Tomatoes

Tomatoes

General information

Tomato varieties. List many varieties with pictures of most. As of May, 2021, the dwarf varietes are not listed.

Seed Savers Exchange. Contains heirloom varieties contributed by a community of thousands of members.

How to grow: How to Grow The Best Tomatoes | Gardening Tips and Tricks (duration 28:22, over 2 million views).

Recommends adding molasses (high in potassium) to balance the nitrogen. Put a few tablespoons of (unsulphured) molasses into a gallon of water and put in the soil and spray the leaves.

Also, spray aspirin (one aspirin into an 8oz spray bottle) to stress the plants and increase flavor profile.

Pruning: How to Prune Tomato Plants (and Other Tomato Tips). Duration 19:51. Very informative.

Hand pollinate: Triple Your Tomato Production with an Electric Toothbrush. This is especially useful with large tomato varieties. The toothbrush he uses is a "sonic" variety at Amazon.com.

Grow vertically: Video: Fast, Easy, Cheap Garden Trellis for Tomato and Vertically Growing Plants (duration 7:38). Use Baler Twine 170 pound strength sold at Amazon.

Tomato Cages: Use steel remesh. Best Tomato Cages Ever - And They Make Great Trellises Too. From Lowes: roll of 5' x 150' Remesh produces 30 cages of 5' tall by 5' long. Since the squares are 6" x 6" in size, count 10 squares both ways. The last square is sacrificed lengthwise to tie the circle together.

Disease and pest control:

Neem oil (on Amazon.com) + soap (Sal Suds on Walmart) for aphids and other creepy crawlies. Also acts as a fungicide. Dosage: 1T + 1T per gallon of water

Bt (for worms). Dosage: 1T per gallon. Buy each year.

(twice a month) Cooper fungicide (for fungus). Also milk as a fungicide.

Hydrogen Peroxide (for blight).

Squash bug control: plant borage and/or radishes around the tomatoes. Squash Stink Bugs **Secret** [How to Control] video. Spray the ground with water, so the bugs climb the plants, then spray "Pyola" insecticide on the plants to kill them. Sold by: GardensAlive.com. Sellers: Gurneys.com

Flavors: reds are more acid, yellows more fruity/floral/sweet, and blacks and purples are more savory/smoky (umami - the flavor of glutamates).

Tomato blight: Use 6-8oz of hydrogen peroxide (3%) to a gallon of water and spray the leaves over and under.

Videos:

Epic Tomatoes from Your Gardens – some stories, history, and tips & tricks for success. Duration 1:17:48. Presented by Craig LeHoullier. In this information-packed webinar, Craig takes the audience on a colorful journey through his 40-year love affair with tomatoes. Craig's favorite tomatoes:

Brandywine.

Cancelmo Family Heirloom. Sellers: VictorySeeds

Cherokee Chocolate. 80 days, excellent flavor, sweet, slightly tart. Sellers: VictorySeeds , TomatoGrowers

Cherokee Green. 75 days, 8-12oz green, complex, similar to Cherokee Purple and Cherokee Chocolate, productive. Sellers: VictorySeeds, TomatoGrowers

Cherokee Purple. Sellers: VictorySeeds

Dester. 80 days, 16oz+ pink beefsteak, rich, sweet. Sellers: VictorySeeds, TomatoGrowers

Dwarf Sweet Sue. Sellers: VictorySeeds

Green Giant. 85 days, 12-18oz green, sweet, spicy, complex. Sellers: VictorySeeds, TomatoGrowers

Lillian's Yellow Heirloom. 90 days, 16oz pale yellow, meaty with few seeds, rich, complex, sweet, vigorous. Sellers: VictorySeeds, TomatoGrowers

Lucky Cross. 85-90 days, 16-20oz red-yellow bicolor, juicy, fruity, productive. Sellers: VictorySeeds

Polish. 85 days, 16oz brick-red, vigorous, sets fruit even in cold weather. Sellers: VictorySeeds , TomatoGrowers

The Heirloom Tomato | Amy Goldman. Her favorites of 200 favorites in her book. See also: The Best Tomatoes in Town by Amy Goldman.

Aunt Ruby's German Green. Fruity, grapey and spicy.

White Beauty. The whitest of white tomatoes. Compares favorably with the best reds.

Aunt Gertie's Gold. Tastes like persimmon without the astringency.

Burpee's Globe. Introduced in 1935. Honey sweet.

Peach Blow.

Big Rainbow. Bicolor beefsteak.

Goldman's Italian American.

Casady's Folly (determinate).

Sara's Galapagos. Small, sweet and wildly prolific.

Blondkopfchen.

Bison.

Flamme.

Thai Pink.

Sudduth's Brandywine.

Black Cherry

My Top 10(ish) MUST GROW Tomato Varieties (Roots and Refuge Farm, who likes slicers and cherry tomatoes). Favorites:

Dr. Wyches Yellow. Similar to Kellogg's Breakfast.

Paul Robeson.

Italian Heirloom. Big paste, similar to Amish Paste.

Climbing Trip-L-Crop. Very productive, not a wow flavor.

Black Beauty. Wow flavor factor

Large Barred Boar and Pink Berkley Tie Dye are similar.

Thornburn's Terra Cotta. Variation in sizes, great flavor.

