Tomatoes are the taste of summer—and they come in more flavors than you might have thought! As one of America’s favorite summer fruits, tomatoes have been cultivated for decades into hundreds of unique varieties. Whether this is your first year growing tomatoes, or your fifteenth, here’s what you should know before picking up your plants for the year!
Determinate and Indeterminate
When choosing tomato varieties, you’ll notice on the nursery tag that they’ll be labeled either determinate or indeterminate. Knowing this piece of information will tell you a lot about what to expect from your tomato harvest! Determinate tomatoes are neat and tidy, growing into a bushy shape with one set of flowers that matures all at the same time. Indeterminate tomatoes, on the other hand, are a little wilder but far more prolific. They’ll grow and grow, often requiring pruning, staking, and caging to keep their growth under control. However, once they start producing fruit, they’ll keep yielding until a killing frost stops them in their tracks!
What is an Heirloom Tomato?
Another term you might see on the nursery tag is either “heirloom” or “hybrid.” Hybrid tomatoes make up most of the tomatoes on the market today; these are varieties that have been specially bred by seed companies to produce tomatoes with qualities people love. Some are bred for extra sweetness, while others are bred for disease resistance, or a whole host of other positive traits.
Heirloom tomatoes are varieties that have been passed down from previous generations of gardeners. Many of these varieties occurred in nature or were hand-bred by gardeners who saved their seeds to pass on as “heirlooms.” These are special tomatoes, many of which have unique colors, patterns, and flavors that excite the senses!
While there are differences between heirloom and hybrid tomatoes, neither is necessarily better than the other—it all depends on your preferences! Here are a few tomato categories that both hybrid and heirloom tomatoes occupy, plus some varieties of each we recommend adding to your collection.
Slicer Tomatoes
Slicer tomatoes are your “garden-variety” tomato—not too big, not too small, and just right for slicing up for your wraps, subs, and sandwiches. The size of these tomatoes makes them an ideal all-purpose choice, particularly if you only have room for one tomato plant this year!
Beefsteak Tomatoes
Beefsteak tomatoes are oversized varieties that are bursting with juicy flavor! A single slice from most beefsteak is enough to cover a large, steakhouse-style burger—and some are nearly big enough to fill a dinner plate! These are the true “tomato lover” tomatoes, and they’re a great choice for chopping up into salsas.
Cherry Tomatoes
Most of us are familiar with these little guys! Cherry tomatoes are the tiny tomatoes that go great in salads, veggie trays, and kids’ lunch boxes. Although they’re little, they pack intense, concentrated flavor into a small package. We especially love to blister them on the grill in a grilling basket. The heat caramelizes the sugars and turns the tomatoes into flavor bombs that explode in your mouth!
Sauce Tomatoes
Sauce tomatoes are oblong fruits that have been bred to contain very few seeds and lots of firm, flavorful flesh, making them ideal for making sauces and pastes. These are a standby in Italian cuisine, and the plants are highly productive. The fruit is also excellent for canning and preserving to enjoy through our chilly Bismarck winters!
Now that we’ve gotten you excited about all the rich, tangy recipes you could make with your tomatoes this summer, stop by Plant Perfect and stock up! Supplies are limited and going fast, so don’t hesitate to pick up your tomato starters for the year. You can also contact us to arrange curbside pickup, if preferred.