Tomato List, Spring 2020
Terminology
(DET) Determinate, aka "bush tomatoes"
Plant reaches a certain height then flowers & fruits over a concentrated period of time (usually a few weeks); suited for container growing.
(INDET) Indeterminate
Plant grows & produces fruit over a long period of time until stopped by disease or too high or too low temperatures; best in large beds or containers; needs strong support.
DISEASE RESISTANCE CODES
(V) Verticillium wilt
(N) Nematodes
(T) Tobacco Mosaic Virus
(EB) Early Blight
(LB) Late Blight
(F) Fusarium wilt (FF=Races 1&2; FFF=Races 1,2,&3)
(A) Alternaria Leaf Spot/Stem Canker
(St) Stemphyllium Gray Leaf Spot
(TSWV) Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus
Helpful Hints!
If you are planting your tomatoes in a pot, use ProMix Potting soil.
If you are planting them in the ground, amend your soil before with Happy Frog Soil Conditioner or Farm Dirt Compost.
Tomatoes need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day.
Feed your tomatoes Happy Frog Fertilizer for Tomatoes and Vegetables or use Microlife Super Seaweed (both are organic!).
Don’t forget to support your tomato plant with a cage!
Add bone meal or use a calcium spray to prevent blossom end-rot.
Maintain soil moisture at a constant level. Irregular watering can lead to fruit cracking.
Check plants regularly for pests, such as hornworms and stink bugs. Treat as needed and follow the label’s directions.
Harvest fruits when you see a bit of color (red/pink). This will increase the amount of tomatoes you harvest and reduce the amount that the birds get! They will ripen at room temperature in a single layer on the kitchen counter within a couple days.
Varieties (Subject to Availability)
Amana Orange: Heirloom (Indet | 90 days) Huge, beefsteak tomato. Big plants produce above average amounts of beautiful light-orange, fluted tomatoes that can grow to 2 lbs. or more. Excellent, sweet, almost tropical fruit flavors.
Amelia: VFFFNSt TSWV (Det | 75–80 days) Outstanding disease resistance on a high-yielding plant that produces large, 8-10 oz, firm tomatoes prized for their flavor. Great for salads, sandwiches, and salsas. Nice, neat plant that is great in containers.
Atlas: (Det | 65–70 days) First ever large beefsteak tomato on a compact plant. Perfect for pots- bushy, compact plants full of 1 lb tomatoes with old-timey flavor and good disease resistance.
Beefmaster: VFN (Indet | 80 days) One of the biggest beefsteak-types at up to 2 lbs. Nearly seedless, solid, meaty, flavorful fruit.
Beefsteak: Heirloom VF (Indet | 75 days) High yielding, old-fashioned favorite bears big, meaty 2 lb. fruits with rich, full flavor.
Beefy Boy, Park's: VFFTSt (Indet | 70 days) Huge,12-16 oz, meaty fruit with exceptional flavor.
Bella Rosa: VFFNAStTSWV (Det | 75 days) High yields of large, 10–12 oz, bright red, delicious tomatoes. In a Louisiana virus-resistant tomato trial, this tomato also ranked at the top in productivity, large fruit size, and great flavor. Heat tolerant; does well in hot, humid areas.
Better Boy: VFNASt (Indet | 75 days) Plump, juicy, deep red tomatoes that often weigh more than 1 lb. High yields and excellent flavor. Heavy foliage protects the fruit from sunscald. Highly adaptable variety that thrives in nearly any climate. Excellent disease resistance.
Better Bush : VFN (Det | 68 days) Big 4" fruits are tasty and meaty; plants have extra sturdy stems and thick, deep green foliage. Perfect for large containers or small gardens.
Big Beef : VFFNTASt (Indet | 73 days) Very large, smooth, round fruit weighing 9-16 oz with rich, old-fashioned flavor. Excellent disease resistance and high yields. A tough, adaptable choice in virtually any climate.
Black Cherry (JJL): Heirloom (Indet | 65 days) Yields plentiful clusters of perfectly round 1" true cherry tomatoes that are deep red with a blackish hue. The flavor is complex, rich, juicy and sweet.
