Better Bush
Solanum lycopersicum 'Better Bush'
An award-winning compact determinate variety specifically bred for container gardening and small spaces without sacrificing fruit quality. This bush-type plant produces full-sized, meaty tomatoes on a sturdy 4-foot plant that rarely needs staking. Perfect for patio gardeners and beginners who want reliable, heavy yields in limited space.
Harvest
68-75d
Days to harvest
Sun
Blossom-End Rot of Tomato
Zones
10–11
USDA hardiness
Height
1-10 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Better Bush in USDA Zone 7
All Zone 7 tomato →Zone Map
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Better Bush · Zones 10–11
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | April – April | June – July | — | August – October |
| Zone 4 | March – April | June – June | — | August – October |
| Zone 5 | March – March | May – June | — | August – October |
| Zone 6 | March – March | May – June | — | July – September |
| Zone 7 | February – March | April – May | — | July – September |
| Zone 8 | February – February | April – May | — | June – August |
| Zone 9 | January – January | March – April | — | May – July |
| Zone 10 | January – January | February – March | — | May – July |
Complete Growing Guide
Light: Blossom-End Rot of Tomato, Pepper, and Watermelon. Soil: Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist. Water: Blossom-End Rot of Tomato, Pepper, and Watermelon. Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.. Spread: 1 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.. Spacing: 3 feet-6 feet. Growth rate: Rapid. Maintenance: High. Propagation: Seed. Regions: Coastal, Mountains, Piedmont.
Harvesting
The fruits are smooth, shiny, glossy, and are classified as berries. The size, shape, and color will vary depending on the variety or cultivar. The color of the fruits may be red, yellow, orange, green, purple, or pink. The fruits may contain over 100 yellow to light brown seeds.
Color: Gold/Yellow, Green, Orange, Pink, Purple/Lavender, Red/Burgundy, Variegated. Type: Berry. Length: > 3 inches. Width: > 3 inches.
Garden value: Edible, Showy
Harvest time: Fall, Summer
Bloom time: Fall, Summer
Edibility: The fruits or berries of the tomato are edible. They may be eaten raw, cooked, dried, or processed. They are a rich source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, folic acid, and antioxidants. Lycopene is an antioxidant that gives the tomato its rich red color. Many plants will drop fruit when ripe or the fruit will come off easily. Tomatoes will continue to ripen once picked. Store them at room temperature.
Storage & Preservation
Store fully ripe Better Bush tomatoes at room temperature for optimal flavor – refrigeration dulls their taste and creates a mealy texture. They'll keep 3-5 days on the counter in a single layer, stem-side up. For longer storage, pick slightly underripe fruits and store them in a cool (55-60°F), humid location where they'll ripen gradually over 1-2 weeks.
Better Bush's meaty flesh makes it excellent for sauce making and canning. Blanch and peel easily by scoring an X on the bottom and dipping in boiling water for 30 seconds. Freeze whole for later sauce use, or dice and freeze in portions. The balanced flavor holds up well to dehydrating – slice and dry at 135°F for 8-12 hours for intensely flavored tomato chips.
History & Origin
Better Bush was developed by Burpee Seeds in the 1980s as part of their effort to create tomatoes specifically suited for container growing and small-space gardening. The variety emerged during a period when home gardening was shifting toward patios and urban environments, with gardeners demanding full-sized fruit from compact plants.
This hybrid was bred by crossing determinate varieties with excellent fruit quality traits, focusing on creating a sturdy plant that wouldn't require the intensive staking and pruning of indeterminate varieties. The 'Bush' designation reflects its compact, self-supporting growth habit, while 'Better' indicates the improved fruit quality compared to earlier compact tomato varieties that often sacrificed flavor for size constraints.
Better Bush won All-America Selections recognition for its breakthrough combination of space efficiency and fruit quality, helping establish the modern category of patio tomatoes. It became particularly popular among beginning gardeners and those with limited growing space who previously struggled with unwieldy indeterminate varieties.
Advantages
- +Attracts: Bees, Pollinators, Predatory Insects
- +Wildlife value: The plant is pollinated by bees, especially bumblebees.
- +Edible: The fruits or berries of the tomato are edible. They may be eaten raw, cooked, dried, or processed. They are a rich source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, folic acid, and antioxidants. Lycopene is an antioxidant that gives the tomato its rich red color. Many plants will drop fruit when ripe or the fruit will come off easily. Tomatoes will continue to ripen once picked. Store them at room temperature.
- +Fast-growing
Considerations
- -Toxic (Leaves, Stems): Medium severity
- -High maintenance
Companion Plants
Plant Together
Basil
Repels aphids and whiteflies, may improve tomato flavor
Marigolds
Deters nematodes and aphids with natural compounds
Carrots
Helps break up soil and doesn't compete for nutrients
Parsley
Attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies and parasitic wasps
Chives
Repels aphids and may improve tomato growth and flavor
Nasturtiums
Acts as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles
Lettuce
Provides ground cover and doesn't compete for resources
Borage
Attracts pollinators and may deter hornworms
Keep Apart
Black Walnut
Produces juglone which is toxic to tomato plants
Fennel
Inhibits growth of most garden plants through allelopathy
Brassicas
Competes for nutrients and may stunt tomato growth
Corn
Both attract corn earworm and compete for similar nutrients
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #321360)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Good resistance to verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt, and tobacco mosaic virus (VFFNt)
Common Pests
Whiteflies, aphids, tomato fruitworm
Diseases
Early blight, late blight, bacterial speck