Tomato Varieties
I have attempted to organize the tomatoes I have grown into charts depending on whether the tomato is a paste/oxheart, slicer/beefsteak, salad/cocktail, dwarf, or cherry/grape type tomato. Some tomatoes may fit in multiple charts, for example, a cherry tomato may also fit into the dwarf tomato category. In these cases, I try to include them in both charts. I will continue to add in more tomato varieties as time allows. If you have a favorite tomato variety not listed, please let me know and I will add it to my charts.
In addition to variety, I include whether that tomato is open-pollinated or hybrid. I abbreviate open-pollinated as OP and hybrid as F1. Open-pollinated plants include all tomatoes in which seeds can be saved and will grow true the following year (assuming cross-pollination has not occurred). This includes all heirloom tomatoes. I have included the days to maturity for each tomato variety as well, although these numbers can vary widely depending on environmental factors such as where you live, weather that year, the amount of rain, etc. I also designate whether the tomato plant is determinate (Det), indeterminate (Ind), semi-determinate (Semi-det), or dwarf (can be determinate or indeterminate). Indeterminate plants keep growing and can get very large, even up to 12 feet tall. They will continue to bloom and set fruit up until the first frost. Determinate plants stop growing at a certain height, often 2-4 feet tall and set their fruit around the same time. Many gardeners who can or freeze tomatoes or tomato products like determinate plants because you can harvest large numbers of tomatoes at the same time. Semi-determinate plants are, not surprisingly, in between the other two categories. These plants grow all season long like indeterminate plants but are more compact. They do grow taller than true determinate plants though. ​ I include any disease resistance, if known. Common diseases include fusarium wilt 1 or 2 (FW1 or FW2), verticillium wilt (VW), tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), early blight, and late blight. I also include any other noteworthy information, such as the color of the tomato, the type of foliage (potato-leaf or rugose/wrinkled), any awards the tomato has received such as being an All America Selections (AAS) winner, as well as my personal observations. However, what I notice in my garden can vary widely compared to what you may observe in your garden, it can even vary from year to year. How much rain that falls during a growing season, temperatures, and even diseases observed can vary based on location, weather patterns, etc. Diseases that affect tomatoes in my typically humid summers may not cause problems for gardeners in Arizona. And gardeners in the southwest may have problems with tomatoes not setting fruit in their brutally hot summers that I just do not see in my relatively cool Wisconsin summers that rarely get above 90°F. Taste can also vary not just based on weather patterns but personal preferences as well. I do not like overly sweet tomatoes, I prefer well-balanced sweet, but also slightly acidic type tomatoes. Paste and Oxheart Tomatoes
Paste tomatoes are generally used for sauce because they are less juicy, meaty tomatoes, usually with fewer seeds. They are oblong, pear, plum, hot pepper, sausage, or heart shaped. Many traditional paste tomatoes are less flavorful when eaten fresh but improve when cooked. There are, however, many heirloom paste tomatoes with improved flavor.
0 Cherry and Grape Tomatoes
Dwarf Tomatoes
​Tomato plants are considered “dwarfâ€
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AuthorIn 2016, my family and I moved from the New York City area to small town Wisconsin. Our move, this website and blog (and our previous Etsy store) is the result of our desire over the past several years to simplify our lives, increase our quality of life, reconnect with nature, and enjoy a more self-sufficient life. I grew up as a country kid in central Pennsylvania working on my grandfather's fruit farm and as a corn "de-tassler" at a local seed farm. My background is in biology where my love of nature originated. I am a former research scientist and professor and have now transitioned to a part-time stay-at-home mom, self-employed tutor, and small business owner. Thank you for taking the time to check out my site. Archives
January 2025
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