Goliath Bush, Better Bush and any Bush

TomatoDon · October 19, 2021

The season is over and I had a very good year and sold a lot of tomatoes. My main disappointment was a bed of about 60 "Pink Brandywine" that a friend gave me. Production was low, they split easily, and were so gnarled and mis-shapen that we only picked a few and nobody wanted them. If I do Brandywine again, I'll do the seeds myself -- Sudduth -- and only a few just for me to enjoy.

A couple of years ago I tried some bush varieties -- Goliath Goliath and Better Bush, and they actually did pretty good for container grown. I like growing in containers but when our Mississippi sun heats up in July and August, the containers heat up too and then it's all down hill from there.

Since we have time to reflect over the past season and think about next year, I wanted to see if anyone has grown the bush varieties for market. I thought the production was good, the size was ample and the flavor was good. Claims for some varieties say they will bear until front. One thing I especially like was the lack of staking and caging for most of them.

I did not grow any this year, so I wanted to see if any of you grow these bush varieties for market. I heard new Big Dwarf is another good one to try, and maybe a couple more. Another consideration of mine is I want some that are very stocky and don't need caging, similar to what i grew in containers two seasons ago.

Looking forward to hearing what you have to say about bush varieties for market growing.

Thanks in advance!

Don

creeker · October 23, 2021

The last couple of years I have grown some Bush Celebrity tomatoes (not the usual semi-determinate variety). I didn't know there was a bush Celebrity until I hunted websites and found out. Anyway these little babes are producing machines for me. I had 7 this year and they produced as much salable fruit as 20 of other varieties mixed dwarf and others. I say salable fruit because they are round and there is little misshapen and catfacing, tho some cracking if watered more than necessary. They average about 6 to 8 ounces, reach about 3 feet tall and the bonus is they are great tasting.

Greatgardens · October 23, 2021

How long did the Bush Celebrity produce for you? (Did you need to make two plantings?) I've never grown BC, but sounds interesting.

BTW, the highest yielding, prettiest tomato I've ever grown is Stellar. But so-so taste. The best-ever tasting slicing tomato for me is Galahad. It had BER issues, but I grew it in a 10-gallon grow bag. Both of these are F1 determinates. Neither are huge plants, but Stellar was smaller.

creeker · October 24, 2021

Bush celebrity produced very well for me. I planted 7 the first of April; 3 in buckets on rain gutters and 4 in ground. All my bucket tomatoes got early blight in August due to weather and my inexperience with the disease so lost them but the celebs lasted longest. I still have 3 of the 4 in ground left and still producing.. Celebrity has long been my favorite tomato because of its dependability, good production and long life. The seed was from SeedsnSuch. It is described on their catalogs Bush page so I should have known.

October 19, 2021	#1
TomatoDon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MS Posts: 1,521	Goliath Bush, Better Bush and any Bush The season is over and I had a very good year and sold a lot of tomatoes. My main disappointment was a bed of about 60 "Pink Brandywine" that a friend gave me. Production was low, they split easily, and were so gnarled and mis-shapen that we only picked a few and nobody wanted them. If I do Brandywine again, I'll do the seeds myself -- Sudduth -- and only a few just for me to enjoy. A couple of years ago I tried some bush varieties -- Goliath Goliath and Better Bush, and they actually did pretty good for container grown. I like growing in containers but when our Mississippi sun heats up in July and August, the containers heat up too and then it's all down hill from there. Since we have time to reflect over the past season and think about next year, I wanted to see if anyone has grown the bush varieties for market. I thought the production was good, the size was ample and the flavor was good. Claims for some varieties say they will bear until front. One thing I especially like was the lack of staking and caging for most of them. I did not grow any this year, so I wanted to see if any of you grow these bush varieties for market. I heard new Big Dwarf is another good one to try, and maybe a couple more. Another consideration of mine is I want some that are very stocky and don't need caging, similar to what i grew in containers two seasons ago. Looking forward to hearing what you have to say about bush varieties for market growing. Thanks in advance! Don __________________ Zone 7B, N. MS

October 23, 2021	#3
Greatgardens Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,124	How long did the Bush Celebrity produce for you? (Did you need to make two plantings?) I've never grown BC, but sounds interesting. BTW, the highest yielding, prettiest tomato I've ever grown is Stellar. But so-so taste. The best-ever tasting slicing tomato for me is Galahad. It had BER issues, but I grew it in a 10-gallon grow bag. Both of these are F1 determinates. Neither are huge plants, but Stellar was smaller. Last edited by Greatgardens; October 24, 2021 at 08:21 AM.

October 23, 2021	#2
creeker Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Southern New Mexico Posts: 106	The last couple of years I have grown some Bush Celebrity tomatoes (not the usual semi-determinate variety). I didn't know there was a bush Celebrity until I hunted websites and found out. Anyway these little babes are producing machines for me. I had 7 this year and they produced as much salable fruit as 20 of other varieties mixed dwarf and others. I say salable fruit because they are round and there is little misshapen and catfacing, tho some cracking if watered more than necessary. They average about 6 to 8 ounces, reach about 3 feet tall and the bonus is they are great tasting.

October 24, 2021	#4
creeker Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Southern New Mexico Posts: 106	Bush celebrity produced very well for me. I planted 7 the first of April; 3 in buckets on rain gutters and 4 in ground. All my bucket tomatoes got early blight in August due to weather and my inexperience with the disease so lost them but the celebs lasted longest. I still have 3 of the 4 in ground left and still producing.. Celebrity has long been my favorite tomato because of its dependability, good production and long life. The seed was from SeedsnSuch. It is described on their catalogs Bush page so I should have known.