The tomato is the most popular home-grown crop.
Tomatoes are highly popular in home gardens for their ease of growth and their payoff in great summer eating. To select a good tomato to grow in your garden, first assess what you want from your tomato plant, whether it be a fast yield, particularly tasty fruit or pest resistance. Consider how well your climate suits the varieties you're considering. With these factors in mind, you can find good varieties that will meet your needs.
Determinate and Indeterminate
There are two main types of tomato plant: determinate and indeterminate. Determinate plants stop growing after flowering, their fruits mature quickly, and you may need successive plantings for continuous crops. They are, however, easier to control and support. Indeterminate plants will keep growing and producing leaves and flowers after the initial flowering and generally produce more foliage and better-tasting fruits, although they can be late to mature and require more support and care.
First Early Varieties
"First Early" varieties are best for cooler climates with shorter growing periods such as the northern United States. These plants have a short growing period, with specimens such as the "Sub Arctic" taking only 45 days to reach maturity. The "Early Girl" is the quickest to produce full-sized fruit at 54 days, while the "Quick Pick" variety is the most resistant to diseases and pests of the "" specimens. The quality and fruit size of these varieties are not always optimal, as the focus is on the quick harvest.
Medium-Early Varieties
The "Medium-Early" tomatoes have a standard harvest time of 60 through 69 days after germination. Their fruits are generally considered to be higher quality than those of the "First Early" varieties, although they are not as reliable as the "" specimens. The "Champion" is an indeterminate "Medium-Early" that produces large fruits at around 65 days and is notably resistant to diseases and pests, including fusarium and nematodes.
Main Crop Varieties
In general, "Main Crop" varieties produce medium to large, high-quality fruit. They are usually easy to grow in zones 4 through 8 and produce a high yield with few deformities. The "Celebrity" produces large, high-yielding, determinate plants, which are resistant to diseases and pests, while the "Better Boy" is indeterminate with similar qualities and is more widely available.
Salad Varieties
Salad varieties produce many small, sweet-tasting fruits on each plant. They grow vigorously and often benefit from pruning to keep them in check. The "Super Sweet 100" and "Sweet Million" specimens both produce cherry-sized, red fruits in large clusters and have some resistance to disease, while the "Mountain Belle" yields slightly larger fruits that resist cracking and ripen well.
Container Varieties
Some tomato varieties have been developed specifically for use in container or patio gardens where traditional gardening is not possible. These varieties are generally determinate and dwarf, to reduce the amount of attention they need by way of pruning and staking. They produce lower-quality fruits than the "Main Crop" plants. Examples of traditional container varieties include "Tiny Tim", "Cherry Gold", "Red Robin" and "Small Fry". The more recent "Husky" varieties are also suitable for container plant and are bred to resemble "Main Crop" varieties, with larger fruits and good disease resistance.
Novelty Varieties
There are various novelty varieties of tomato that have been developed mainly for their unusual appearance. "Extra Large" specimens such as the "Supersteak" and "Beefmaster" have extremely large, late maturing fruits with a meaty texture. The "Delicious" variety holds the world record for the largest tomato at 7 pounds, 12 ounces. Yellow, orange and pink tomatoes are also available and have a sweeter taste when compared to "Main Crop" reds. "Mountain Gold" yields deep tangerine-colored fruits at 70 days after germination, "Lemon Boy" produces mild-flavored, lemon yellow tomatoes at 72 days, and "Pink Girl" brings crack-resistant pink fruits to maturity at 76 days.
Tags: Main Crop, First Early, , resistant diseases, resistant