Some pronounce them as tomato, others say tomato. Just like there are varied pronunciations, there exist loads of different types of tomato plants.
Undoubtedly, tomatoes are the most popular plants for most gardeners. They are a healthy choice and a great addition to any dish. Whether it’s roasting, grilling, or even raw eating, adding this unmatched antioxidant plant will result in a burst of flavor.
Tomato plants are elementary to grow in different climates. Also, they’re very generous with their large yields. There exist over 10,000 varied types of tomatoes?
To reap optimal benefits from tomatoes, you need to know the best types of tomato plants to grow. That’s where this write-up comes in handy. In this read, we’ve put together 22 varied tomatoes to grow, enjoy, and hopefully boost your tomato yield this year.
Categories of Tomato Plants
Before you learn these popular types of potato plants, here are the two growing categories that they all fall under:
1. Cordon Tomatoes (Indeterminate)
- They grow on long vines that usually require support (staking).
- Require regular pinching throughout the season to produce a high yield.
- They have an unspecified life span and mature height. Under suitable weather, they continuously grow.
- Great in climates with long summers.
2. Bush Tomatoes (Determinate)
- They have a set height beyond which they cease growing.
- Bush Tomatoes have a harvest duration of 2 weeks, after which the plant starts to die.
- They thrive on vines but are bushier than the cordon tomatoes.
- Needs support to avoid getting the fruits dirty on the ground.
- Great for a sizeable single harvest.
- Require lesser maintenance than the cordon varieties.
- Best for beginner growers.
Types of Tomato Plants
1. Brandywine
These are some of my personal favorites. This type of tomato is famed for its great taste. There are high chances that you’ve tasted them as well. I like their unique pink-reddish tone. They’re quite large, round, and kind of meaty type of potato.
Many perceive them to be one of the tastiest tomato types. Due to their immense size, they make a fantastic sandwich. They mature slowly, taking about 90 days to harvest time. Their leaves are more extensive than most types of tomatoes; this makes them easy to identify.
2. Chocolate Stripes
This enviable type of potato ought to get your neighbors talking. It is red with brown stripes on the skin. It’s famous for its vast yield out of a single tomato plant. It can grow up to a pound in size, but that doesn’t tamper with its sweet flavor. So, if you’re looking for a bug size, attractive, and good flavor potato, look no further.
3. Beef Steak
Beefsteak is one of the most extensive types of tomato you’ll come across. It’s a renowned flexible variety, in that it’s excellent for salads, sandwiches, canning, you name it. They have a meaty flesh that’s a mild yet great flavor. They’re typically pink or yellow. Sadly, they often split at the top- this is because of their size.
4. Gardeners’ Delight
It’s one of the most commonly grown types of tomato plants. It produces delicious reddish fruits. This variety adapts in a varied range of soil conditions and delivers high yields that are loved when eaten raw or cooked.
5. Tumbling Tom
This variety has an expected height of just one foot. As a compact and trailing tomato plant, it’s best grown in hanging baskets. It doesn’t need any pruning or support. It’s easy to grow. It’s ideal for those with small space.
6. Blondkopfchen (Little blonde girl)
It’s quite hard to pronounce. This cherry tomato plant is a great type to choose from. However, unlike other cherry tomatoes, this one is yellow. I love yellow types of potato plants. In my opinion, they have a milder flavor and are more palatable. Yourself, do you love yellow tomatoes? Why not try this smaller variety!
7. Black Krim
What comes to your mind when you think of a tomato? Probably, a round red fruit, isn’t it? This type of tomato blows that stereotype from the park. They’re medium-sized, and each grows to be about a half-pound after the plant reaches a height of 6 feet. This variety is blackish purple and very interesting to look at.
In addition to their delicious tastes, they form an exciting addition to any dish they’re used for. After their origin from the Isle of Krim, they were the first black tomato to be sold commercially in America.
8. Celebrities
They’re red, round, and very full. Usually, they weigh approximately half a pound per piece. This type of tomato is famous for its fantastic tomato sandwiches.