Wild Boar Farm berry varieties: Blueberries (more acidic), Blue Gold Berries (sweeter), Blue Cream Berries (sweeter). Crazy prolific.

Napa Chardonnay Blush. Light yellow cherry tomato. Mild sweet, thin-skinned, 10' tall.

Sunrise and Purple Bumblebee. Bigger cherry, tasty.

My favorite heirloom tomato varieties. AND how I know when they’re ripe | Home Gardening: Ep. 9. Favorites from Baker Creek (sponsored video):

Thornburn's Terra Cotta. Since 1893 from Thornburn's Seed Catalog.

Vintage Wine. Brandywine variety, reliable.

Blue Beauty.

Aunt Ruby's German Green.

Orange Jazz. Sweet.

Brad's Atomic Grape. Best selling from Baker Creek.

Why I Stopped Growing HEIRLOOM TOMATOES: Heirloom VS Hybrid VS GMO Seed EXPLAINED!. Recommends F1 Hybrids like: Chef's Choice (ALL), Big Brandy, Brandy Boy, Big Beef, Bella Rosa, Celebrity. More disease resistant in humid climantes.

Varieties suggested: Plant "cherry" varieties, slicers, salad types, paste types, sweet, smoky, various colors (red, purple, black, green, yellow, gold).

Sellers:

TheRustedGarden.com. Inexpensive (around $2.00 per pack) and quality tomato seeds.

RareSeeds.com. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds website. Some claim their seeds are not always true to type. Although, they do guarantee it (see Ordering).

VictorySeeds.com. Sells most of the 'dwarf' tomato varieties.

Ground Cherry (Physalis pruinosa)

Description: The fruits are covered in a papery husk and drop to the ground when ripe. The harvested fruits hold up in the husk for 3-4 weeks.

Planting: Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost. Sow 1/8 inch deep. Provide 70-80F soil temperature. Space 2-3 feet apart. Germinates 7-14 days.

Varieties:

Aunt Molly's: 70 days, has an unusually fine flavor—very sweet with a nice hint of tartness. 1/2-3/4-inch fruit is enclosed in a papery husk which drops to the ground when fully ripe.

New Hanover: sweet and fruity. At a tasting held by the American Institute of Wine and Food, it beat all other ground cherries tested!

Pineapple: 75 days. It really tastes like a pineapple! The large spreading plants are 3 feet across and covered with hundreds of fruit

Tomatoes - cherry varieties

Description: Cherry tomato varieties do better in hot summer, humid weather than larger tomato varieties since the flower pollen does not stick and thus are able to bear fruit in extreme hot, humid weather.

Cherry varieties:

Barry's Crazy Cherry: 75 days, pale yellow, very large clusters, sweet fruit, some say it tastes better than the SunGold variety. prolific. Sellers: RareSeeds

Black Cherry: 65-75 days, 5-7' tall, 1.5" fruit, large cherry, heirloom, complex flavor palate that is fruity, balanced, very rich, sweet, and intense. Sellers: RareSeeds; Seedman

Blondkopfchen: 75 days, 5-6' tall, very high yield, 1" gold fruit, high sugar content, crack resistant, likened to Sun Gold, but an heirloom. Video: Blondkopfchen Tomato -- Absolutely Amazing! . Sellers: UFSeeds

Blueberry: 75 days, 6' tall, intensely fruity and sugar-sweet/acidic, very productive, yielding all season, heirloom. Sellers: RareSeeds

Blue Cream Berries: thinner skin, splits easily, super-sweet, super prolific. Sellers: RareSeeds

Blush: 70 days, golden elongated, 2.5"x1.25" size, complex flavor

Brad's Atomic Grape: 75 days, large cherry, beautiful looking fruit, flavor is Ok, heirloom. Sellers: RareSeeds

Brown Berry: 72 days, 1" fruit, 6' tall, mahogany color, semi-sweet, rich, slight acid finish, fruity sweet.

Candyland: 55 days, currant-size 0.5inch round, indeterminate, bushy and self-supporting, sweet, meant to be eaten fresh.

Chadwick Cherry: 80-90 days, 1" fruit, 6-8' tall, vigorous, disease resistant, rich balanced flavor.

~~Cherry Bomb~~ ~~[hybrid]~~: 64 days, late blight resistant, tastes better than SunGold some say.

Chocolate Cherry: 70 days, 1inch, extremely flavorful, doesn't crack. Sellers: TotallyTomato

Dancing with Smurfs: 65-70 days, 1"+ fruit, red with dark purple blush, 6' tall, one of the best tasting. Sellers: AdaptiveSeeds

Evil Olive: 75 days, 6' tall, green, productive, plum-sized, 2-3oz. Sellers: RareSeeds.com

Honeydrop Cherry: compares to Sun Gold (hybrid), less cracking, sweet, juicy, tastes almost like light grapes. Sellers: SecretSeedCartel.com; HudsonValleySeed

Indigo Cherry Drops: 71 days, heirloom, better than Indigo Rose.

Isis Candy: 65 days, 5-7' tall, yellow-red colored, one-inch fruit, very sweet and fruity flavor. Sellers: RareSeeds

Jasper: sweet, some tang, extremely vigorous growing plant.

