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 offers short, intense growing seasons that can challenge even experienced gardeners. Finding tomato varieties suited to the region’s climate is key to harvest success. This guide covers fail-proof tomato types that thrive in New England and produce abundant, delicious fruit.
Factors That Impact Tomato Growth
Several factors impact tomato growth and yields in New England:
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Cool Nights: Nighttime temperatures below 55°F can prevent fruit set and ripening. Choosing early varieties aids fruiting.
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Late Spring Frosts: Killing frosts into late May/early June can damage plants. Start seedlings indoors and use season extending techniques like cloches.
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Rainfall Patterns Periods of drought stress plants Prioritize disease-resistant varieties that can tolerate some dry periods Mulch to conserve moisture.
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Diseases: Cool, wet conditions foster fungal and bacterial diseases like early and late blight, Septoria leaf spot, anthracnose, and more. Choose resistant cultivars.
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Pests Common pests like hornworms, cutworms, tomato fruitworms, stink bugs, and more can damage plants and developing fruit Monitor for pests and remove them early
The Best Tomato Varieties for New England
Here are top tomato varieties to grow for success in New England:
Early Season Tomatoes
- Northern Delight – 50 days – Disease resistant, sets fruit in cool conditions
- Glacier – 55 days – Extremely early, bright red medium-sized fruit
- Early Girl – 57 days – Reliable yields of red, flavorful 4-6 oz. fruit
- Oregon Spring – 58 days – Vigorous growth, frost tolerant
Quick-maturing early tomatoes like Glacier and Northern Delight mature fruit before summer heat arrives. Starting plants indoors accelerates growth.
Midseason Tomatoes
- Defiant – 65 days – Disease resistant, red 8-10 oz. beefsteak type
- Green Zebra – 75 days – Striking green and yellow striped zesty fruit
- Brandywine – 80 days – Incredible flavor in pink-red heirloom beefsteaks
- Cherokee Purple – 80 days – Dusky pink heirloom with rich flavor
Popular midseason varieties like Brandywine and Defiant produce full-sized tomatoes in time for summer’s peak. Staking keeps plants tidy and helps prevent disease.
Determinate Tomatoes
- Celebrity – 70 days – Disease resistant and heavy yielding
- Park’s Whopper – 75 days – High yields of large, meaty red fruit
- Mountain Magic – 68 days – Determinate growth, cold tolerant
Determinate tomatoes like Celebrity stay compact, stopping growth once fruit sets. This makes them ideal for small spaces and containers.
Grape and Cherry Tomatoes
- Sungold – 65 days – Orange-gold cherry tomatoes bursting with sweetness
- Sweet 100 – 65 days – Prolific harvests of red, bite-sized tomatoes
- Juliet – 60 days – Resistant grape tomato, great for salads and snacking
- Super Sweet 100 – 65 days – Extra sweet red cherry tomato, indeterminate vine
Pint-sized tomatoes like Juliet and Sungold produce prolifically all season long. They are perfect for gardens with limited space.
Success Tips for Growing Tomatoes in New England
Follow these tips to overcome regional growing challenges:
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Start seedlings indoors 6-8 weeks before transplanting date. Harden off plants before setting them out.
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Time plantings for early June after danger of frost. Use cloches if planting earlier.
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Space plants 18-24 inches apart in full sun (at least 6 hours). Stake or cage tomatoes to prevent disease.
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Use black or red plastic mulch to warm soil, reduce weeds, and conserve moisture.
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Water at the base of plants, avoiding wet foliage. Provide 1-2 inches of water per week.
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Monitor for common pests and diseases. Remove insects by hand and prune diseased foliage promptly.
Enjoy an Abundant Tomato Harvest
With proper variety selection and care, New England gardeners can overcome regional growing challenges. Using disease-resistant, cold-tolerant varieties that fruit early and determinate types suited to containers opens up harvest possibilities. Paying close attention to plants, acting promptly against pests and disease, and providing consistent moisture ensures tomato success.
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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 Midwest: Holding Up to Hot Summers
Large-fruited, open-pollinated varieties do best in hot summer weather. These types are often said to be easy to grow in the Central and Midwest regions. Even so, many gardeners leave room for a few reliable hybrids, like the crack-resistant “Jet Star” tomatoes, which are renowned for their deliciousness. Bred and refined in Illinois, the ‘Striped Roman’ paste tomato is also developing a following in the Heartland.
1. ‘Brandywine’ 2. ‘Early Girl’ 3. ‘Cherokee Purple’
Also: ‘Big Boy,’ ‘Better Boy,’ ‘Beefsteak’
1. ‘Super Sweet 100’ 2. ‘Black Cherry’ 3. ‘Sungold’
Also: ‘Sweet Million,’ ‘Riesenstraube’
The Only 10 Tomatoes I’m Planting This Year
FAQ
When should you plant tomatoes in New England?
What do Epsom salts do for tomato plants?
Are defiant tomatoes good for New England gardeners?
Gardeners in New England and the Mid-Atlantic should find success with the ‘Defiant’ tomato variety. ‘Defiant’ is a tomato hybrid that is highly resistant to late blight and moderately resistant to early blight, making it a suitable choice for New England gardeners.
What are the best tomatoes to grow in Your Home Garden?
This post covers my 21 best tomato varieties to grow in your home garden with rankings for taste, productivity and plant health. The list includes larger slicers like Brandywine, cherry types like Barry’s Crazy Cherry and paste tomatoes like the Korean Long.
Which heirloom tomatoes grow best in the Mid-Atlantic?
The mid-Atlantic is the home territory of two top heirlooms — ‘Amish Paste’ and ‘Brandywine’ tomatoes — that are well-represented in these gardens. Adding a cherry tomato and an ‘Early Girl’ makes it easier to wait for later-maturing varieties. A balance of hybrids and heirlooms gives you earliness, disease resistance and great flavor.
Which tomatoes grow best in Central/Midwest?
Hot summer weather brings out the best in large-fruited, open-pollinated varieties, which are often described as easy to grow in the Central/Midwest region. Just the same, many gardeners allow space for a few dependable hybrids such as crack-resistant ‘Jet Star’ tomatoes, which are highly respected for their flavor.
Where do tomatoes grow best?
Kimberley Garrison, York, South Carolina Tomatoes must often play hide-and-seek with warm sun in the Pacific Northwest region, where ‘Early Girl’ held a big lead in the slicing category. Small-fruited varieties such as ‘Super Sweet 100’ and ‘Stupice’ get plenty of respect here because they are so dependable.
What types of tomatoes grow in the southwest?
The huge and diverse Southwest region often presents tough challenges for tomatoes, with gardeners in arid climates reporting problems finding varieties that can take the heat. Small-fruited cherry tomatoes deliver no matter what, and they are the most popular type of tomato in the region.