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Tomato

Lycopersicon esculentum
Tomato

What could taste better than a perfect red garden tomato still warm from the sun? Tomatoes are the most popular homegrown vegetable for good reason. Grow lots because not only will you eat them, but they can save you big on your grocery bill, especially if you freeze them whole or make spaghetti sauce.

Tomatoes need heat, water, and fertile soil to grow their best. Wait until after danger of frost has passed to set out transplants, provide regular water throughout the growing season, and fertilize monthly to ensure abundant harvests. Tomato plants are classified either as indeterminate or determinate. Indeterminate plants grow all season, continuing to bloom and produce fruit as long as weather conditions are favorable. Determinate plants grow to a certain size, set fruit, and stop growing.

Light:
Sun
Plant Type:
Vegetable
Plant Height:
1-10 feet tall
Plant Width:
1-4 feet wide
Top Varieties
bears large fruits and is a classic hybrid indeterminate tomato that is highly disease resistant. Fruits mature in 72 days.
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combines classic 'Big Boy' size and flavor with a plant half the size of its namesake. The 10-ounce fruits ripen in 72 days.
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is an heirloom selection with blackish-red skin and flesh. The 2- to 3-ounce fruits are slightly larger than most cherry tomatoes. 65 days
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is one of the most popular heirloom tomato varieties. The 12-ounce pink-skin fruits have soft flesh and full flavor. The fruits are produced on an indeterminate vine. Red and yellow versions are also available. 80 days
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is a midseason determinate selection that is highly productive and widely adapted. Its 8- to 12-ounce round fruits ripen uniformly in approximately 72 days.
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is an heirloom variety from Italy that has ribbed red fruits to 5 ounces that are packed with rich flavor. 78 days
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is an indeterminate type that matures in just 52 days. It is widely adapted and dependable, producing 4- to 6-ounce red fruits.
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is a unique heirloom variety that has elongated green fruits striped with yellow. The fruits have a sweet flavor, and the plants have a compact, bushy habit. 80 days
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is a small-fruited indeterminate selection grown for its unique green-and-amber striped fruits with a sweet but tangy flavor. The 3-ounce fruits ripen in 75 days.
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is an heirloom variety that produces very large beefsteak-type fruits that have a very sweet flavor. 85 days
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is a midseason selection that produces 8-ounce round red fruits with firm meat and good flavor. The indeterminate plant begins bearing 72 days after planting.
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is an award-winning selection bearing clusters of fruit on an indeterminate plant. It is crack-resistant and tolerant of late blight and leaf spot diseases. 60 days
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is a red-fruited indeterminate heirloom type with good cold tolerance. The 4- to 6-ounce round fruits are tasty and early to bear. 60 days
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bears lots of large 12-ounce golden-yellow fruits on a determinate plant. They offer good disease resistance and resist cracking. 71 days.
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bears flavorful 3-ounce red fruits on a 2-foot-tall plant, making it an ideal variety for growing in containers. 70 days
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is an indeterminate paste variety with larger (4- to 6-ounce) fruits than 'Roma'. It holds well in storage, and its flavor is good for fresh eating. 76 days
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bears tiny 1/2-ounce fruits that burst with flavor. The vigorous vine begins producing in 75 days.
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is an heirloom selection that produces red 3-ounce fruits striped in yellow. It's very productive and quite sweet. 80 days
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is the standard paste variety. Its oblong 2- to 3-ounce, thick, meaty, red fruits require less cooking to make a thick sauce. Plants are determinate. 78 days
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is an heirloom variety with an unusual pleated shape that makes them perfect for stuffing. The yellow fruits reach 4 inches wide and have a sweet taste. 80 days
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is an eye-catching variety that bears elongated fruits that are 3 inches wide and 5 inches long. Each tomato is orange with bold yellow stripes. 85 days
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is an heirloom type with yellow and green skin and red marbled flesh; the fruits can reach 1-2 pounds each. It is an indeterminate tomato. 78 days
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bears sweet orange-gold fruits that mature in 57 days from planting. It grows on a vigorous indeterminate vine.
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has better crack tolerance and disease resistance than its predecessor, 'Sweet 100'. It is a prolific producer of 1- to 2-ounce round red fruits. 65 days
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is an heirloom variety suited to cool climates. It bears a complex flavor and meaty orange fruits to 10 ounces. 80 days
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produces attractive pear-shape fruits that are great for snacking or to add color to salads. It is an heirloom variety that has stood the test of time. 78 days
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Garden Plans
An Eye-Catching Kitchen Garden Plan
Fall Vegetable Garden Plan
Summer Vegetable Garden Plan
Heritage Vegetable Garden
All-American Vegetable Garden Plan
Inspired by Italy Vegetable Garden Plan
Easy Children's Vegetable Garden Plan
Planting Plans Inspired by the White House Kitchen Garden
Harvest Tips
Pick fruits when they are firm, full size, and fully colored. Tomatoes will ripen when harvested at their green mature stage, but flavor will not be as good. Harvest all except the greenest fruits before a killing frost, and take them indoors at 60° to 65°F to ripen. You can also harvest green tomatoes for pickling and frying.
Propagation
Seed

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