Lemon Drop: 80-90 days, 3/4" yellow fruit, tart-sweet taste. Sellers: TotallyTomato

Napa Chardonnay Blush: 65-70 days, 10' tall, cherry-type, amazing flavor, thin skinned (water evenly, otherwise it cracks), heirloom. Sellers: RareSeeds

Purple Bumblebee: 60-70 days, large cherry, striped in lime green, crack-resistant, produces all season, heirloom, bright and tangy, not sugary tomato flavor. Sellers: RareSeeds

Riesentraube (German for 'giant bunch of grapes'): 71 days, extremely productive, red, globe, 1inch, complex flavor (unlike common 'sweet' cherry tomatoes). Sellers: VictorySeeds

SunGold [hybrid]: 57 days, 6' tall, very sweet, (first favorite tomato of James Prigioni), hybrid, very susceptible to cracking under uneven watering, suckers a lot. Try Honeydrop instead. Sellers: TotallyTomato, FedcoSeeds (20 seeds for $3.00, 40 seeds for $4.50)

SunGold Select: 70 days, open-pollinated version of Sungold hybrid. Sellers: TotallyTomato

SunPeach (hybrid): 60 days, 1/2 oz, sweet and tangy. As good as Sungold.

SunSugar (hybrid): nearly identical to SunGold.

Sunrise Bumblebee: 70 days, swirls of red and orange (orange a few days before fully ripe, and red when ripe), 1 oz fruit, heirloom, thick skin. Sellers: RareSeeds

SuperSweet 100 [hybrid]: 65 days, 5-6' tall, very sweet red fruit, bears until frost, long branched clusters, resistant to verticillium wilt and fusarium wilt race. Not as sweet as SunGold. Sellers: many.

Sweetheart: 60 days, crack resistant, super sweet, heart-shaped fruit. Sellers: RareSeeds

Tumbling Tom Red: 65 days, determinate, grows 20-24inch tall in bushy fashion, 1-2inch fruit, bright red, sweet.

My cherry selection:

Barry's Crazy Cherry. Better than Sun Gold, some people say. Sellers: RareSeeds

Black Cherry. Must purchase, better than Sun Gold and Blondkopfchen. Sellers: RareSeeds

Blondkopfchen. Compared to Sun Gold. Sellers: UFSeeds

Blue Cream Berries. Sellers: RareSeeds

Blueberry. Sellers: RareSeeds

Brad's Atomic Grape. Must purchase because of the appearance. Sellers: RareSeeds

Honeydrop. Like Sun Gold. Sellers: SecretSeedCartel; HudsonValleySeed

Isis Candy. Sellers: RareSeeds

Lemon Drop. Sellers: TotallyTomato

Napa Chardonnay Blush. Sellers: RareSeeds

Riesentraube. Alternative to common 'sweet' varieties. Sellers: VictorySeeds

SunGold [hybrid].

SunPeach [hybrid].

SuperSweet 100 [hybrid].

Tomatoes - paste varieties

Description: Used for making sauce. Have fewer seeds and less water content, meaty, thick, drier flesh.

Varieties:

Amish Paste: 8-12oz fruit, 5-7' tall, similar to Roma, but bigger, fresher sweet-meets-tangy flavor.

Black Icicle: 75 days, 4oz oblong burgundy-brown fruit, 2-3inch long, 6' tall plant, taste profile of a beefsteak, sweet, rich and earthy flavors.

Black Prince: 3-5oz fruit, 6-9' tall, purple/black color, good choice for cooler climates.

Hungarian Heart. ???

Italian Gold: 5oz fruit, 1-6' tall, golden orange color, high in pectin, subtle fruity taste.

Opalka: 3-4" fruit, 4-6' tall, long and lean shape, sweet flavor, practically seedless.

Raspberry Lyanna: 70 days, 6-10oz pink fruit, very sweet and rich flavor, productive, hold well on the plant and on the counter.

San Marzano: 3" fruit, 5-6' tall, dense (almost dry) and sweet fruit, low on water and seeds, considered the classic paste tomato.

Tomatoes - "climbing" medium/large sized types

Description: No such thing as a "climbing" tomato, but indeterminate varieties generally behave as such.

My preference: I go for heirloom and avoid hybrid since I want to save the seeds.

Growing tips: Indeterminate will continue to grow unless you top them off. Try smaller fruit size varieties since they can devote more energy into growing the vines. Pick ripe fruit early, so the plant does not waste energy in maturing the fruit to seed. Fertize well to keep them growing and producing.

Varieties: These are heirloom varieties.

Abraham Lincoln: 70-80 days, 2-4" dark red fruit, mild flavor, 4-6' tall, huge crops, tolerates rainy weather without splitting. Sellers: Seedman

Amana Orange: 90 days, 2lb orange fruit, sweet almost tropical fruit flavor.

Ananas Noire (or Black Pineapple): 85 days, 1.5 lb fruit, interiror has streaked pattern of pink, red, green and yellow, sweet and rich, with smoky and acidic undertones. High yield. Will crack in high humidity. Some claim to be the best tasting. Sellers: TotallyTomato, RareSeeds

Aunt Ruby's German Green: 80 days, green beefsteak with sweet flavor. Sellers: Seedman

Berkeley Tie-Dye Pink: 67 days, early beefsteak, good producer. Sellers: Seedman.com

Big Rainbow: 85 days, 1+lb yellow with neon red stripes, sweet taste.

