Tomatoes. If you’ve ever had homegrown tomatoes, you know there is nothing like it. Aside from its superior taste to a conventional supermarket, growing tomatoes at home is a rewarding endeavor. Perfect for beginners, and with loads of varieties to choose from, if you aren't growing tomatoes in your garden… you’re missing out. But how do you grow tomatoes? Well, I’ve compiled a list of all the tips, tricks, and must-haves for growing the juiciest homegrown tomatoes, no matter what!
Getting started
So, are you a big slicing tomato fan? Or what about poppable cherry tomatoes? Or wanting to try your hand at a funky-looking heirloom variety? The good thing about tomatoes is that there are so many to choose from, it is usually narrowing it down which to choose that's the hard part. Admittedly, I am not a tomato fan, but everyone else in my family loves them. Kids especially love the novelty of cherry tomatoes, it seems, as its perfect bite-sized goodies from them right out of the garden. I, on the other hand, plant what is best for salsa. It may sound a bit silly, but it's good to ask yourself what you are using your tomatoes for. Eating off the vine? Salsa or sauces? Salads? Which types of dishes you will be incorporating your tomatoes into will help determine the variety you should choose.
Popular Tomato Varieties to Grow
There are over 10,000 known varieties of tomatoes in the world! They don’t just come in red either, some varieties are pink, purple, green, black, and even striped tomatoes. Here are a few popular tomato varieties to choose from, as well as a few newer types that are gaining popularity.
1. Beefsteak
This is what comes to mind when many people think of a tomato like your grandma grew
- Type: Large slicing tomato
- Flavor: Mild and meaty
- Great for: Sandwiches, burgers
- Why it’s popular: Big fruits, classic summer tomato feel
2. Roma (Plum)
- Type: Paste tomato
- Flavor: Dense, low moisture, slightly sweet
- Great for: Sauces, salsas, canning
- Why it’s popular: High yield, reliable, easy to process
3. Cherry
Even within the cherry subgroup there are tons of varieties here to choose from. This is one of my favorite types to go wild on, as my kids love any cherry tomato, and I love to play with variety and picking fun colors and unique flavors.
- Type: Small snacking tomatoes
- Flavor: Super sweet, fruity
- Great for: Salads, fresh eating
- Why it’s popular: Early harvest, very prolific, great for pots
4. Heirloom Varieties (e.g., Brandywine, Cherokee Purple)
I’ve grown a few Cherokee Purple over the years, and they are truly a beauty to behold
- Flavor: Rich, complex, often sweet and tangy
- Great for: Everything from slicing to show-stopping salads
- Why it’s popular: Old-school flavor, interesting colors and shapes
Fun & Unique Tomatoes Gaining Popularity
1. Black Krim
- Type: Heirloom with dark, dusky coloring
- Flavor: Smoky, rich, umami-like
- Great for: Impressing foodie friends, sandwiches
- Why it’s fun: Deep color and unique flavor set it apart
2. Blue Beauty / Indigo Rose
- Type: Small to medium tomato with blue/purple skin
- Flavor: Mild to tangy depending on ripeness
- Great for: Salads, visual appeal
- Why it’s fun: The anthocyanins in the skin make them high in antioxidants and super eye-catching
3. Green Zebra
- Type: Striped green tomato
- Flavor: Tangy, citrusy
- Great for: Unique salads, bright flavor pairings
- Why it’s fun: Stays green even when ripe—fools people in the best way
4. Brad's Atomic Grape
- Type: Elongated cherry tomato with wild coloring
- Flavor: Sweet, complex
- Great for: Snacking, impressive charcuterie boards
- Why it’s fun: It looks like it belongs on another planet—striped purple, green, red!
5. Pink Bumble Bee or Sunrise Bumble Bee
I wouldn’t say these are *exactly* pink, but a fine try at it in a vegetable
- Type: Cherry with colorful striping
- Flavor: Sweet and fruity
- Great for: Farmers markets, Instagram-worthy salads
- Why it’s fun: They look like candy but taste even better… at least that’s what you tell the kids
Seed VS Starts
Now that you’ve decided which variety to grow, let's figure out how you’re going to do it. Unless you’re in a very warm climate (think Florida, California, or somewhere even more tropical), tomatoes do best as starts. Now, this isn’t saying that you cannot have a successful crop when starting from seed, but tomatoes love a very warm, long-season climate, when the soil is already warm as well. As the average tomatoes take around 100+ days to yield from seed, most of us aren’t blessed with such a climate. Tomato seeds germinate best in 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are determined to grow from seed, starting indoors 6-8 weeks before your last frost is the best bet to ensure your plants are hardy and ready to thrive once the weather is warm enough.
Since most climates don’t have that ideal temperature early on, starts are the preferred method. You can choose to start your seeds indoors and transplant accordingly, depending on your zone. Here in Western North Carolina, we are zone 7a, and the rule of thumb is Mother’s Day. To everyone else, that means when the soil is above 70 degrees. Tomatoes are one of the plants I love to buy from starts, and I buy local. They are affordable, tolerate transplanting very well, and it give me the options for a variety of one or more types, when normally I would have to buy multiple seed packets. For the past 5 years, I have used the excuse of tomato shopping to attend the WNC Herb Festival, which is held the last weekend in April.
Feed Me Seymour
Tomatoes are heavy feeders. While not quite as ravenous as Audrey II (now I have to watch Little Shop of Horrors this weekend), they do love a rich soil packed with nutrients. Phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, and potassium, chiefly. Tomatoes love a relatively high PH soil, so make sure you test your soil first. Which stages your tomatoes are at also impact when you should feed them. While compost/ compost tea, or bone meal, can be added at the base for the plant at any stage in the growing cycle, a potassium boost in the fruiting cycle can affect the flavor of the tomatoes. Even though tomatoes may be heavy feeders, it is still possible to over-fertilize them. Be sure if you’re buying store-bought fertilizer, you are paying attention to those NPK numbers and what they mean. If you're interested in learning to make your own compost tea, check out our latest blog post!
Tomatoes also love a well-draining soil. Ideally, you’ve been working hard on your soil health before it comes time to planting with compost or mulched leaves. But, if you haven’t done much work before, it is time to plant, aerating your soil manually or with a tool can be effective as well. Alternatively, growing in pots and raised beds often eliminates the need for true aeration.
Have I inspired you to take your hand at planting your tomatoes this year? Or are you a long-time tomato lover? Let me know in the comments which varieties you're planting this year, or any ancient tomato wisdom you wish to impart!