Vining tomatoes (also called indeterminate tomatoes) require frequent pruning because they won’t stop making leaves and blossoms until cold temperatures arrive. With minimal pruning, bush tomatoes will form a concentrated harvest of large and abundant fruit. Their dense habit does well in tomato cages, which provide added support and keeps fruiting branches off the ground where pests may be waiting. Bush tomatoesīush-forming tomatoes (also known as determinate tomatoes) are the easiest tomatoes to grow in small spaces and containers. Choosing which one to grow will determine how big your plants will get, when they’ll set fruit, and how often you’ll need to prune them. Most tomatoes varieties come in plants that form a bush and plants that form a vine. With a slightly higher acid content, they’re often a little tangier than cherry and beefsteak varieties. Their uniform shape makes them excellent for slicing into rounds or wedges. Salad tomatoes include a large number of varieties that fall between 2 and 4 inches.

Measuring about 2 to 5 inches, they come in a variety of sizes.

They’re also sweet, delicious, and easy to grow. If you’re looking to make sauces and pastes with your tomatoes, romas are ideal because they have few seeds, firm flesh, and a lower moisture content that’s quicker to evaporate while cooking. They grow more quickly than beefsteak varieties, hanging in dense clusters for easy picking. Slightly drier than cherry varieties–but just as small–grape tomatoes are more oval in shape, with an elongated tip that can resemble an inverted teardrop. Grow cherry tomatoes for a long season harvest that starts earlier than most other tomatoes, choosing from one of the many amazing flavors and colors. They produce an abundant crop and are perfect for container, balcony, and patio growing. Tiny and sweet, cherry tomatoes pack incredible flavor into a fruit less than 1 inch in diameter. They’re popular for sandwiches and generally need a longer growing season than smaller tomato varieties. Tomato varieties by size and shapeįamous for their large size, beefsteak tomatoes reach diameters of up to 6 inches and can weigh as much as three pounds. To find the best fit for your garden, consider how you’ll use your tomatoes, when you hope to harvest, and whether or not you want to save your own seed. Tomato varieties can be grouped into a number of different categories.

Fertilizing tomato seedlings