It is estimated that there are around 35,000 different tomato varieties worldwide - most of them exist in the South American home countries of the fruit vegetable. But even in this country, the abundance of varieties is almost unmanageable, and new breeds are constantly being added. However, not all varieties are suitable for raised beds.
Tomatoes also thrive in raised beds - but not all varieties
The size is what matters
For example, strong-growing varieties that grow up to 200 centimeters tall hardly fit in normal raised beds - since the plants grow so tall, you would need a ladder in a normal high raised bed to be able to harvest the fruits. In a low raised bed, the cultivation of pole and beef tomatoes is quite possible, provided that the volume of soil per plant is at least 15 liters. Planted outdoors, tomatoes form their main root mass about 30 to 60 centimeters below the surface. Incidentally, this also applies to high-growing cocktail, cherry or cherry tomatoes with their small, often sweet fruits, as well as truss or vine tomatoes, from which the entire pod is harvested.
The best varieties for raised beds
The following groups of varieties, which grow quite compactly, also do well in conventional or smaller raised beds (e.g. in balcony or table raised beds).
| variety group | growth height | growth | fruit | suitable varieties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bush or balcony tomatoes | usually only 30 to 60 centimeters | bushy branched | small to medium-sized, mostly round | 'Balconi Yellow' (yellow), 'Balkonstar', 'Bogus Fruchta', 'Donna', 'Heartbreakers Vita' (heart-shaped), 'Ida Gold' (yellow-orange), 'Incas' (egg-shaped), 'Patio', Paulinchen' (yellow), 'Red Robin', 'Rentita', 'Little Red Riding Hood' |
| Hanging or traffic light tomatoes | different | flat, with long, overhanging shoots | mostly small | 'Whippersnapper', 'Fuzzy Wuzzy' (red and yellow stripes), 'Raspberry Rose', 'Pendulina Red', 'Tumbler', 'Tumbling Tom Red', 'Tumbling Tom Yellow' |
| Low cocktail tomatoes | usually 60 to 80 centimeters | bushy | usually small, very aromatic | 'Brillantino', 'Currant Gold Rush' (yellow), 'Gartenperle', 'Ovalino' (ovoid), 'Tiny Tim', 'Totem' |
Is pinching necessary?
Side shoots are young side shoots that grow from the leaf axils. In the case of tall tomatoes, the development of strong stinging shoots is at the expense of the fruit. They should therefore be broken out or cut off regularly and early. This is not necessary with bush or hanging tomatoes, with low cocktail tomatoes only if the stinging shoots develop excessively.
tips
In a rainy late summer and autumn, fungal late blight often spoils the pleasure of harvesting. This can be prevented with a temporary foil roof construction or a simple “tomato house” made of foil over a frame made of aluminum rods.