It is most likely that your tomato crop will do well if you grow varieties that have done well in organic gardens in your area. We asked our readers about the best tomato varieties for their areas in an online poll last fall, and we got even more great answers than we thought!
In addition to naming names, our 2,000 respondents offered up a treasure-trove of useful tips. Some of the best of these appear in the regional lists of top tomato varieties below. Additional regional tomato-growing tips appear on our regional gardening pages. We broke down your feedback into the lists below.
Our survey was open to anyone. A lot of people from the MOTHER EARTH NEWS Gardening Advisory Board, Seed Savers Exchange, and different online gardening forums shared their thoughts on the best tomatoes. People who have only been gardening for a few years didn’t suggest varieties; instead, they begged for help! People who had been gardening longer shared many variety suggestions.
A lot of gardeners had similar goals. For example, more than 44% of those who answered said they wanted to grow enough tomatoes “to eat fresh, preserve, and share.” More than 66% only use organic methods, and the best fertilizers they use are compost and old manure. About half of the people who answered the survey said that growing tomatoes was easy or somewhat easy for them. People who live in harsh climates said it was harder to grow tomatoes.
New England’s short growing season and cooler summer temperatures present challenges for tomato lovers. However, with careful variety selection, proper care and ideal timing, New England gardeners can still enjoy a bountiful tomato harvest. This article explores the best tomato varieties for thriving in New England’s unique climate.
Factors to Consider
Several factors impact a tomato variety’s performance in New England:
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Maturity date: Select early-maturing tomatoes that can ripen fruit before fall frosts arrive. Look for maturity dates under 70 days.
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Cold tolerance Choose varieties that can withstand New England’s cooler temperatures Look for descriptors like “cold-set” and “cool-season”
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Disease resistance Opt for disease-resistant varieties to combat common tomato afflictions like blight and wilt, Prioritize resistance to late blight in particular
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Determinate vs. indeterminate: Determinate (bush) tomatoes ripen over a short period, while indeterminate (vining) tomatoes produce throughout the season. Determinate types are recommended for short seasons.
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Fruit size: Typically, earlier varieties produce smaller fruits. If harvest time is limited, prioritize production over size.
Recommended Varieties
Here are some top-performing tomato varieties for New England based on the above criteria:
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Mountain Merit: An early, cold-set variety that produces large fruits. It has resistance to verticillium, fusarium, tobacco mosaic virus and more.
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New Girl: One of the earliest tomatoes at less than 60 days to maturity. Small-medium fruits with disease resistance.
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Primo Red: An early, large-fruited variety with verticillium, fusarium and tobacco mosaic virus resistance.
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Sub Arctic Plenty: A very early tomato specially bred for cooler climates. Small-medium fruits.
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Oregon Spring: Extremely early maturity (under 60 days) with good cold tolerance. Medium-sized oblong fruits.
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Legend: A determinate cherry tomato ripening in around 65 days. Produces clusters of sweet, round fruits even in cool weather.
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Juliet: Grape-shaped mini fruits resistant to cracking/splitting. Matures quickly in around 60 days.
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Early Girl: A classic indeterminate variety yielding flavorful 4-6 oz. fruits around 50 days from transplanting.
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Defiant: 75 days to maturity but has robust late blight resistance. Medium-sized, deep red fruits.
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Siletz: High late blight and cold temperature tolerance. Medium-large oblong fruits maturing in 70-80 days.
Growing Tips
Follow these tips to successfully grow top-performing tomato varieties in New England:
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Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before transplanting after the last spring frost. Use grow lights and heat mats for best germination.
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Harden off tomato seedlings for 7-10 days before transplanting. Gradually expose them to sun, wind and cooler temperatures.
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Transplant into the garden 1-2 weeks after the average final frost date, around late May to early June.
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Choose a sunny location and prepare soil with compost and fertilizer. Space plants 18-24 inches apart.
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Use row covers, cloches or cold frames to protect plants from cold snaps and extend the growing season.
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Stake indeterminate varieties and prune suckers to optimize air circulation and sun exposure.
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Water regularly at the soil level to prevent disease. Apply mulch to conserve moisture and suppress weeds.
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Monitor for pests like hornworms and diseases like blight. Control with organic methods as needed.
Harvest Time
Time your successional plantings and variety mix to enjoy tomatoes through every stage of New England’s short tomato season:
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Early season: Ultra-early varieties like Oregon Spring and Legend produce first ripe fruits in July.
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Mid-season: Reliable producers like New Girl and Early Girl take over in early August.
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Late season: Heat-tolerant, disease resistant varieties like Defiant and Siletz continue producing into September.
With strategic variety selection and attentive care, New England gardeners can beat the odds and savor ripe, juicy tomato flavor straight from their backyard all season long. These recommended varieties optimized for cool climates and short seasons are primed for success in New England gardens.
Best on the Gulf Coast: Standing Up to Heat and Humidity
Spring and fall, varieties that hold up to heat and humidity earn their spots in Gulf Coast gardens. Large-fruited cherry varieties or vigorous ‘Juliet’ help guarantee a successful season, but be careful with heirlooms. ‘Arkansas Traveler’ and ‘Creole’ tomatoes set fruit well in humid heat compared with many other open-pollinated varieties.
1. ‘Better Boy’ 2. ‘Big Boy’ 3. ‘Brandywine’
Also: ‘Celebrity,’ ‘Early Girl,’ ‘Arkansas Traveler’
1. ‘Super Sweet 100’ 2. ‘Black Cherry’ 3. ‘Yellow Pear’
Also: ‘Sweet Chelsea,’ ‘Sungold’
Best in the Interior South: Disease-resistant Picks
“Better Boy” tomatoes, which came out in 1971, are a Southern classic because they taste great, grow quickly, and tend to make huge crops no matter what the season is like. Warm, humid summers make disease resistance crucial for Southern-grown tomatoes. It’s found in both strong hybrids and many heirloom tomatoes with smaller fruits, like “Amish Paste,” “Stupice,” and “Black Cherry.” “Stupice” has gotten great reviews for taste and yield in organic field tests done by North Carolina State University.
1. ‘Better Boy’ 2. ‘Brandywine’ 3. ‘Big Boy’
Also: ‘Celebrity,’ ‘Cherokee Purple,’ ‘Early Girl’
1. ‘Super Sweet 100’ 2. ‘Sungold’ 3. ‘Black Cherry’
Also: ‘Sweet Million’
Best Tomato to Grow in YOUR Zone
What is the best tomatoes to grow?
As the name suggests, Sugary is one of the sweetest and best tomatoes you can grow. Plus, it has a fun shape, pointed on both ends. A 2005 All-America Selections winner, it’s been popular ever since. It grows vigorously and will bear fruit all season, so you need only a plant or two for a good supply of fruit.
What are the fastest growing tomatoes?
Many of the fastest growing tomatoes are cherry and grape tomatoes since they produce smaller fruits that set fruit and ripen quickly.
Are defiant tomatoes good for New England gardeners?
Gardeners in New England and the Mid-Atlantic should find success with these tomatoes. ‘Defiant’ was a new tomato hybrid for 2011. Like its name, ‘Defiant’ is truly defiant of several different tomato viruses. It is highly resistant to late blight and moderately resistant to early blight.
Which tomatoes ripen best?
For short-season growing climates the best tomatoes to select are the fast-maturing ones, which will shoot up and set fruit early in the season so that the tomatoes have sufficient time to ripen before temperatures drop. 1. Black Prince 2. Tigerella 3. Moskvich 4. Siberian 5. Fourth Of July 1. Glacier 2. Green Envy 3. Gardener’s Delight 4.