Choosing Tomato Varieties

In these pictures, leaves have been cut away to show what different varieties can produce. You'll see plants 3-4 feet tall loaded with 50-100 tomatoes. You'll see 7-foot plants with over 200 tomatoes. You'll see single plants producing over 100 pounds of fruit.

If I can do it, you can do it. I don't have a green thumb—I just follow simple steps. You will too.

Picking tip: We tend to pick too soon. Wait until the tomato is slightly soft—color alone doesn't mean it's ripe. You'll taste the difference.

Celebrity

Type: Hybrid
Growth habit: Bush, 4½ feet tall, 3½ feet wide
Size: Medium, 6-10 oz
Flavor: Good, thin skin
Notes: Old standby. Packed with tomatoes—this plant has over 100.

Champion

Type: Hybrid
Growth habit: Vine, 7-8 feet tall
Size: Medium, 6-8 oz
Flavor: Good
Notes: Another old standby. Way over 150 tomatoes on this plant. Growing in self-watering container.

Early Girl

Type: Hybrid
Growth habit: Vine, 8 feet tall
Size: Smaller, 6-8 oz
Flavor: Not my favorite—thicker skin, less flavorful
Notes: Growing in half-wine barrel self-watering container. Over 200 tomatoes. Not my top pick, but lots of people love it and plant it every year.

Big Beef

Type: Hybrid
Growth habit: Vine
Size: Large, 10-16 oz
Flavor: Excellent—thin skin, lots of flavor
Notes: One of my favorites. One plant easily produces over 100 pounds. 1994 All America Selection. Same breeder as Celebrity. A must to plant every year.

Better Boy

Type: Hybrid
Growth habit: Vine
Size: Beefsteak, 10-16 oz
Flavor: Sweet, thin skin—doesn't get better
Notes: Probably the most popular tomato in the U.S. Easiest and best for Southern California. Can easily produce over 100 pounds per plant. Past records show one plant produced over 300 pounds. Probably my favorite hybrid. A must plant every year.

Cherokee Purple

Type: Heirloom
Growth habit: Vine, 6 feet tall
Size: Large, 10-12 oz (largest 1½ pounds)
Flavor: Excellent—dark meat, thin skin
Notes: A must for growing every year. Absolutely great tasting.

Lemon Boy

Type: Hybrid
Growth habit: Vine, 7 feet tall
Size: Tennis ball, 6-7 oz
Flavor: Mild
Notes: Favorite for people looking for mild flavor. Easily 100 tomatoes per plant.

San Diego

Type: Hybrid
Growth habit: Bush, 3½ feet tall, 3 feet wide
Size: Medium, 6-10 oz
Flavor: Good, thin skin
Notes: Known as the tomato that saved San Diego. Peel back those leaves and it really packs up with tomatoes. This plant has 50-75 easily.

Brandywine Red

Type: Heirloom
Growth habit: Vine, 8 feet tall
Size: Beefsteak
Flavor: Good, thin skin
Notes: Potato leaf type. Year after year, Brandywine is always in the top 3 national taste testing. A must to try. Plenty of tomatoes for an heirloom.

Brandywine Pink

Type: Heirloom
Growth habit: Vine, over 6 feet
Size: Beefsteak, 8-16 oz (largest 2 pounds)
Flavor: Great, thin skin
Notes: I like the flavor of Pink over Red. Great heirloom, easy to grow in Southern California. A must to grow each year.

Mr. Stripey

Type: Heirloom
Growth habit: Vine, over 8 feet tall, 4 feet wide
Size: Large
Flavor: Really great—thin skin
Notes: I was surprised and impressed with the flavor. Caught mildew easily yet still produced lots of tomatoes. I'll plant it again.

San Marzano

Type: Heirloom
Growth habit: Vine
Size: Paste type
Flavor: Stronger, sweeter, less acidic than Roma
Notes: Thinner and more pointed than Roma. Thicker flesh with fewer seeds. Favorite of chefs. Great for cooking—canning, homemade tomato sauce, pasta sauce. Longer season than other paste types. Store-bought Roma was created by crossing San Marzano with two other varieties.

Cherry Tomatoes

Husky Cherry Red

Type: Hybrid
Growth habit: Bush, 5 feet tall
Size: Cherry
Flavor: Best cherry tomato flavor—doesn't get better
Notes: My favorite cherry tomato. Always attracts mildew but always lots of tomatoes.

Sun Gold Cherry

Type: Heirloom
Growth habit: Vine, 12-15 feet
Size: Cherry
Flavor: Great
Notes: Probably the easiest cherry tomato to grow—grows like a weed. Vines easily reach 12-15 feet producing lots of tomatoes. This one grew up over the cage and back down to ground level.

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Next Steps

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Learn growing fundamentals →
Choose the right soil →

Dave Freed / The Tomato Guy