Black Plum (JJL): Heirloom (Indet | 82 days) Sprawling indeterminate plant produces an abundant long and steady crop of 2" plum-shaped fruits that are colored a beautiful deep-mahogany. Unique, sweet, tangy, rich, complex flavors.
Brandywine (JJL): Heirloom (Indet | 80 days) Legendary for its exceptional rich, succulent flavor. Large pink-red fruit up to 1 1/2 lbs.
Burpee's Big Boy: (Indet | 78 days) Wonderful aroma and rich flavor. Very large, crack-free, meaty fruit weigh 10–16 oz or more. Blemish-resistant skins.
Bush Early Girl: VFFNT (Det | 54 days) Compact plant perfect for large patio pots. Higher-yielding and earlier than most compact varieties. Huge yields of 6–7 oz meaty, red tomatoes (larger than Early Girl) with good flavor. Even more disease-resistant than the "original."
Bushsteak: (Det | 65 days) Early maturing beefsteak tomatoes on a compact plant suitable for containers. Produces loads of 8-12 oz, meaty, red fruit with exceptional flavor. Great slicing tomato.
Camaro (JJL): VFFFA (Det | 72 days) Early maturing, XL 10–14 oz, firm, globe-shaped fruit; performs well even in hot weather; mid-compact plant.
Candyland Red: (Indet | 55–60 days) Currant-type tomatoes are heavily produced in long clusters like bunches of grapes. Tiny, 1/2", 1/4 oz, red fruits are packed with supersweet, rich flavor for popping in your mouth. Neat, restrained habit makes the plant easy to manage, while exterior fruit set make harvesting a snap. The first currant tomato to win AAS honors!
Carmello: VFNT (Indet | 70 days) One of the most productive tomatoes ever bred. Large crops of crack-resistant, heavy, juicy tomatoes with exceptional flavor. Plants are widely adapted and disease-resistant.
Celano: LB (Semi-det) 2020 AAS Winner! Patio type grape tomato with a strong bushy habit. In comparing it to other grape tomatoes on the market, one judge summed it up by saying “(Celano) is sweeter, the texture is better, the color is deeper, the plants are healthier, and the yield is phenomenal.”
Celebrity : VFFNTA (Det | 70 days) Exceptionally flavorful, crack-resistant, firm 8-12 oz fruit on strong vines with outstanding disease resistance. One of our most popular tomatoes.
Champion II : VFNT (Indet | 65 days) Great sandwich tomato; solid and meaty with just the right sweetness. High yields of 6–7 oz fruit.
Cherokee Purple: Heirloom (Indet | 80 days) Reliable producer of juicy, dusky rose/purple tomatoes averaging 8-12 oz with deep red flesh and sweet, rich flavor. Tolerant to mild drought as well as common diseases.
Chocolate Cherry (JJL): Heirloom (Indet | 70 days) Produces heavy crops of 1" cherry tomatoes with unique port wine-colored flesh and skin. Thin-skinned fruit has a tangy, multi-faceted flavor.
Chocolate Stripes: (Indet | 79 days) Heavy crop of juicy, 1-2 pound, mahogany tomatoes with dark, olive green striping. Complex, sweet, earthy tomato flavor. Delicious!
Creole: Heirloom (Indet | 78 days) Developed by LSU in 1956, this tomato thrives in hot, humid climates. The 3" tomatoes are round, firm, and juicy with a delicious tomatoey flavor and good acidity.
Early Girl: VF (Indet | 62 days) Super early variety with heavy yields of flavorful 4-6 oz fruit. Excellent performance in almost any climate.
Early Resilience: VFASt and Blossom End Rot Resistant (Det | 115 days) 2020 AAS Winner! Rounded Roma tomato with a deep red interior color, uniform maturity and good quality flesh for canning and cooking.
Floradade: Heirloom (Det | 74 days) Produces smooth, red, 5–7 oz tomatoes, with oxheart shape and green shoulders. Great ability to withstand heat and produce high yields. A farmers market favorite.
