Tomato Varieties: How to Choose the Right Type for Your Garden
Tomato Varieties: How to Choose the Right Type for Your Garden
With so many tomato varieties out there, picking the right type can feel overwhelming. But once you understand a few basic categories and consider your own growing setup and goals, the choices get a lot easier. Whether you’re gardening in containers, raised beds, or traditional gardens, there’s a tomato that’ll fit your needs.
In this post, I’ll break down tomato types, popular subtypes, and the best varieties for your specific gardening situation.
Indeterminate vs. Determinate Tomatoes
All tomatoes fall into two major growth categories:
- Indeterminate Tomatoes: These vining plants continue growing and producing fruit all season long until frost. They’re awesome for gardeners who want continuous harvests and have space for trellising or cages. Most heirloom varieties fall into this category.
- Determinate Tomatoes (Bush Types): These grow to a certain height, produce fruit, and then stop. Perfect for small spaces, containers, and indoor growing. Since they tend to ripen all at once, they’re a great choice for canning.
Heirloom vs. Hybrid
When choosing a variety, you’ll also see two other classifications:
- Heirloom Tomatoes: Open-pollinated, often indeterminate, and prized for their flavor and uniqueness. These are passed down through generations (hence the name) and include varieties like Cherokee Purple or Brandywine.
- Hybrid Tomatoes: Bred for specific traits like disease resistance, higher yield, or compact growth. Great for beginners who want consistent results and don’t mind sacrificing a bit of the old-school flavor.
Common Subtypes of Tomatoes
Within those broader categories, you’ll find subtypes based on shape, flavor, and use:
- Cherry Tomatoes: Small, round, and super productive. Perfect for beginners and snacking. Can be determinate or indeterminate depending on the variety.
- Grape Tomatoes: Similar to cherry but more oval and firmer. Great for salads and snacking.
- Plum/Paste Tomatoes: Meaty with fewer seeds. Ideal for sauces, canning, and pastes. Examples: Roma, San Marzano (both typically determinate).
- Beefsteak Tomatoes: Large, juicy, and perfect for slicing. Examples include Big Boy (indeterminate) and Mortgage Lifter.
- Yellow/Orange Tomatoes: Mild in flavor and lower in acidity. Available in various sizes, including Yellow Pear and Sungold.
- Black/Purple Tomatoes: Rich, smoky flavor and a deeper color. Try Black Krim or Cherokee Purple.
- Tomatillos: Not true tomatoes, but often grown alongside them. Essential for green salsas.
Best Tomato Varieties for Different Growing Needs
Best for Containers:
- Tiny Tim (determinate, dwarf) – Cherry variety, great indoors.
- Patio Princess (determinate, hybrid) – Compact and bred for small containers.
- Bush Early Girl (determinate, hybrid) – Early fruiting with classic tomato flavor.
Best for Traditional Gardens:
- Big Boy (indeterminate, hybrid) – Heavy yields, good disease resistance.
- Brandywine (indeterminate, heirloom) – Excellent flavor, large fruit.
- San Marzano (determinate, heirloom) – Top-tier paste tomato.
Best for Cooking and Sauces:
- Roma (determinate, hybrid) – Meaty with few seeds.
- Amish Paste (indeterminate, heirloom) – Great flavor and texture.
- San Marzano (determinate, heirloom) – Known for low acidity and smooth texture.
Best for Snacking or Eating Fresh:
- Sungold (indeterminate, hybrid) – Sweet orange cherry tomato.
- Sweet Million (indeterminate, hybrid) – Long trusses of sweet red fruit.
- Black Cherry (indeterminate, heirloom) – Unique flavor and color.
Best for Indoor Growing:
- Red Robin (determinate, dwarf) – Grows well in small pots.
- Tiny Tim (determinate, dwarf) – Reliable indoors with good flavor.
Other Things to Consider
Disease Resistance
Many hybrid tomatoes are bred for resistance to common diseases like tomato blight, Verticillium wilt, Fusarium wilt, and nematodes. Look for varieties labeled with VFN or VFNT if you’re gardening in humid or high-disease areas. Tomato blight-fighting options include Mountain Magic and Celebrity Hybrid, along with newer options like Iron Lady and Mountain Merit.
While not always necessary for beginners, varieties with disease resistance can make your season a heck of a lot easier.
Days to Maturity
Tomatoes vary in how long they take to mature:
- Early Season: 50–60 days (great for short growing seasons)
- Midseason: 60–75 days (most common varieties)
- Late Season: 75–90+ days (beefsteaks and some heirlooms)
Mixing early, mid, and late-season varieties lets you extend your harvest over a longer stretch of the summer.
Final Tips for Choosing Tomato Varieties
- Check your local frost dates and overall growing season length.
- If space is limited, stick with determinate or dwarf varieties.
- For taste and uniqueness, try heirlooms.
- For reliability and less disease stress, try hybrids.
- Grow what you like to eat! Whether it’s fresh salads, BLTs, or spaghetti sauce, there’s a perfect tomato out there for you.
Happy Tomato Growing!
No matter what variety you choose, you’ll have fun growing these unique and surprisingly easy plants.
Looking for more tomato tips? I have a complete tomato care guide, along with lots more on…
