Tomato 'Veranda Red' – Patio Bush Tomato (5L Pot)

Tomato 'Veranda Red' is a compact patio tomato supplied as a large 5 litre plant for a stronger start and an earlier crop.

It forms a neat bushy plant of 30 to 60cm tall and 30 to 50cm across, and carries flavour-packed cherry tomatoes through summer and into early autumn. The bigger pot means a deeper, more established root system than a young plant, so it settles quickly once it goes into its final position.

This is a determinate bush type, so it needs little support and no side-shooting, which makes it a straightforward first tomato. Give it full sun in a warm sheltered spot, in a container, on a patio, on a balcony or in a small garden bed. Plants are grown in peat-free compost in Yorkshire. 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 one large, well-established plant in a 5 litre pot. 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 60cm tall by 30 to 50cm across
• Growth Habit: Compact bush, determinate
• Perfect For: Patio containers, balconies, small gardens, raised beds
• Foliage: Mid-green, cut tomato leaves
• Flowering Time: Summer, small yellow flowers before each truss sets
• Planting Position: Full sun, warm and sheltered. Grows well in patio containers
• Soil Type: Fertile, moist, well-drained 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: Little support needed and no side-shooting. Feed weekly with high potash once the first fruits swell
• Seasonal Interest: Summer and autumn
• Type: Tender annual fruiting vegetable, grow your own