Baxter's Early Bush Tomato

Why I grow it

Baxter's Early Bush is one of those wonderfully practical tomatoes. It's compact, productive and gets on with making tomatoes without trying to take over the entire garden. Mine forms a sturdy little plant absolutely loaded with red fruit, making it a great choice when you want a decent crop without building major tomato infrastructure around it.

At a glance

Type: Cherry / small salad tomato
Growth: Determinate bush
Fruit: Small, round, red
Position: Full sun
Habit: Compact and productive
Best for: Smaller gardens and containers
Support: Light support when heavily laden

In the kitchen

A really useful everyday tomato — sweet, juicy and a good size for salads, lunchboxes, snacking and general kitchen use. Because the plants can produce generously, it's also the sort of tomato that's handy to have when you want a steady supply rather than carefully rationing three precious beefsteaks.

In the garden

This is where Baxter's Early Bush really earns its place. Rather than producing long indeterminate vines, it forms a compact bush and crops early. It's particularly useful for smaller gardens and containers, or simply for filling a gap where you don't want another enormous tomato vine.

Don't mistake compact for unproductive, though — my plants can become absolutely covered in fruit, so a little support is worthwhile once the crop starts weighing down the branches.

Care

Grow in full sun in fertile, well-drained soil or a generous container. Water consistently as the fruit develops and feed during flowering and fruiting. There's no need to train it like an indeterminate tomato; let it form its natural bushy shape and add support if heavily laden.

What you'll receive
One healthy, established  tomato seedling grown here at A Garden Between. Plants naturally vary in size and shape and may be supplied in reused nursery pots or growing bags — perfectly useful plastic doesn't need replacing simply because it doesn't match.