The 10 Best Tomato Plants to Grow in Your Garden

Tomatoes are one of the most popular crops for home gardeners. With hundreds of varieties to choose from, it can be overwhelming deciding which are the best tomato plants for your garden. The ideal tomatoes depend on your climate, space and how you plan to use them. This article will guide you through the top considerations for choosing tomato varieties and recommend 10 of the best tomato plants for home gardens.

What Makes a Tomato Variety the “Best”?

The best tomato plants for your garden depend on:

• Your climate and growing conditions
• The space you have available
• How you plan to use the tomatoes

Climate – Choose early varieties if you have a short growing season Heat-tolerant varieties are best for hot climates For cool, wet climates prone to disease, select resistant varieties.

Space – Bush types are compact if space is limited, Indeterminate vines need staking but yield more over time Plant dwarfs in containers

Use – Canning types are medium-sized, meaty, and ripen at once. Slice large beefsteaks for sandwiches. Snack on sweet cherries and grapes. Stuff hollow heirlooms.

Top 10 Tomato Varieties to Grow

Here are 10 tomato varieties that consistently top lists of best performers for home gardens:

1. Celebrity (Hybrid)

• Determinate bush, medium-large fruit
• Disease resistant, high yields
• Excellent for slicing, salads, sandwiches

2. Early Girl (Hybrid)

• Indeterminate vines, 4-6 oz. red fruits
• Very early, great flavor
• Good for containers

3. Sungold (Hybrid)

• Indeterminate vines, small orange cherry-type
• Very sweet, prolific producer
• Kids love snacking on these!

4. Beefsteak (Heirloom)

• Indeterminate vines, up to 2 lb. fruits!
• Juicy, meaty, excellent flavor
• Slice for sandwiches and burgers

5. Brandywine (Heirloom)

• Indeterminate vines, large 1 lb. pink-red fruits
• Rich, complex, incredible heirloom flavor
• One of the best for slicing and eating fresh

6. Roma (Heirloom)

• Semi-determinate bush, plum-shaped red fruits
• Meaty flesh, few seeds, excellent for cooking, sauce
• Produces heavily

7. Cherokee Purple (Heirloom)

• Indeterminate vines, 12-16 oz. dusky pink-purple fruits
• Rich, smoky flavor
• Good yields, early for such large fruits

8. Black Krim (Heirloom)

• Indeterminate vines, 8-12 oz. purple-black fruits
• Unique, salty flavor, juicy
• Heat tolerant

9. Gardener’s Delight (Heirloom)

• Indeterminate vines, 1-2 inch red cherry fruits
• Very sweet, rich flavor, prolific
• Kids love these bright red cherry tomatoes!

10. Amish Paste (Heirloom)

• Indeterminate vines, 8 oz. bright red plum-shaped fruits
• Excellent for cooking, canning, sauce
• Meaty flesh, few seeds

When choosing your tomato varieties, consider your growing conditions, space, and plans for eating or preserving the harvest. With this guide to the best varieties, you’ll enjoy a bountiful tomato crop!