, making chutneys, sun drying or simply gifting to friends.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bush Tomatoes
Bush tomatoes are determinate tomatoes. They grow in the shape of a bush after the plant grows vertically to begin with, then new shoots grow horizontally.
Bush tomatoes have a large yield where all the tomatoes ripen at the same time.
Bush tomatoes are best for drying or canning.
There are many varieties of determinate or bush tomatoes that suit small spaces. For example, Patio Tomatoes are great to be grown in a pot on your patio as the name suggests.
Determinate or bush tomatoes have a short lifespan of about 2 months where they produce fruit and then die.
Topping or pinching the growing tip of your bush tomato plant stops the plant from growing taller where all its energy will focus on ripening the fruit.
If you top your bush tomato, the plant may grow to strengthen its weak leggy stem that can support its yield.
Moderate consumption of tomato seeds isn’t harmful to health but if you have gastrointestinal concerns, it is best to avoid eating tomato seeds.
Wrapping Up
If you have a small garden or want to grow edible plants in containers, then bush tomatoes are a great plant for you. Choose from the 13 most popular bush tomato varieties and follow the care tips so that your tomato plants will thrive.
Remember to be well prepared when your bush tomato yield ripens and if preserving or drying isn’t something you’d consider, you can always impress your friends by gifting a basket of freshly ripened tomatoes.