Fresh Salsa: VFFN (Det | 65–75 days) Meaty, 4-5 oz paste tomatoes that stay firm when chopped up for salsa, bruschetta, sauces, and more. Highly productive plant.
Galahad: VFNStTSWVLB (Det | 75 days) 2020 AAS Winner! A high-yielding, great tasting tomato that grows on a strong sturdy plant. Judges agreed that the sweet, meaty flavor is better than that of the comparison varieties and is more crack resistant.
Green Zebra: Heirloom (Indet | 75–80 days) Unique and delicious salad tomato. 2-4 oz fruits ripen to amber-green with darker green stripes. Light green flesh is a delicious tasty treat--sweet yet zingy.
Homestead 24: Heirloom (Indet | 81 days) Great for hot, humid coastal regions in the South. This variety sets fruit even in hot weather. Big, leafy vines produce huge amounts of smooth, red, round, 10–12 oz. fruits with exceptionally good taste. Resistant to cracking.
Husky Red Cherry: (Indet dwarf | 65 days) Big yields of tasty, 1" cherry tomatoes in large clusters on compact plants that continue to produce over a long season. Delicious sweet to acid balance.
Indian Stripe: Heirloom (Indet | 80–85 days) 8-10 oz burgundy-purple tomatoes with exquisite taste. Faint green stripes fade as tomatoes ripen. Similar to Cherokee Purple but produces more heavily. Excellent for slicing, salads, or sauce. Relatively compact plant has superior tolerance for heat, humidity, disease, and adverse growing/setting conditions.
Indigo Fireball: (Det | 75 days) Pleasantly tart and slightly acidic cherry tomatoes, these bright yellow fruits bear a full purple cap of heavy indigo anthocyanin pigmentation. Fireball is great for fresh eating and cooking, with significantly more Vitamin E than similar-sized commercial red hybrids.
Juliet: (Indet | 60 days) Clusters of elongated, 1 oz, red fruit with full tomato flavor high in both acid and sugar. Crack-resistant. Vigorous and productive. Resistant to late blight and leaf spot.
La Roma (JJL): VFFNASt (Det | 76 days) An excellent roma tomato known for its vigor and uniformity. Bright red, meaty fruits are large, 5 to 8 ounces, and full of flavor. Perfect for canning, pastes, and sauces.
Little Bing (JJL): VFF (Det | 60–65 days) Flavor-filled, red cherry tomato; dwarf plant (approx 2' tall) perfect for container gardening.
Lemon Boy: VFNASt (Indet | 72 days) Bright yellow, 7 oz fruits that are low in acidity and slightly tangy. They add color to salads and are an excellent texture for slicing. This plant will get taller than average and will need support.
Mater Sandwich (JJL): (Indet | 75 days) Large, 10–16 oz, slightly flattened, deep red tomato with juicy, meaty flesh. One slice is enough to cover your sandwich.
Matt's Wild Cherry : Heirloom (Indet | 60 days) Wild variety produces deep red, extremely sweet 5/8 to 3/4" fruit on vigorous vines. Rarely bothered by diseases. From Hidalgo, Mexico.
Patio: FASt (Det | 70 days) Produces large harvests of 2" round, 3 to 4 oz, flavorful, red tomatoes. Most popular variety for growing on patios, decks, courtyards, or wherever space is limited.
Paul Robeson (JJL): Heirloom (Indet | 75 days) Slightly flattened, 4" deep maroon, beefsteak-type fruits with a complex flavor that is sweet, yet tangy, with the perfect acid/sweet balance. Free of most blemishes and cracking. One of the most highly regarded black tomatoes.
Purple Calabash: Heirloom (Indet | 85 days) Produces high yields of 9 to 12 oz deep purple-burgundy beefsteak tomatoes with almost wine like flavors and a citrus finish. This is the most truly purple tomato. It has a unique shape with a ruffled appearance. Perfect for salads, slicing, and sandwiches. Plant requires support, either staking or cages. Crack resistant. Drought tolerant. Excellent choice for home gardens. An heirloom variety from Texas.
