8 Tomato Varieties Longtime Gardeners Swear By (and You Should Grow, Too) (2024)

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If you’ve ever grown tomatoes in your home garden, then you know what an impactful decision it is to choose varieties to grow. There are 100s out there with varying levels of sweetness, acidity, size, and shape.

Sometimes, it's not as simple as picking out a tomato plant and popping it in the ground. In fact, there are tons of factors to consider—and the very first is which varietal is best for you and your garden.

With this in mind, we turned to the experts to ask for their advice, and here’s what they had to say.

Cherry Tomatoes

If you’re looking for something sweet and perfect for snacking, then Nikhil Arora of Back to the Roots says cherry tomatoes are it.

“Their abundance of clusters during the growing season is ideal for someone who loves to have fresh tomatoes around,” Arora says.

Care Tips

Arora says to focus on regular water to maintain soil moisture, as well as mulch around the base of your plant for moisture retention.Harvest ripe fruits regularly, and if space is limited, consider a windowsill planter for optimal growth.

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Sungold

According to Cullen Boudreaux of American Meadows, it's not just any cherry tomato for her. Sungold cherry tomatoes are her personal pick for taste.

“Sungolds are like candy, popping off the vine with perfect bite-size fruit and a sweet, flavorful tang,” she says.

Care Tips

If you’re looking for a versatile option, Boudreaux says sun golds can be grown in the garden or containers.With a trellis or tomato cage, Sungolds are great to grow near the patio for quick snacks during a barbeque.

Best of all, this type of tomato promises a long harvest.

“The plants are always so productive,” Boudreaux says. “Flushes of ripe Sungolds keep me in tomato heaven all summer long.”

Beefsteak

While veggie platters and snacking tomatoes are one thing, Arora notes that beefsteak tomatoes serve a much different need.

“Beefsteak tomatoes are perfect for their thick flesh when grilled, roasted, or used in a sauce, adding depth of flavors to sandwiches or burgers,” he says.

Care Tips

While smaller varieties might not face this problem, beefsteak tomato plants bear fruit that can weigh them down.Beefsteak tomatoes benefit from sturdy support for their heavy fruits, such as sturdy stakes or tomato cages.

Early Girl

According to Donna Letier of Gardenuity, Early Girl tomatoes are great for an early-season varietal that’s highly productive.The Early Girl is an indeterminate tomato and will produce a round of deep red tomatoes.

Care Tips

As Leiter also explains, indeterminate tomatoes are larger in size and grow in vines.

“They perform well in most containers, but will need additional support,” she says, noting that the pay-off is a continuous harvest.

Amish Paste

Even if you haven’t heard of Amish paste tomatoes before, you’ve almost certainly tasted them. Arora says these are an ideal selection if you’re hoping to grow tomatoes you can use in your cooking.

“Amish Paste tomatoes are perfect for crafting the finest homemade pasta sauce, as they cook down effortlessly, resulting in a rich, flavorful sauce that maintains its texture without becoming watery,” he says.

Care Tips

According to Arora, the Amish paste plant is one that definitely requires pruning.Prune excess foliage to improve airflow and focus the plant's energy on fruit production for Amish Paste tomatoes.

Heart Breaker

While similar in size to a cherry tomato, this varietal gets its name from its heart-shaped fruit. Letier notes they’re the perfect pick-and-eat varietal.

“It will also add a great conversation starter to your patio,” she says.

Care Tips

As with most tomato plants, Letier says pruning as the plant grows is key.This will allow sun to reach tomatoes.

Celebrity

According to Letier, harvests of celebrity tomatoes can easily last well into early fall.

“It is a hybrid tomato which means it has been intentionally cross-pollinated with two different tomato varieties,” she says. “As a result of cross-pollinating, the celebrity tomato is hardy and will produce consistent fruit.”

Care Tips

While the celebrity varietal is also bred to be disease-resistant, Letier gave us a few general tips for all tomato plants. Water the soil, not the plant, she says.She also notes that tomatoes should be transplanted deeply, with the low stems removed.

“A good rule of thumb is to plant your tomato plant three times the height of the nursery pot it comes in,” Letier says.

Green Zebras

If you’re looking for something in between a cherry tomato and a bigger beefsteak, Boudreaux suggests the mid-sized green zebras.

“The fruits are dense, delicious, and attractive with bright green stripes,” she says. “They look beautiful in the garden and on the plate.”

Care Tips

Boudreaux notes these are one of the earliest to ripen, but due to their interesting colors, it can be tricky to figure out which ones are ripe and ready.

“Unlike a lot of tomatoes, where red equals ready, these are fully mature at a bright green with dark green stripes,” she says. “The easiest way to tell is when they pull off their stems without any resistance. If you must pull hard, they are not ready.”