I LOVE growing tomatoes! For one, they’re really quite easy to grow. If you’ve never grown a vegetable in your life, or even a plant before, tomatoes are definitely where to start. They are absolutely prolific producers, even without fertilizer. The seeds come up easy and fast, and the plants are hardy. I rarely worry about bugs or disease with my tomatoes. They definitely make you feel like a master gardener without much effort.
Secondly, I enjoy that I can add them to just about any dish I make. Toss them in salads, add them to sandwiches, make tomato sauce, salsa, the options are truly endless.
I share my love of tomatoes with you as a segue into today’s topic, tomato varieties. Here are a couple different varieties of tomatoes that you should definitely try growing this year. I think it’s so cool to see all the distinct flavors and appearances of each variety and deciding which is my new favorite that year (it always changes since I love them all).
So without further ado, here are the tomato varieties that you should definitely give a go at growing this season.
Mortgage Lifter
I get a chuckle out of the name of this variety 😂.
This variety was bred in 1922 in West Virginia, and it produces giant tomatoes (on average 2.5 lbs) that are meaty and mild-flavored.
Maturity: 75-85 days
Source: 2 B Seeds
Celebrity
These are the true celebrity of tomato varieties. They produce very large, tasty fruit.
Celebrity tomatoes have been bred to be disease-resistant. The tag has VFFNTA on it, which means they have been bred to be resistant to all of the following…
V = verticillum wilt
F and FF = fusarium wilt
N = nematodes
T = tobacco mosaic virus
A = alternaria leaf spot
It is a great plant if you have any worries about disease or you’ve had problems with tomato diseases in the past.
Maturity: 70 days
Source: Rutgers
Cherokee Purple
This is an heirloom variety that produces sweet and flavorful, meaty fruit that are about 12 oz each. The color of these are absolutely enchanting and really make any dish beautiful and delicious.
Maturity: 80 days
Source: NPR
Brandywine
This is an 1885 heirloom Amish variety with large rosy-pink fruit. I also think the leaves of these are really interesting, since they don’t look exactly like most other tomatoes. The leaves look more like peppers than tomatoes in my opinion.
Maturity: 90-100 days
Source: Bonnie Plants
Lemon Boy
A name that is truly fitting. Lemon Boy produces clear, yellow, delicious fruit that resemble lemons in appearance. The taste is slightly tangy.
Each is about 7 oz each.
These plants get tall, so it is recommended that you stake them.
VFN resistant
Maturity: 72 days
Source: Bonnie Plants
Burpee Big Boy
Burpee Big Boy produces the ideal tomato shape and color. Perfectly round and red. Great for slicing for sandwiches.
The plant produces tomatoes that are 10-16 oz each continuously all summer long.
These plants get tall, so it is recommended that you stake them.
Maturity: 78 days.
Grape
These small, sweet-tasting tomatoes are great in salads. Or pop them in your mouth hole for the perfect summer snack. Most of these don’t make it into my house because I eat so many of them as I harvest.
Maturity: 60 days
Source: NE Seeds
La Roma
An Italian-type tomato with heavy yields. Produces tomatoes that are each 5 to 8 oz. I love using these to make sauces and for canning.
VF resistant
Maturity: 62 days
Source: Wikipedia
See any varieties that you just have to get your hands on? Well, stop in our garden center! We have all of these and more! And if you have a tomato variety that you love that wasn’t mentioned here, I would love to hear about it! Leave a comment below telling me.