9. Black Cherry Tomato
If you’ve ever seen one, you’ll agree that they’re unique, thanks to their black color. Though relatively smaller, this cherry tomato makes a great addition to salad and is excellent when canned whole.
10. Azoychka
It’s a bright yellow type of tomato. When looked from the outside, it resembles a lemon in color. They weigh around a half pound and possess a unique citrus flavor as well. It’s a great fit for gardeners who cherish bright, attractive, and delicious types of tomato.
11. Cherokee Purple
Isn’t it amazing to eat salad or can a purple tomato? Well, this type of tomato is just that, dark purple and fun when canned of cooked-they offer a fantastic variety to typical tomatoes. They’re the size of most average tomatoes and therefore weigh approximately a half-pound or less.
12. Green Zebra
Here comes another fun tomato that’s known for its tart flavor. This type of tomato is a relatively large, green and has yellow stripes running do it. Could that be the reason behind its ‘Zebra’ name? Maybe, maybe not. If you cherish making your dishes with fried green tomatoes, you should try this type of tomato.
13. Paul Robeson
It’s a Russian variety that derived its name from Paul Robeson, a Russian activist for Black Equal Rights. This variety is both sweet and smoky and takes three months to mature. It thrives and produces very high yields.
14. Black Beauty
As the name suggests, this tomato is dark in color. It’s believed to be the world’s darkest colored tomato. It has high levels of anthocyanin, a component that makes blackberries dark. Their skin color is dark blue-black and has a dark red inner flesh. The earthy flavor becomes more intense after harvest. It can be stored well at room temperature.
15. Early Girl
For those of us who cherish a garden in the backyard, this is a perfect choice. It’s red in color and round in shape. This variety grows to a half-pound per fruit. This makes it a tremendous sized tomato for use in the kitchen. They’re great for cooking, canning, or even using in salads and sandwiches. They happen to produce earlier than other types of tomatoes.
16. Fiorentino
It originated from Italy. The tomato plant matures at around 5 feet and produces large tomato fruits with irregular ribbing. The fruits are asymmetrical and measured about four inches across. They boast of a nice flavor and lots of flesh, thus being ideal for salads or sauces.
17. Shirley
This variety is relatively compact and most ideal for greenhouses or small gardens. It thrives in cold conditions, producing a high yield of medium-sized tasty fruits. It has a high resistance to diseases.
18. Plum Tomato
They’re commonly used for canning or production of tomato sauces thanks to their denser flesh and few seeds. They have an oval shape and produce high yields at maturity, which is around 75 days.
19. Green Beefsteak Tomatoes
Most of us are accustomed to green tomato, meaning ‘unripe.’ That’s not the case with this variety, which boasts of a unique tart and tangy flavor. They’re used to make exciting twists in juicing, sandwiches, baking desserts, dips, and sauces.
20. German Pink
This Bavarian variety matures after 85 days producing tasty tomatoes that have pink skins. They’re almost seedless and are extensively cooked, frozen, sliced, or canned.
21. Salad Tomato
These are some of the juiciest tomatoes. They measure between 2-3 inches across and possess a lot of seeds. The clue is in their name: they’re popularly used in salads and sandwiches.
22. Moneymaker
It is one of the most common cultivated tomatoes thanks to its ability to produce even in adverse weather conditions. However, its popularity has reduced thanks to the emergence of better varieties. Its fruits are sweet and mild tasting. This type of tomato plant has an average disease resistance.
Wrap Up…
There you go. Twenty-two types of tomato plants with pictures all heartedly availed. I hope you’ll get the right fit for your garden and yourself. Thanks to my vast experience, I would advise you to try varied tomato varieties to find your favorite and strike the balance-go ahead, mix and match.
You ought to cherish not only the flavor of your tomato but also their growing process. For now, all the best as you actualize your ‘tomato dream.’ We all would love to hear your type of tomato in the comments section below.