are Better Bush determinate or indeterminate?

[Lonesomedave]

I saw some Better Bush tomato plants for sale at Sam's Club.....looked big and tempting....the tag said "indeterminate"

got home and looked them up on the internet...Park Seeds description said indeterminate also, but most of the articles called them determinate

I just wondered...are there more than one variety called Better Bush?...or is someone mistaken...maybe they are semi-determinate?

any thoughts appreciated

[PaulF]

Better Bush is a compact plant designed for growing in a container and all I can find is that it is a determinate. It could be a semi and you will be able to string out the ripe fruits for a couple of weeks.

[Juliuskitty]

https://bonnieplants.com/products/vegeta ... ush-tomato

[Lonesomedave]

I read Bonnie's description and I also read a lot of the materials you all referred to that said they were determinate

however, the tag on the plants said unequivocally "indeterminate" and Park's site description also called them indeterminate

I guess what I need is someone that has actual first hand knowledge from having grown them, and can give me some insight into how long they produce



ps--edit....well, I think I have my answer...on another site there was a post from someone who grew them. he called them semi-determinate and said one that he grew had fruit all the way till frost killed it...I think that is the answer....they are semi-determinate...apparently their growth pattern is like determinate, but the production is almost like indeterminate

[ArtB]

The ones I've grown in 5 gallon buckets did well & lasted awhile best I can remember but most of them I would transplant in 5 gal buckets & give them to friends that couldn't plant a garden for one reason or another. They always enjoyed them & told me how long they lasted but....?

[imafan26]

I think of better bush as a determinate more than an indeterminate. They are short usually under 4 ft and bushy. The put on all of their fruit generally around the same time and ripen more or less at the same time.

I consider a tomato to be an indeterminate when the terminal bud keeps growing and fruit is put on and ripens more or less in stages and not all at once. Indeterminates are usually much taller than 5 ft.

After a determinate has put on all of the fruit, it usually won't put on any more. It is done.

[Lonesomedave]

if anybody is interested, I think I finally know the answer from personal experience.

the plants they had at Sam's club were so big and healthy, and at such a good price, that I bought one pot, which had three plants growing in it.

the plants have doubled in size....there are now several large tomatoes on the plant, not ripening yet, but getting there. there are also several really small tomatoes, just starting and a whole mess of blooms just waiting to turn into tomatoes

so, if the definition of determinate is that it sets a whole bunch of fruit which get ripe at the same time, Better Bush does not do that

the plant does appear that it will be much much smaller than my other, indeterminate, tomatoes, however.

so, by my understanding of "semi-determinate", that's what better bush is...it has the growth pattern of a determinate plant, but it's production is more like an indeterminate one.

can't say whether it will produce fruit all summer, obviously, but it's production so far does not appear to be determinate.

[grrlgeek]

Tatiana's Tomatobase lists Better Bush F1 as an indeterminate https://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Better_Bush_F1 The supplier referenced in the database describes Better Bush VFN Hybrid thusly: "Stocky plants grow 3 to 4 ft. tall with an upright habit, making staking needs minimal. Compact indeterminate." https://www.tomatogrowers.com/BETTER-BUS ... 270--BULK/ I guess the proof will be in whether it continues to produce. Keep us posted!

[Juliuskitty]

Hi Dave, here's one way to be sure. Count the internodes (spaces of stem between the leafs)between the blossom/fruit trusses. If there are 2 internodes between the inflorescenses it is determinate. If there are 3 internodes between, then it is indeterminate. Please let us know.

[Lonesomedave]

julius...

I'm not sure if that is true...I counted, and some have 2 others have 3...so I went to my other plants which are definitely indeterminate...some definitely do have 3, but others 2 and some had none at all...that is, there was a flower node, followed by another flower node immediately up the plant

am I doing something wrong?

[applestar]

I thought determinate shoots TERMINATE in floral/fruit truss and indeterminates have floral/fruit truss and a growing shoot that keeps going/growing.

I'm still wrapping my head around semi-determinate and semi-indeterminate classification.

...I'm thinking this would be a SUPER indeterminate:
Subject: Oddball tomato growth....

[imafan26]

I found better bush listed as determinate, indeterminate and indeterminate short internodes. If it is a determinate the plant will stop producing once terminal buds set fruit and the plant will produce most of the fruit, many ripening at the same time over a two month period and then rapidly decline. If it is an indeterminate, it will set fruit over a longer time.