Black Beauty: 80 days, 8' tall, darkest tomato, tastes like fennel. Sellers: RareSeeds

Black Krim: 80 days, 4-6' tall, medium-sized, best tasting. Sellers: RareSeeds

Black Pineapple (or Ananas Noire): 85 days, 1.5 lb fruit, interiror has streaked pattern of pink, red, green and yellow, sweet and rich, with smoky and acidic undertones. Sellers: TotallyTomato

Box Car Willie: 80 days, 12-18oz fruit, sweet, yet tart flavor, prolific, disease resistant. Sellers: TotallyTomato

Bradley: 80 days, 4-6' tall, 6oz smooth, pink fruit, disease resistant, tasty mild flavor.

Brandywine, Pink: 90 days,9' tall, large, 16-24oz dark-pink fruit, not a heavy producer (manual pollination will help)--6-10 fruit per plant, difficult to grow, susceptible to cracking. However, this variety is regarded as the "king of tomatoes" in quality, meaty, rich, deep and creamy. Sellers: VictorySeeds

Brandywine, Yellow: 90 days, 5-7' tall, 32oz deep-yellow fruit, excellent, smooth, creamy, nice tangy taste, small yield--maybe 5 fruit per plant. Sellers: VictorySeeds

Brianna: 81 days, 16oz, pink beefsteak, like Brandywine. Sellers: TomatoFest

Carbon: 90 days, beefsteak-sized fruit, complex flavor. Sellers: RareSeeds

~~Cherokee Purple~~: 80 days, large, purple-pink fruit, can give poor production--maybe 5-6 fruit per plant. Get 'Black Krim' instead. Sellers: RareSeeds

Crushed Heart: Ripens earlier than cherry tomatoes, flavorful, semi-sweet, meaty and good texture, rose-pink with green stripes. Sellers: RenaissanceFarms, WildBoarFarms

~~Dad's Sunset~~: 75 days, 10oz orange fruit, smooth, uniform size, chalky, slightly sweet and tangy. Not top flavored tomato. Kellog's Breakfast is better. Sellers: RareSeeds

Damsel: 6' tall, balanced, some sweetness.

Dark Galaxy: blight susceptible.

Delicious: 77 days, 16oz fruit, smooth, seldom crack, small cavities, low sweet (20%), high tangy (30%), very moist flesh (like eating watermelon), tough skin, add salt to enhance flavor, good salad or juicing tomato. Sellers: TotallyTomato

Dr. Wyche's Yellow: 80 days, 16oz fruit, tropical sweet taste, heavy yields, similar to Kellogg's Breakfast Tomato. Sellers: RareSeeds

German Johnson: 76 days, 12-24oz pink-red fruit, suited to humid climate, 4-6' tall, productive, deep, acidic flavor.

German Lunchbox: 70-80 days, sugar sweet fruit, size of an egg.

Goose Creek: 70-80 days, 4-6' tall, 5-10oz round, pink fruit, excellent, full flavor. Sellers: GardenHoard

Great White Blue: 80 days, 6-10oz yellow with blue shoulders fruit, 5-6' tall, meaty, juicy sweet and fruity. Sellers: RenaissanceFarms

Green Zebra: 25% sweet and 50% tangy/tart, small, pretty green-stripped fruit, good tomato but not great.

Italian Heirloom: 75 days, 1lb red fruit, very tasty (winner of SSEs 2012 Tomato Tasting), productive, ideal for slicing and canning. .

Japanese Black Trifele: 74 days, 4-6oz fruit, rich flavor, tastes like a pumpkin, good yields. Sellers: JohnnySeeds; TotallyTomato

KBX (Kellog's Breakfast Cross): 85 days, prolific, meaty, big and sweet. 6' tall, deep yellow, 16-24oz fruit, low acid. Sellers: RenaissanceFarms.org

Kolb: 85 days, 10-16oz pink-red, round, beefsteak, mildly sweet and well balanced flavor.

Liz Birt: (derived from Brandywine and Cherokee Purple), 80 days, 8-12oz pink fruit, unique balanced, sweet flavor, but acidic bite, prolific, heirloom, similar in taste to Carbon, crack resistant. See similar cross varieties here. Sellers: RenaissanceFarms.org

Marianna's Peace: 85 days, large fruit, great flavor. Sellers: SuperSeeds

Mortgage Lifter: 82 days, 6' tall, huge beefsteak, produces steady into September. Sellers: Seedman

Opalka: 90 days, great paste-type tomato, elongated 6" fruit, meaty, few seeds, good flavor (unlike other paste tomatoes) making sauces/pastes taste even better, does well in heat and rain. Sellers: VictorySeeds

Paul Robeson: Wow moment flavor, 74-90 days, dark color. Sellers: RareSeeds

Pilcer Vesy: 10-16oz yellow beefsteak type, productive.

Pink Oxheart: 80 days, 2pound fruit, firm, meaty texture. Sellers: SuperSeeds

Ponderosa Beefsteak: 85 days, bursting with flavor, solid and meaty flesh.

