Better Bush
Better Bush: 68-75 days to harvest, 5-10 days to germinate, 18-24 inches between plants, pH 6.0-7.0, hardy in zones 10-11. Fruit runs to about 6-8 oz. Give it full sun (6+ hours) and high water. It will crop in a container. Because this is a hybrid, seed saved from it will not repeat the parent — plan on fresh seed each year.
Sowing
Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost or direct sow after soil warms to 60°F.
Cultivation
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours)
- Water
- High — consistent moisture needed
- Soil
- Well-drained potting mix or garden soil with organic matter
- Soil pH
- 6.0-7.0
- Spacing
- 18-24 inches
- Height
- 1-10 feet
- Season
- Year Round
Appearance & flavour
- Colour
- Classic red
- Size
- 6-8 oz
- Shape
- Round to slightly flattened, smooth shoulders
- Flavour
- Well-balanced classic tomato flavor with good acidity and sweetness
In the kitchen
Slicing, sandwiches, salads, canning, sauce making
Pests, disease & resistance
- Pests
- Whiteflies, aphids, tomato fruitworm
- Diseases
- Early blight, late blight, bacterial speck
- Resistance
- Good resistance to verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt, and tobacco mosaic virus (VFFNt)
Planting calendar by USDA zone
| Zone | Start indoors | Transplant | Direct sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May | July – August | — | September – August |
| 2 | April – May | June – July | — | September |
| 3 | April | June – July | — | August – October |
| 4 | March – April | June | — | August – October |
| 5 | March | May – June | — | August – October |
| 6 | March | May – June | — | July – September |
| 7 | February – March | April – May | — | July – September |
| 8 | February | April – May | — | June – August |
| 9 | January | March – April | — | May – July |
| 10 | January | February – March | — | May – July |
| 11 | January | January – February | — | April – June |
| 12 | January | January – February | — | April – June |
| 13 | January | January – February | — | April – June |
Companion planting
8 beneficial pairings indexed for this variety, 4 to avoid.
Avoid
Nutrition (per 100 g)
- Calories (per 100 g)
- 27
- Protein (g)
- 0.83
- Fat (g)
- 0.63
- Carbohydrate (g)
- 5.51
- Fibre (g)
- 2.1
- Vitamin C (mg)
- 27.2
- Vitamin E (mg)
- 0.98
- Vitamin K (µg)
- 4.2
- Vitamin B6 (mg)
- 0.06
- Folate (µg)
- 10
- Calcium (mg)
- 11
- Iron (mg)
- 0.33
- Magnesium (mg)
- 11.9
- Phosphorus (mg)
- 28
- Potassium (mg)
- 260
- Zinc (mg)
- 0.2
Where to buy seed and equipment
Some links are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Cultivar facts compiled from public horticultural references including USDA GRIN and NC State Extension. Descriptions are original to this catalogue.
Grown Better Bush?
Post a crop report — day counts, reservoir readings, what worked. Variety-specific logs are the most useful thing on the forum.
Similar varieties
Other tomatoes with a comparable time to harvest, so a season that suits Better Bush suits these too.
- Phoenix 68 days
- Campari 70 days
- Atomic Grape 70 days
- Determinate Patio 70 days
- Ace 56 70 days
- Big Beef 70 days