Which Tomato Should I Grow?

You know how those tomatoes in the seed catalogs sound so tempting and wonderful? Guess what? They will not all grow well in your area. Here in the Southeast, I do not even entertain the thoughts of growing something that mentions Siberia or the Dakotas.  Here, you need something that will stand up to heat and humidity. How do you know which ones those are? 
**Don't try to grow from seed unless you are starting them in February.  At this point, go buy plants.

• Ask other experienced gardeners what kinds they grow.Pay attention to what local garden centers carry. The nurseries that they buy from generally try to grow varieties that are proven in your area.

• If you have a local arboretum or botanical garden, they may have a spring plant sale to help raise money. Find out when it is and GO! You will meet gardeners who are experts in their area. Ask questions. You will learn a lot and you will meet some really nice people who love to share what they know.  

• Read the label.  Look for words like "disease resistant" and "stands up to heat."  If it has some letters at the end like V or VFT, etc, those stand for every disease it's resistant to.  V is verticillium wilt.  F is fusarium.  T is tobacco mosaic virus. N stands for nematodes.  You would think that the more letters it has, the better, but an old standby is Big Boy (the first hybrid tomato).  It has no letters, and I think it's usually pretty dependable. 

Hedge your bets. Don't get just one variety, even if it was your best grower last year. Conditions may be different this year and I try to spread out the risk!

Stop living in a rut!  Trying at least a couple of different varieties will make you feel like you are stepping outside of your box. It will make you feel adventurous in a  safe sort of way! Besides, this is the only way to experiment and find out which varieties are best for you.

Choosing Varieties for Taste

Slicing tomatoes - What do you want your tomatoes to taste like? This is a very individual thing! How can you tell before you grow it? Read the label or the description in the catalog.Some people-me included, like a tomato with a lot of "zing." If that describes you, then you want a tomato with a lot of acid. If it says “real tomato taste” or uses the word “tartness,” then I choose that one! If on the other hand, yoyou do not like a lot of acid in a tomato then you want a “mild” tomato. If it uses the word “mild” or “low-acid,” then that's what you will get. Also, I have found that most yellow or pink tomatoes are milder in flavor, but that is not always the case. Read the label. 

Paste tomatoes are usually also low in acid. They are called “paste” tomatoes because they have a low water content and so are good for making sauces and for roasting. Roma is a very popular variety of paste tomato and is widely available. My personal favorite is Viva Italia.   (Since I like a lot of tartness, when I roast paste tomatoes I add a bit of lemon juice or wine vinegar to the pan.)

Cherry tomatoes are usually pretty dependable and seem to be more resistant to diseases than some slicers.  Although it's hard to make a tomato sandwich with cherry tomatoes, it CAN be done, and I have done it!  
My advice to most people is to grow at least one or two plants of cherry tomatoes in addition to whatever else you grow. 

My number one recommendation is a variety called Sungold.  In the last couple of years I have started seeing it available commercially.  The ones this year are labeled "Yellow Cherry" with the variety name "Sungold" underneath.  I will be planting 3 of these.  They will live till frost and are very prolific!  You will never be short of tomatoes with Sungold in your garden!

Finally, make sure you label your tomatoes in the bed, otherwise when you find a variety that you love the taste of or the one that is “the last survivor on the island,” you will have no idea which one it is!