Picking the Right Tomato

The best tasting tomatoes are the ones you grow in your own garden. Whether you start your own or buy starts from us, there's nothing like growing and picking your own tomatoes. It doesn't matter if you have a large garden bed or grow your tomatoes in a container on your patio, there's a tomato variety for you. Start by deciding whether to grow determinate or indeterminate tomatoes.

Determinate variety tomatoes, also called bush tomatoes grow to a certain height and set fruit all at once. Determinate tomatoes include Bush Early Girl, Celebrity and Patio, among others. Determinate tomatoes are great for container gardening. They can be grown in your garden bed, as well. Indeterminate tomato varieties, also called vining tomatoes  continue to grow and produce fruit all season long.

Indeterminate tomatoes require some sort of trellis or cage to support the vine as it gets larger. Indeterminate tomatoes do best in your garden bed. Mortgage Lifter, Sun Gold and Fourth of July are just a few of the indeterminate varieties available. Another distinction to consider is whether to grow heirloom or modern tomatoes.  As a rule, heirloom tomatoes come in a variety of shapes and colors and are grown for their flavor. Modern tomatoes are grown for their yield, uniformity and resistance to diseases.

Grafted tomatoes offer the best of both worlds; heirloom tomato taste grafted onto a modern rootstock. Be careful to keep the graft line above the soil level when planting grafted tomatoes.  Don't have a lot of space for growing tomatoes? 

There are a variety of containers you can grow tomatoes in, including the original EarthBox™. Smart Pots, nursery pots, clay and plastic pots will also grow tomatoes very well on your patio and deck. Tomatoes need full sun to do their best, so pick the sunniest spot in your garden or on the patio. Amend the soil in your garden with peat moss and compost. If your planting in containers, use fresh potting soil.

A good fertilizer for tomatoes is Fertilome Tomato and Vegetable (7-22-8) or Happy Frog Tomato and Vegetable (7-4-5). Water your tomato plants 2 to 3 times a week. Let the water run slowly at the drip line so that each plant gets a good soaking. Avoid watering overhead. Tomatoes are the most popular garden vegetable.  The time to get started growing your own tomatoes is now.