VegetableTomato
Bush Champion II Tomato
Slicing Tomato
Bush Champion II is a compact, no-fuss hybrid tomato bred for gardeners who want big flavor from small spaces. This determinate variety reaches just 12 to 36 inches tall, making it ideal for containers, raised beds, and tight garden plots, yet still delivers meaty, flavorful fruit in just 70 to 79 days from transplant. Hardy across zones 2 through 11 and armed with impressive disease resistance, it's a hybrid that proves you don't need sprawling vines to grow outstanding tomatoes.
Photo © True Leaf Market(https://www.trueleafmarket.com/products/tomato-bush-champion-ii-hybrid-seeds)
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam With Organic Matter
Preferred Temp70-85°F
Growth Stats
36 in
Height
PeriodAnnual
TypeBush
Spacing
24-36 inches apart
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
?-?
Size
36in H x ?in W
Growth
Annual
Care
High
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
What sets Bush Champion II apart is its exceptional suitability for small-space gardening without sacrificing the rich, substantial flavor that makes homegrown tomatoes worth the effort. The early maturity combined with its compact, determinate growth habit means you can harvest ripe fruit faster than taller varieties while using a fraction of the garden real estate. Its robust disease resistance profile, including protection against Fusarium Wilt, Verticillium Wilt, Gray Leaf Spot, and Late Blight, makes it a reliable choice for gardeners tired of fighting fungal problems. This is a tomato bred specifically for people who want results in small footprints.
Common Uses
Bush Champion II is grown as a slicing tomato, making it perfect for fresh eating straight from the vine or sliced into salads and sandwiches. The meaty texture and flavorful character that catalogs highlight suggest it would handle cooking applications well, though its primary role is as a fresh-harvest variety. Its compact size and suitability for containers make it equally at home on a sunny patio as in a traditional garden bed.
Growing Timeline
First Bloom
Early Summer
First Harvest
Mid-summer
Last Harvest
Late Summer
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost, planting them 1/4 inch deep in warm soil kept around 70 to 75°F. Seedlings will emerge in 5 to 10 days and should be grown under bright light to prevent leggy growth.
Transplant Outdoors
Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days, then transplant outdoors after the last frost date when soil temperatures reach at least 60°F. Set transplants 24 inches apart with 36 inches between rows, planting them slightly deeper than they were growing in containers to encourage strong root development.
Harvesting
Pick fruit when fully colored and slightly soft to the touch, typically 70 to 79 days after transplanting outdoors. Bush Champion II produces its crop in a relatively concentrated window due to its determinate nature, so you'll often have a generous harvest all at once rather than a long trickle of fruit. Twist or gently cut fruit from the vine, and handle carefully to avoid bruising.
Pruning
Because Bush Champion II is a determinate variety that naturally grows as a compact, bushy plant, minimal pruning is needed, one of the advantages of this growth habit. You can remove the lowest leaves once the plant is established to improve air circulation and reduce disease pressure, but aggressive pruning is unnecessary and can actually reduce your harvest.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Soil pH Range
6 – 6.8
Scientific Classification
Solanum lycopersicum L.
Family
Solanaceae
Genus
Solanum
Duration
Annual, Perennial
Growth Habit
Forb/herb
Native Status
L48 (I)AK (I)HI (I)PR (I)VI (I)CAN (W)