Porter: 75 days, 4oz fruit, high yield, does well in hot, humid weather (when all others fail). Two varieties--one round, one plum shaped (larger than a cherry, smaller than a plum). Sellers: TheRustedGarden

Red Beefsteak: 90 days, 14-24oz, 6-8' tall, solid, meaty, juicy. Sellers: ufseeds

Rose de Berne: 75 days, (second best favorite tomato of James Prigioni). Sellers: FruitionSeeds

Rutgers: 75 days, 4-6' tall, 6-12oz, smooth, round, thick walls, crack resistant, excellent all-purpose variety, first harvest is small then progressively larger. This variety once held over 70% of the market in the U.S. Sellers: VictorySeeds

Sart Roloise: 75-80 days, 4-6oz, 6'+ tall, bluish purple on top and yellow on bottom, beautiful coloration, prolific, great taste..

Solar Flare: 85 days, beefsteak size 6-10oz fruit, red and gold stripes. Sellers: RareSeeds

Soldacki: 80 days, large fruit, great flavor, ideal for sandwiches. Sellers: SuperSeeds

Thorburn's Terra-Cotta: 75 days, orange-pink flesh, good slicer size, incredible flavor, Sellers: RareSeeds

Tigerella: 55-65 days, 2inch fruit, very tangy and fruity, stripped color, heavy yields. Sellers: SuperSeeds

Trip-L-Crop (Lycopersicon esculentum, aka Italian Tree Tomato): 85 days, 12-25' tall, large 6" red fruit, very meaty, heavy feeder because of large fruit and long vine, flavor is average. Sellers: Seedman

Ukrainian Purple: 80 days, 6oz purple-red, plum-shaped fruit, 3-4inch long, sweet, productive, makes great sauce (but a little watery so condense).

Virginia Sweets: 80 days, 16+oz dark yellow with red stripes, rich, super sweet flavor, heavy yields. Sellers: TotallyTomato

White Beauty (aka Snowball): 80 days, 8oz parchment-white fruit, sweet, citrus taste. Sellers: RareSeeds

White Tomesol: 80 days, 8oz fruit, very tangy and sweet, heirloom. Sellers: RareSeeds

My selection:

Abraham Lincoln. Sellers: Seedman. Beefsteak size.

Ananas Noire (Black Pineapple). Sellers: TotallyTomato, RareSeeds

Aunt Ruby's German Green. Sellers: Seedman

Berkeley Tie-Dye Pink. Sellers: Seedman

Black Beauty. Sellers: RareSeeds

Black Krim. Better than Cherokee Purple and Black Brandywine. Sellers: RareSeeds

Brandywine, Pink. Sellers: VictorySeeds

Brandywine, Yellow. Sellers: VictorySeeds

Brianna. Sellers: TomatoFest

Carbon. Sellers: RareSeeds

Dad's Sunset. Sellers: RareSeeds

Goose Creek: Best out of 50 other varieties. Sellers: GardenHoard

Japanese Black Trifele. Sellers: JohnnySeeds; TotallyTomato

KBX (Kellog's Breakfast Cross). Sellers: RenaissanceFarms.org

Mortgage Lifter. Sellers:RareSeeds

Opalka. Paste tomato. Sellers:

Paul Robeson. Sellers: RareSeeds

Pink Oxheart. Sellers: SuperSeeds. 2pound fruit.

Rose de Berne. Sellers: FruitionSeeds

Rutgers: Good all-round. Sellers: VictorySeeds

Thorburn's Terra-Cotta. Sellers: RareSeeds

Trip-L-Crop. Sellers: Seedman

Virginia Sweets. TotallyTomato

~~White Tomesol~~. Too mild for me. Sellers: RareSeeds

Tomatoes -- "dwarf" ("bush") types

Description: Over 100 varieties of dwarf tomato types. Most dwarfs are indeterminate. Dwarfs grow no taller than 3-5 feet. The central growing stem is particularly stout.

Growing tips: 7-10 gallon grow bags should be adequate for dwarfs. They need some staking, especially those with larger fruit.

More information on dwarfs:

Craig LeHoullier. One of the two dwarf tomato project leads.

DwarfTomatoProject.net. The other project lead's, Patrina Nuske Small of Australia, website.

2020 Garden Year in Review - Dwarf Tomato Project varieties that are available in seed catalogs

Victory Seeds Product Listing. Victory Seeds has the complete (and affordable) listing of dwarf seed varieties--134 total items as of April, 2021. At the bottom of the page is a convenient table of the dwarf "families" (over 40) and varieties within each family.

Varieties (dwarf, determinate):

Moby's Cherry: 63 days, 1-2oz cherry-type fruit, 4' tall, yellow/orange color, good flavor. Sellers: VictorySeeds

Rosella Crimson [8]: 78 days, 4-8oz fruit, productive, approaching 'Pink Brandywine' in quality. Sellers: VictorySeeds

Sweet Scarlet: Grade A-. 75-90 days, 6-16oz fruit, sweet, rich, deep rewarding tang flavor, smooth red (with occasional yellow and orange). Sellers: VictorySeeds

Varieties (Craig LeHoullier's TOP favorites as of August, 2019): Pondering our Dwarf Tomato Project releases. [grade # of 10]

Adelaide Festival: purple with stripes, excellent yield, fine full flavor.

Barossa Fest: bright yellow, wonderful flavor.

