Tomato 'Jo & Grace' – Patio Cherry Tomato (Set of 3 or 6)

Tomato 'Jo & Grace' is a compact patio pairing that carries trusses of red and golden-yellow cherry tomatoes on neat bushy plants.

The habit is naturally tidy at 30 to 50cm tall and about the same across, which is what makes it a pot plant rather than a border one. Pick the fruit as it ripens through midsummer and into early autumn, and pick often, because that is what keeps the next truss setting.

This is a determinate bush type, so there is no cane to put in and no side shoots to take out. Stand the pots, planters or grow bags in a warm sheltered spot in full sun, and give window boxes and raised beds the same treatment. Plant it out only once all risk of frost has passed, because tomatoes are killed outright by the first frost and set back badly by cold nights. Water evenly rather than in bursts, since erratic watering is what causes blossom end rot and split fruit, and feed with a high-potash tomato feed once the first truss has set. Supplied as three or six established plants in 1 litre root balls. Tomato foliage is in the same family as potato and is a known risk to pets, so keep animals away from the plants.

Cultural Information

• Common Name: Tomato
• Fully Grown Height and Spread: 30 to 50cm tall by 30 to 40cm across, variety dependent
• Growth Habit: Compact, bushy, determinate. No staking or side-shooting
• Perfect For: Patio containers, grow bags, window boxes, raised beds, small gardens
• Foliage: Mid-green, aromatic tomato leaves
• Flowering Time: Summer, small yellow flowers before each truss sets
• Planting Position: Full sun and sheltered. Grows well in patio containers and grow bags
• Soil Type: Fertile, well-drained, moisture-retentive soil or a quality peat-free compost
• Hardiness: Not hardy. Killed by the first frost, so it is a summer only crop and goes outside only once frost has passed
• Maintenance: No staking and no side-shooting needed on a bush type. Feed weekly with high potash once fruiting starts
• Seasonal Interest: Summer and autumn
• Type: Tender annual fruiting vegetable, grow your own