How to Select the Right Tomato Varieties for Your Garden
Tomatoes | Part 1
When you grow your own tomatoes, variety matters. The right tomato for your garden depends on your climate, soil, growing space, and culinary goals. This guide will help you choose wisely so you can enjoy bountiful harvests and delicious meals.
1. Heirloom vs. Hybrid vs. Open-Pollinated
Heirloom: These are old, stable varieties passed down through generations. They offer rich, complex flavors and unique colors and shapes. However, they can be more prone to disease.
Hybrid: These are cross-bred for traits like disease resistance, uniformity, and productivity. Great choice for reliable yields, but may lack the nuanced flavors of heirlooms.
Open-Pollinated: These breed true from seed and allow for seed saving. Many heirlooms are open-pollinated, but not all open-pollinated varieties are heirloom.
2. Determinate vs. Indeterminate
Determinate: These grow to a set height and produce most of their fruit over a few weeks. Ideal for container gardening or for growers who want a concentrated harvest for canning.
Indeterminate: These continue growing and producing fruit all season. Best for gardeners who want a continuous fresh supply of tomatoes.
3. Match Varieties to Climate and Soil
Hot climates: Look for heat-tolerant varieties such as 'Heatmaster' or 'Phoenix.'
Short seasons: Choose early producers like 'Stupice' or 'Siberian.'
Humid regions: Opt for disease-resistant varieties to combat fungal issues.
Test your soil and amend it as needed. Tomatoes thrive in well-drained, fertile soil with a pH of 6.0-6.8.
4. Flavor and Intended Use
Fresh eating: 'Brandywine,' 'Cherokee Purple,' 'Sun Gold'
Canning and sauces: 'Roma,' 'San Marzano,' 'Amish Paste'
Drying: 'Principe Borghese,' 'Juliet'
On my own farm this season, I’m growing a mix of beloved slicers, heirlooms, and experimental lines — including Pink Brandywine, Kellogg’s Breakfast, Dragon’s Eye, Porkchop (my most popular variety), and Barry’s Crazy Cherry. I also run small breeding projects each year to stabilize certain varieties, like a Pink Heart Extra Large and Cherry Bundles. I always recommend that growers plant a few tried-and-true tomatoes alongside at least one new-to-you variety — it keeps the garden exciting and builds knowledge over time.
5. A Few More Tips
Grow a mix! This gives you a variety of flavors and harvest times.
Save seeds from your favorites.
Keep a garden journal to track what performs well each season.
In Part 2, we’ll cover how to start tomato seeds for strong, healthy plants. Stay tuned and happy gardening!
2025 GROWING SEASON
🍅 What’s Growing on My Farm This Year
Here’s my current tomato lineup — a mix of favorites, flavor tests, and breeding projects:
Classic / Market Favorites
Pink Brandywine
Pink Beefsteak
Yellow Beefsteak
Beefsteak
Specialty / Heirloom / Flavor Showcase
Kellogg’s Breakfast
Dad’s Sunset
Genosova
Porkchop
Dragon’s Eye
Experimental Lines (future production)
Mottle Boar
Pink Heart Extra Large
Perfect Heart
Cherry / Small Fruit Tomatoes
Black Cherry
German Lunch Box
Barry’s Crazy Cherry
Cherry Bundles (cluster-fruiting test)
Summer time and livings easy :)