Red Grape: Heirloom (Indet | 60 days) Heat-tolerant and disease-resistant plants produce red, elongated cherry tomatoes in long clusters. Delicious sweet, complex flavor. Vigorous, productive vines.
Roma: Heirloom VFA (Det | 75–78 days) Bright red, plum-shaped, 3" long, paste-type fruits with meaty interiors. Thick-walled and solid with very few seeds and good flavor. Compact vines yield large harvests.
San Marzano (JJL): Heirloom (Indet | 80 days) Superb flavor; 3 1/2" x 1 1/2", bright red fruit in clusters. Holds well on the vine and in storage. Extra-high solid content is perfect for canning, paste, and puree.
Steakhouse: (Indet | 75–80 days) The largest beefsteak tomato ever bred, it produces high yields of fruit that can weigh up to 3 pounds, and are known for their rich tomato flavor. You'll need a big tomato cage for this one.
Sugary (JJL): (Semi-Det | 60–80 days) Super-sweet, juicy, 2 oz cherry tomatoes with reddish-pink skins. Huge yields of oval-shaped, slightly pointed fruits over a long period on a more compact plant than most.
Sun Gold: FT (Indet |57 days) Premier variety of cherry tomato that ripens to a golden orange with a very sweet, fruity flavor. Produces in warm and cool conditions. Fruit matures quickly and crops heavily through the warmer months.
Sunny Boy: (Indet | 70 days) With bright, luminous flavor, this yellow tomato is edible sunlight. This plump slicer is ready to light up a sandwich or salad. Flavorful, 16 oz. beefsteak with smooth yellow skin and nice sweet-acid balance. High-yielding. A farmers market favorite.
Sweet 100: VFNT (Indet | 70 days) Huge clusters of sweet, bite-sized cherry tomatoes in abundance over a long season. High in vit.C.
Sweet Chelsea: VFNT (Indet | 67 days) Crack-resistant, jumbo-sized cherry tomato with extra sweet taste. Vigorous, disease-resistant vine. Produces all season long.
Sweet Million: FNT (Indet | 65 days) Improved version of Sweet 100 with better disease resistance and tolerance to cracking but the same wonderful flavor and yields. Huge clusters of 1" dark red fruit on tall, vigorous plants. Matures early and continues over a long season.
Tazmanian Chocolate: (Dwarf Det | 70 days) Cross between two popular heirlooms, 'New Big Dwarf' and 'Paul Robeson'. Full-sized, 5–12 oz, tomatoes produced on a compact, 3–4' tall plant perfect for containers or small gardens. Fruit ripen to deep mahogany and have a tasty, tart-sweet balance.
Tycoon: VFFNTSWV (Det | 80 days) Known for its resistance to tomato yellow leaf curl virus as well as it exceptional heat-setting ability. Plant produces high yields of 9 to 12 oz red beefsteak tomatoes with excellent flavor. Texas Superstar Plant. One of the best tomatoes for our area.
Tomatillo-Super Verde (related to tomatoes, but not a true tomato): (Indet | 75 days) Firm, tart, green fruit with a paper-like husk. Above average shelf life. Strong, vigorous, high-yielding plant. Use to make green salsa, roast to use in guacamole, or mince and add to any recipe to add a tart, lemony flavor. Isolated tomatillo plants rarely set fruit, so plant two or more for proper pollination.
Valentine (JJL): (Indet | 55 days) 2018 AAS Vegetable Winner! Voted the most appealing grape tomato trialed. With an appetizing deep-red color, it has a very sweet taste and will hold longer on the vine without cracking or losing the excellent eating quality. It is quite prolific and will mature earlier than other grape tomato varieties.
Viva Italia (JJL): VFFNASt (Det | 72 days) 3 oz. pear-shaped fruits with thick, sweet flesh. Exceptionally high yields; early and disease-resistant.
Yellow Pear: Heirloom (Indet | 78 days) Miniature, bright yellow, pear-shaped, fruit with a deliciously tangy flavor.Tall plants bear large and continuous harvests. Considered by many as "garden candy."