(Dwarf) Beauty King: 75 days, 6-12oz fruit, scarlet red with vertical gold stripes, wonderful flavor.

(Dwarf) Beryl Beauty [8]: 70-90 days, round, medium-size, green fruit, 4' tall, smooth, round, 3-10oz, balanced, full and delicious.

(Dwarf) Blazing Beauty: 75 days, 3-8oz fruit, rich orange color, intense and a bit of tartness flavor.

(Dwarf) Caitydid: 80 days, 3-8oz fruit, yellow/red bicolor, mild and sweet flavor, productive.

Chocolate Lightning [7.5]: 80 days, 4-8oz smooth fruit, chocolate colored with green/gold stripes, rich crimson flesh, intense unique flavor of black tomatoes with balance, irregular production. Sellers: VictorySeeds

(Dwarf) Confetti: outstanding in 2019.

(Dwarf) Egypt Yellow: prolific bright yellow, expectional flavor and size.

(Dwarf) Emerald Giant [8]: green fruit, a dwarf of Green Giant variety, 4' tall, tart (like putting lemon on the tomato), don't grow if you have problems with cankers. Yields more than Summertime Green.

(Dwarf) Firebird Sweet [8]: 75 days, pink with gold/green stripes, 16oz+, sweet, rich, balanced, complex flavor, high yield, colors are not stable.

(Dwarf) Golden Gypsy [8.5]: 75 days, 8-18oz yellow fruit, full, meaty, slightly tart flavor, consistent yields. Sellers: VictorySeeds

(Dwarf) Hannah's Prize: 75 days, 6-12oz fruit, scarlet red, large, slightly tart.

(Dwarf) Jade Beauty: green fruit, productive, disease resistant, and delicious.

(Dwarf) Kelly Green: green fruit, prolific, healthy and delicious.

~~(Dwarf) Maura's Cardinal~~: large scarlet color, productive, complete, delicious flavor. [Not in VictorySeeds catalog]

(Dwarf) Melanie's Ballet: plum-shaped, pink, productive, multi-use.

(Dwarf) Mr. Snow: 90 days, 5-12oz fruit, ivory colored, distinctive tart flavor, one of the best tasting.

(Dwarf) Peppermint Stripes: outstanding in 2019.

Rosella Crimson [determinate]: 78 days, 4-13oz fruit, pink beefsteak, flavor approaches Brandywine in intensity and quality, not reliable production.

Rosella Purple [9]: 65-75 days, 3' tall, 6-12oz fruit, deep purple-pink color, full, intense, balanced flavor, similar to a Cherokee Purple flavor. It is the most widely known of the dwarfs for its popularity. A must grow.Sellers: VictorySeeds

(Dwarf) Sarah's Red: scarlet red, productive, vigorous, large and delicious.

Sean's Yellow Dwarf: 80 days, 3-7oz fruit, yellow-orange, prolific, very good flavor.

Summertime Green [8]: 85 days, 10oz green fruit, the flavor is a tiny bit fuller and more complete than Emerald Giant.

Sweet Gold (aka Summertime Gold): medium yellow with faint blush, and superb flavor.

Sweet Scarlet Dwarf [determinate]: 90 days, 10-16oz fruit, red, irregular production, intense, complex, rich flavor that delivers a delightful tart kick.

(Dwarf) Sweet Sue [8]: 80 days, balanced, tending sweet, medium-sized, bright yellow with pinkish blush at the shoulders, 4'+ tall, 5-18oz fruit, prolific, disease resistant.

TastyWine: 85 days, 6-12oz pink fruit, potential to equal Brandywine in flavor, but varies from season to season, not stable.

(Dwarf) Tiger Eye: looks like Uluru Ochre, paste type, excellent flavor.

Uluru Ochre: 65 days, 6-12oz orange-brown fruit, productive. Great taste but behind Boronia and Rosella Purple in flavor.

(Dwarf) Vince's Haze: purple, full, rich flavor on par with Rosella Purple and Cherokee Purple.

Wherokowhai: 75-90 days, 4-14oz fruit, yellow with red color, outstanding sweet balanced flavor, prolific, similar in favor to (non-dwarf) Lucky Cross. Sellers: VictorySeeds

(Dwarf) Wild Fred: Similar to Rosella Purple, but slightly less flavorful.

(Dwarf) Wild Spudleaf [8]: 85 days, 4-10 oz dark-pink fruit, very reliable yields, good alternative to Rosella Purple in flavor. Sellers: VictorySeeds

Varieties (dwarf, indeterminate): [grade # of 10]

~~Amy's Ohio~~ [8]: medium-size, yellow (green when ripe) fruit, prolific

Boronia: 70 days, 3-4' tall, 4-16oz fruit, pink with dark shoulders, meaty, resembles Cherokee Purple, cross between Paul Robeson and New Big Dwarf. See video: Boronia Dwarf Tomato Taste Test and Review - My New Favorite Tomato! Sellers: VictorySeeds

BrandyFred: 75 days, purple fruit, 10-16oz purple fruit, rich, balance delicious flavor, cross between WildFred and Brandywine, may taste better than Rosella Purple. Sellers: VictorySeeds

CC McGee [8.5]: late-season, 4-8oz ivory-colored fruit. Sellers: VictorySeeds.com

Fred's Tie Dye: more acidic than Emerald Giant, prolific producer (more than any other dwarf), rose purple with green/gold vertical stripes, tastes almost like a lemon.

