Random tomatoes - can you tell bush from cordon just by *looking*?!

[bugs]

The title says it all, but an explanation:

Among other, named varieties, I'm experimenting with seed from an unusual supermarket tom this year* - so, I don't know anything about its growing habit, and haven't found a commercial/heirloom equivalent to base my advice on.

I'm pretty happy with sideshooting cordons and supporting bush types - but does anybody know any clues/techniques for deciding how best to grow my unknown tomato? I will go half and half (on five plants! ) again if not (tried last year but the blight got the blighters before any conclusions could be drawn).

Perhaps I'm not using the right search terms, but I can't find the answer to my question so I thought I would pop up and ask. Any suggestions or links would be welcome - thanks in advance!

*Green Tiger from M&S in case you are interested or anyone knows about it. It turned up about this time last year and is burgundy fleshed with dark red and green tiger stripes. I've got a number of seed left if anyone else wants to experiment but there are no guarantees.

[Cutecumber]

You can't tell bush from cordon initially, I'm afraid.

Most commercial varieties are grown as cordons as producers just get a lot more for the space, but if this is a small-batch specialist, I guess it could be different.

It looks like Mr Bernard Sparks from Flavourfresh Foods in Lancashire introduced the type to the UK and M&S are loving it.

Sorry for the aside, but... when I was looking for info about the "green tiger" I found a wonderful quote about another new tomato variety...

"it can be eaten on its own or in salad"

My word! What a novelty! he he!

If I see anything more about green tiger I will let you know.

[bluemoon]

Possibly the only way is if it turns out to be 'potato leaved' when it will be a bush variety.

[Eyren]

Since they are being produced specifically for M&S, there isn't much info on them - "trade secrets" and all that. They could even be F1s, in which case growing from seed might not work.

Only thing to do is to grow it and see what happens - if it shoots up and seems like it's going to need a support, bung one in

[smallblueplanet]

Possibly the only way is if it turns out to be 'potato leaved' when it will be a bush variety.

What makes you say that? There are plenty of potato-leafed cordon toms eg stupice and Brandywine.

[Cutecumber]

My Brandywine are semi-determinate (large shrub), but...

...otherwise, I agree that "potato-leaved" does not, necessarily, determine the structure of the plant.

Who has grown Bloody Butcher? That is potato leaved... mine are only young plants so I can't judge as yet. I thought it was going to be cordon type.

[bugs]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

Most commercial varieties are grown as cordons

That's a start at least! I have a feeling I read somewhere that outdoor commercial toms are often bush types to require less staking (and more likely to produce a crop that ripens at once, so more efficient to harvest? Or am I imagining that?). Whereas indoor ones are more likely to be cordons (I think that's to make best use of the heated space)? So I think I'll do three of my five plants as cordons, and two as bushes.

Bloody Butcher - Nickys Nursery sells it and says it is a cordon - Tomato seeds A to F, Heirloom, cherry, mini plum tomato - I think I saw it mentioned on here in the thread about "gold standard" "always grow" varieties. It sounds like a good variety..maybe next year!

They could even be F1s, in which case growing from seed might not work.

Yes, I'd thought that. I did try it last year too, and the rain followed by blight meant I couldn't reach any conclusions as they all looked terrible! However, I did manage to get a couple of trusses of fruit to set, and start to ripen, and they were the right size, with appropriately promising markings, so I live in hope.

However I have a feeling when I was searching I found them under a synonym and that the synonym was available commercially in either Italy or Germany, and *that* was labelled F1. Then again, what the seed companies say is F1 isn't always, I believe!

If I reach any interesting conclusions I'll post back. It is a very pretty and unusual looking fruit so it's worth a few pots of experimenting I think.

Thanks again!