Blog: Giving ladders the heave-ho by choosing determinate varieties
Ladders? Determinate? What? Don’t worry, growing bush tomatoes under glass is my way of enabling me to keep on cultivating my favourite crop. Tomatoes are divided into indeterminate (cordon) varieties, which need side shooting and will hit the roof of your greenhouse or conservatory easily.
In the conservatory, everything grows on benches, meaning everything hits a high ceiling! This is where picking becomes difficult for me, as I need to get up a ladder – not good for someone with balance problems! However, there are also determinate (bush) varieties, which need no side shooting and will happily grow in pots on a bench. I’ve decided this is the way to go for me – smaller yields but I can fit more plants in.
Favourite tomato
The only exception to this is the cordon variety Rosella, my favourite tomato, which I’ll be growing in my greenhouse. It is grown in a bed, so I can still reach the fruit when ripe. I’ve only grown bush variety Maskotka before, and it was OK – I’m hoping these three will be better. They’re all cherry tomatoes and widely available. Check out my growing tomatoes from seed page for detailed information.
My seeds are up now, sowed on February 26 on a heat mat – they’d all germinated within a week and are growing on at a cooler temperature. Here’s more on the varieties:
Losetto
This cascading bush tomato has built-in blight resistance. It produces masses of sweet, juicy tomatoes from July to September. Grow Losetto in containers under glass or on the patio in warmer areas, or in rich soil in a sunny spot in the garden. Height and spread: 30cm.
Garden Pearl
Also known as Gartenperle, this tumbling tomato bears small, pink-red tomatoes on compact plants. Grow in a pot or hanging basket, where its foliage and fruit will trail over the sides. Its bush habit makes it ideal for pots, tubs and window boxes. Height and spread: 35cm x 50cm.
Tumbling Tom Red
An early variety, Tumbling Tom Red, produces sweet and juicy cherry tomatoes. The compact bush plants cascade over the sides of baskets or containers. Suitable for pots both outdoors and under glass. Height and spread: 30cm.
Rosella
The only cordon in this year’s line-up, Rosella’s rose-pink skin has smoky overtones. However, it’s not the colour that makes it my favourite, but the taste, with high levels of sweetness and acidity for a stand-out flavour. Expect heavy crops of thin-skinned 15g fruits, best eaten raw. Height x spread: 200cm x 50cm. Hope you enjoy growing bush tomatoes under glass this season – have fun!