Hazy's Dream [8]: mid-season, 4oz fruit, high yields, round, purple colored, balanced flavor. Sellers: VictorySeeds

Metallica [8]: 75 days, good yield, medium, purple with green stripes, crimson flesh, balanced flavor, 2-3' tall, 4-16oz fruit, slight sweet and tangy. Sellers: VictorySeeds

Noah's Stripes [8]: 4-10oz purple, green stripes fruit

Snakebite [8]: 80 days, medium-large, meaty, 3-4' tall, 4-16oz pink fruit, tasty, tangy and tart.

Tasmanian Chocolate [grade 8]: 85 days, 5-12oz fruit, 3' tall, best of the chocolate varieties of dwarfs, very productive. Sellers: VictorySeeds

My selection:

Boronia. Sellers: VictorySeeds. Need to plant.

BrandyFred. Sellers: VictorySeeds. Need to plant.

CC McGee [8.5]. Sellers: VictorySeeds

Firebird Sweet [8]. Need to plant.

Golden Gypsy [8.5]. Sellers: VictorySeeds

Rosella Purple [9]. Sellers: VictorySeeds

Sweet Sue [8]. Need to plant.

Tasmanian Chocolate [grade 8]. Sellers: VictorySeeds

Uluru Ochre. Need to plant.

Wherokowhai. Need to plant.

Tomatoes -- determinate, non-dwarf ("bush") types

Description: No such thing as a "bush" tomato, but determinate varieties generally behave as such.

Growing tips: 5-7 gallon grow bags should be adequate for these.

Varieties (non-dwarf, determinate):

Baxter's Early Bush Red: 70 days, extra early cherry type on compact, bush type plants. Sellers: Seedman

Chello: 57 days, 2' tall, 1oz yellow fruit. Sellers: Seedman

Defiant: acidic (too sour), noticeable skin.

Glacier: 55 days, 1-3oz red fruit, sweet.

Mountain Merit: watered down flavor, some acidity.

Northern Delight: 58 days, 2' tall, 1-2oz fruit, early maturing.

Plum Regal: taste like tomato paste, good hit of sweet, thin skin, no acidity.

Siberian: 48 days, heirloom, 4-5' tall, 2-5oz bright red fruit, sweet and flavorful, can set fruit even at 38F.

Tomatoes - under research/consideration

Large/medium (heirloom):

Ace 55: 85 days, 12-14oz red fruit, low-acid, disease tolerant.

Amana Orange: 2lb yellow/orange fruit, sweet and almost fruity.

~~Beefmaster [hybrid]~~: 75 days, 2 lb fruit, 8-10' tall. Sellers: Seedman.com

Better Boy: 70-75 days, 5-8' tall, 16oz fruit.

~~Big Beef [hybrid]~~: 73 days, 5-7' tall, 12+oz fruit, produces 2X of other beefsteak varieties. Sellers: Seedman.com

Big Boy: 78 days, 6-10' tall, 10+oz fruit. Sellers: Seedman.com

Black Truffle: 75 days, 6-12' tall, 6-8oz fruit. Sellers: Seedman.com

Blue Beauty: 80 days, Sellers: RareSeeds.com

~~Brandywine, Black~~: 85 days, great tasting Brandywine variety, smokier version of the Red Brandywine. Cherokee Purple is far better than the Black Brandywine, and Black Krim is better than Cherokee Purple, so get 'Black Krim' instead of these other two. Sellers: Seedman.com

Carmello: considered by the French to have the “perfect acid-sugar balance” . Productive, with juicy texture.

Caspian Pink: similar flavor profile to Brandywine, and frequently beats Brandywine in taste tests, and is earlier than Brandywine.

Chocolate Strips: red color with brown stripes, large size, sweet flavor.

~~Chef's Choice Yellow [hybrid]~~

Creole: 72 days, 6-8' tall, 8-12oz fruit, meatier than average, tolerate heat and humidity, Louisiana bred. Sellers: Seedman.com

~~Country Favorite [hybrid]~~: thin skin, balanced, Ok tomato.

Curtis Cheek: Oxheart style, great taste. Sellers: BountyHunter

Dixie Golden Giant: 16oz+ yellow fruit, very sweet and fruity, meaty texture.

Eva Purple Ball: 75 days, 4-5oz red, blemish-free, very good flavor, does well in humid areas. Sellers: SeedSavers

Floradade: 77 days, 5-7oz red fruit, flavorful, suitable for Southern regions, handles heat well.

Hillbilly: 85 days, 2lb sweet, low-acid yellow/red fruit, beefsteak style.

Malakhitovaya Shkatulka: 85 days. Very green, middle of the road tasting (not spectacular), productive, disease resistant.

Martha Washington: good tomato.

~~Mindnight Snack [hybrid]~~

Mountain Gold: 80 days, heavy yields, 14oz smooth.

Mr. Stripey: 80 days, 2lb yellow with reddish stripes, very sweet.

