Choosing the Right Tomato Variety: A Complete Breakdown

With over 7,500 tomato varieties (per Wikipedia), selecting the right type is step one in learning how to grow tomatoes. Differences go far beyond color and size.

Four Main Categories by Size

• Cherry/Grape: Smallest, bite-sized.
• Plum: Oblong, slightly larger than cherry—ideal for sauces.
• Medium (Slicing): Classic round shape, apple-sized—what most picture as "a tomato."
• Beefsteak: Largest, often asymmetrical, rich flavor—perfect for burger slices.

Within each category, size and color vary widely: white, yellow, orange, purple, and classic red. Flavor profiles differ too—research specific varieties for traits like "great in sauces" or "exceptionally sweet."

Growth Habit: Determinate vs. Indeterminate

• Determinate: Fruit ripens all at once; plant stops producing after. Compact, good for containers.
• Indeterminate: Continuous growth, flowering, and fruiting all season. Requires staking.

Seed Heritage: Heirloom vs. Hybrid

• Heirloom: Open-pollinated, seeds saved over generations for desirable traits. Seeds breed true—save and replant.
• Hybrid: Lab-crossed for specific traits (disease resistance, uniformity). Seeds don't breed true—buy new annually.

If you want to save seeds, choose heirlooms. For maximum trait control without seed-saving, hybrids excel.

Once you master one tomato type, the skills transfer to all. For a comprehensive resource, visit my Growing Tomatoes website.