Their strongly branched, squat growth gives bush tomatoes a special position within the tomato varieties. As a result, the usual stinging is superfluous - even counterproductive. Other care aspects, on the other hand, come into focus. Here are the details.
Bushy growth welcome
The vast majority of all tomato plants will only give a bountiful harvest if they are grown with one or two shoots. For this purpose, all unwanted side shoots are regularly broken out. This central care measure is referred to as stinging. Bush tomatoes, on the other hand, thrive with luxuriant branches and squat shrubs. The hobby gardener hopes to get a lot of small sweet tomatoes from these varieties, the number of which would be significantly reduced if they were used to the full.
Bush tomatoes are therefore the ideal candidates for planting in tubs on the balcony, terrace or windowsill. Some specimens develop an overhanging habit, so that they even thrive in hanging baskets.
Support upright bush tomatoes
As a limited-growing tomato variety, bush tomatoes rarely exceed the 100 cm mark. However, this circumstance does not exclude the possibility that wind and weather can damage the plants. Even tightly upright varieties therefore receive support at the latest when the fruit could pull them to the ground. These climbing aids are recommended for bush tomatoes:
- green plant sticks, PVC coated, roughened surface for more grip
- Galvanized steel tomato stick with welded hooks for secure tying
- Spiral rod made of aluminum or stainless steel
- Wooden splitter sticks for slow-growing varieties up to 40 centimeters high
- Bamboo tube, turned round, flexible and stable, 4-5 millimeters thick
In order to securely tie the bush tomato shoots to the supports, specialist retailers offer suitable plant ties and clips. Environmentally conscious tomato growers choose the innovative eco paper string or organic clips made from potato starch and lactic acid with rounded edges. The environmentally friendly material is tear-resistant, stable and completely compostable.
tips and tricks
Hanging bush tomatoes are the ultimate sweet vegetable for the balcony and terrace. Plant the tomatoes in a modern hanging basket, a trendy planting idea made of mesh baskets. Here the tendrils find much more space to dangle decoratively and invite you to have a fruity snack in between.