Orange Jazz: beefsteak size, sugar sweet with hint of peach. Sellers: RareSeeds.com

Oaxacan Jewel: 85 days, 1-2lb bi-colored, beafsteak sized, sweet, fruity. Sellers: TomatoFest

Painted Lady: 74 days, variegated leaves and fruit, 2-3oz fruit size, great sweet flavor. Sellers: WildBoarFarms.com

Persimmon: 79 days, 14-18oz yellow-orange, few seeds, meaty, sweet fruity, grown by Thomas Jefferson in 1781.

Pineapple Pig: 75 days, 1lb creamy yellow, bicolor, mild flavor.

Prudens Purple: early Brandywine type. Considered sweet, juicy and meaty; doing well in short-season areas

Taiga: 75-80 days, 6-12oz fruity.

Thessoloniki: good size and shape, not cracked.

Wapsipinicon Peach: small, yellow fruit, good sweet flavor.

~~Valentine [hybrid]~~

Others:

Absinthe: 10-20oz green fruit, beefsteak-size, sweet and tangy, buttery texture, rivals Green Giant.

Black Vernissage: 4-6oz, balanced, slightly toward acidic

Green Giant: Good tasting tomato. Beefsteak size.

~~Green Vernissage~~: 4-6oz, taste like a red tomato, but are green, hard to tell when ripe.

~~Celebrity~~ [semi-determinate, hybrid]: brown shoulders, juicy, good taste, not blight resistant.

~~Carolina Gold~~ [determinate, hybrid]: fruity, juicy, skin is chewy, not strong tomato flavor, but good.

Champagne Cherry [ind.]: 70-75 days, larger than a currant, round, white fruit, sweet, heirloom, prolific.

Chocolate Stripes: disease resistant, prolific, sweetness of a black, meaty, juicy.

Early Girl: Ind., 50-62 days, prolific, 4-8oz, 4'+ tall, good flavor, standard tomato.

~~Eggyolk~~: really small and get ripe too fast.

~~Giant Pink Belgium~~ [ind.]: 16oz+, heirloom, beefsteak size, sweet and mild, dark pink with red with purple and brown hues.

Golden Jubilee [ind.]: 80 days, heavy yield, 8-10oz golden fruit, low acid, heirloom, meaty, thick walls, few seeds.

~~Invincible~~ [determinate, hybrid]: 3-4oz, paste tomato, thick skin (crunchy), watered down, mediocre.

Matt's Wild Cherry:

Marglobe [determinate]: 75 days, heirloom, 7-10oz deep red juicy fruit, superb taste, crack resistant, smooth, solid, prefers full sun, high yield.

Pineapple: good flavor

Park Swapper: great size and flavor.

Wisconsin 55 [ind.]: 75 days, heirloom, 8oz fruit, resistant to disease, cracking, firm, smooth, high yield

2021 Schedule

Tomato variety Image Type Size, color Days Tall Notes Sellers

Napa Chardonnay Blush cherry yellow 65 10' amazing sweet flavor RareSeeds

Black Cherry cherry large cherry, 1.5" 65-75 5-7' better than SunGold and Blondkopfchen RareSeeds

Blue Berries cherry small cherry, purple (unripe), deep red (ripe) 75 6' RareSeeds

Brad's Atomic Grape cherry large cherry 75 6'+ looks beautiful, but flavor is not spectacular RareSeeds

Thorburn's Terra-Cotta indeterminate medium, range-brown, brown-green seeds 75 7' RareSeeds

Paul Robeson indeterminate 7-10oz, red-brick 74-90 4-8' RareSeeds

Black Krim indeterminate medium, dark red
80
4-6' better than Cherokee Purple and Brandywine Black RareSeeds

White Tomesol indeterminate 8oz, white, cream color 80 5' RareSeeds

Carbon (beefsteak) 8-12oz, dark purple or red-brick 80-90 5-7' small yield RareSeeds

Mortgage Lifter (beefsteak) 32oz+, red 82 7-9' old fashioned flavor RareSeeds, VictorySeeds (has several varieties)

Brandywine, Pink indeterminate 16-24oz 90 9'
'king of tomatoes', small yield
VictorySeeds

Brandywine, Yellow indeterminate 32oz, yellow/orange 90 9' small yield VictorySeeds

Rosella Purple dwarf 6-12oz, red/purple 75 3-4' tastes like a Cherokee Purple VictorySeeds

Golden Gypsy dwarf 8-18oz, yellow 75 3-4' VictorySeeds

Tasmanian Chocolate dwarf 5-12oz, chocolate 85 3-4' VictorySeeds

CC McGee dwarf 4-8oz, yellow late season 3-4' VictorySeeds

Boronia dwarf 4-16oz, pink with dark shoulders 70 3-4' Resembles Cherokee Purple in taste VictorySeeds

Sweet Sue dwarf 5-18oz, bright yellow 80 4-5' balanced, full, with sweet overtones VictorySeeds

Uluru Ochre dwarf 6-12oz, orange with green overtones 65 3-4' vigorous growth, smokey flavor VictorySeeds

Wherokowhai dwarf 4-14oz, yellow with red swirls 90 3-4' outstanding sweet flavor VictorySeeds

BrandyFred dwarf 10-16oz, red 75 3-4' rich, balanced flavor VictorySeeds

Firebird Sweet dwarf 4-10oz pink, with gold stripes 75 3-4' sweet rich, balanced flavor VictorySeeds