Variety field guide
What to expect from Bush Early Girl F1 Tomato
Bush Early Girl brings an early crop of smooth red slicing tomatoes to a compact, determinate plant.
Open the complete descriptionHide the complete descriptionVariety traits, flavor, garden use, and the complete description
Bush Early Girl brings an early crop of smooth red slicing tomatoes to a compact, determinate plant. The meaty fruit has a balanced sweet-tart flavor for sandwiches, salads and fresh garden plates. A bushier relative of Early Girl, it suits a small vegetable bed or a large patio container with good root room. Fruit sets over a concentrated period, so a simple cage helps carry the crop and keeps ripening tomatoes easy to reach.
Minimum seeds per packet: 25 seeds.
An early red slicer on a compact determinate plant.
Variety and background
Bush Early Girl F1 is determinate. The identified supplier lists approximately 63 days from transplanting, not 50-59 days from sowing.
Growing facts
| Scientific name | Solanum lycopersicum L. |
|---|---|
| Life cycle | Annual |
| Maturity / harvest basis | About 63 days from transplanting |
| Seed depth | 1/4 in |
| Germination | 6-12 days |
| Germination temperature | 75-85 F |
| Plant height / spread | Compact determinate plants; support fruiting branches |
| Habit | Determinate |
| Plant spacing | 24 in |
| Row spacing | 36 in |
| Sunlight | Full sun |
| Pollination type | Hybrid (F1) |
Starting from seed
Start indoors 6-8 weeks before planting, 1/4 in. deep. At 75-85 F allow 6-12 days. Harden off; set out after frost with warm nights. Space 24-36 in. apart, rows 36 in. apart. Cage at planting, mulch and water soil evenly.
Planting and care
Start indoors 6-8 weeks before planting, 1/4 in. deep. At 75-85 F allow 6-12 days. Harden off; set out after frost with warm nights. Space 24-36 in. apart, rows 36 in. apart. Cage at planting, mulch and water soil evenly. Bush Early Girl F1 is determinate. The identified supplier lists approximately 63 days from transplanting, not 50-59 days from sowing.
Harvest and use
Check near 63 days after transplanting. Pick fully red fruit with a slight give; keep at room temperature for best flavor. Avoid heavy pruning of this determinate plant. This F1 hybrid will not reliably come true from saved seed.
Saving seed
Bush Early Girl F1 is listed as Hybrid (F1). Seed saved from an F1 tomato can be grown for experimentation, but the next generation may segregate and will not reliably reproduce the same fruit, habit, maturity, or flavor. To experiment, bag blossoms before they open, label the fruit, ferment seed briefly in its gel, rinse, dry thoroughly, and keep the lot clearly marked as saved from an F1 hybrid.
Common problems
Bush Early Girl F1 can be affected by flea beetles, aphids, tomato hornworms, fruitworms, early blight, Septoria leaf spot, bacterial spot, cracking, catfacing, and blossom-end rot. Rotate crops, support plants for airflow, mulch to reduce soil splash, water at the root zone, remove badly diseased debris, and inspect plants regularly. Cultivar names and old catalog descriptions should not be treated as proof of disease resistance unless a specific resistance package is documented.
Frequently asked questions
What distinguishes this selection?
Bush Early Girl F1 is determinate. The identified supplier lists approximately 63 days from transplanting, not 50-59 days from sowing.
How should I start it?
Start indoors 6-8 weeks before planting, 1/4 in. deep. At 75-85 F allow 6-12 days. Harden off; set out after frost with warm nights. Space 24-36 in. apart, rows 36 in. apart. Cage at planting, mulch and water soil evenly.
When and how should I harvest?
Check near 63 days after transplanting. Pick fully red fruit with a slight give; keep at room temperature for best flavor. Avoid heavy pruning of this determinate plant. This F1 hybrid will not reliably come true from saved seed.
Can I save seed?
Bush Early Girl F1 is listed as Hybrid (F1). Seed saved from an F1 tomato can be grown for experimentation, but the next generation may segregate and will not reliably reproduce the same fruit, habit, maturity, or flavor. To experiment, bag blossoms before they open, label the fruit, ferment seed briefly in its gel, rinse, dry thoroughly, and keep the lot clearly marked as saved from an F1 hybrid.
