Tomato 'Totem' – Dwarf Patio Bush Tomato (Set of 3 or 6)

Tomato 'Totem' is a dwarf bush tomato bred for pots, balconies and small gardens, with no staking or side-shooting to do.

It makes a neat upright plant of 30 to 45cm and carries a heavy crop of small to medium round red fruit through summer and into early autumn. Pick the fruit when it is fully red and firm, and keep picking, because that is what brings on the next truss.

This is a determinate bush type, so it needs no cane and no pinching out. Stand it in a container, a growing bag, a window box or a small raised bed in a warm sunny sheltered spot. 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 45cm tall by 25 to 35cm across
• Growth Habit: Compact upright dwarf bush, determinate
• Perfect For: Patio containers, balconies, window boxes, growing bags, small raised beds
• Foliage: Mid-green tomato leaves
• Flowering Time: Summer, small yellow flowers before each truss sets
• Planting Position: Full sun and sheltered. Grows well in patio containers and growing 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