TOMATOES IN SUMMER
A home-grown tomato surpasses store-bought fruit in terms of flavour and satisfaction. These heroes of the home garden are rich in Vitamins A and C and antioxidants and far tastier than the greenhouse alternatives you buy in supermarkets. They're also rich in lycopene which helps stimulate your body's immune system. Cooked tomatoes deliver more health-giving lycopene. .Best of all, they're not that hard to grow and you could be enjoying a delicious bounty all summer for a small amount of effort. There are hundreds of tomato varieties with different uses and slightly different flavours. After a few years of trial and error, you’ll discover which delicious varieties appeal to your tastebuds.
What you will need
- A vegetable garden
- A trellis
- Soil
- Pots
- Pelletised manure
- Mulch
- Gardening trowel
Culture.
Plant in a sunny spot with lots of air circulation. Rotate tomatoes each year and never plant them in the same bed two years running. Plant tomatoes a little deeper than usual, as they will grow roots along any stem that comes into contact with the soil, creating a deeper and stronger root system. Tomatoes prefer a relatively fertile, well-drained soil with good phosphorus content. Too much nitrogen will cause excessive plant growth, but production of fruit will suffer. For most areas of the US, you need to use transplants. DO NOT START TRANSPLANTS TOO EARLY. If you have limited growing space for transplants (e.g. you use standard ‘six pack’ containers), start your transplants about six or seven weeks before anticipated setting out date. Set out date should be after the last frost date and when nighttime temperatures are consistently in the 50s.
Plant in a sunny spot with lots of air circulation. Rotate tomatoes each year and never plant them in the same bed two years running. Plant tomatoes a little deeper than usual, as they will grow roots along any stem that comes into contact with the soil, creating a deeper and stronger root system. Tomatoes prefer a relatively fertile, well-drained soil with good phosphorus content. Too much nitrogen will cause excessive plant growth, but production of fruit will suffer. For most areas of the US, you need to use transplants. DO NOT START TRANSPLANTS TOO EARLY. If you have limited growing space for transplants (e.g. you use standard ‘six pack’ containers), start your transplants about six or seven weeks before anticipated setting out date. Set out date should be after the last frost date and when nighttime temperatures are consistently in the 50s.
Create a trellis
Tomatoes are a vine fruit and need to be supported by a trellis. Use 1.6-metre bamboo stakes to build a teepee tunnel above your plants, depending on the length of your bed. Tie horizontal bamboo to the vertical stakes at 20-centimetre intervals with string and train the tomato stems to weave around them as they grow.
Water
Keep the soil moist - neither dry nor wet. Water plants with seaweed solution and don't over feed them; you can simply add a pelletised manure through the growing stage. Make sure you remove any leaves that come in contact with soil and mulch around each plant to a depth of 15 centimetres.
Growing.
Give your plants plenty of room. If you plan on training to a single stem, you can set them 12-16” apart. If training to 2-3 stems, set 18-24 inches apart. If using cages, set 24 inches apart. If letting them sprawl, give them at least 30 inches. Make your rows at least four feet apart; five feet is better, especially if you are using cages or allowing them to sprawl. You can (and should) remove some of the lower leaves when you set them in the ground. Set them deeper than they were growing because the stems will develop roots. If they are very leggy (tall, but thin stems), remove most of the leaves, lay them in a shallow trench, then carefully bend up the tip of the plant and tamp soil around it.
Pruning.
Pinch suckers (the new growth that begins between the leaf and the stem) weekly. General rule is if training to two stems, leave the main stem (where the first flowers appear) and the first sucker below the first set of flowers. If training to three stems, also leave the first sucker above the first flower. Remove all others. Most people who use cages do not prune or only prune lightly. Unpruned plants will typically ripen the first fruit a week or two later than pruned plants.
Diseases and Pests.
There are not too many pests that bother tomatoes. Some gardeners have hornworms (huge green caterpillars). Usually they can easily be controlled by hand picking. Look carefully. They are hard to see, but usually can be found by following the line of defoliation. If you have a serious infestation, you can control them with dipel. Flea beetles are sometimes a problem. You know you have flea beetles when you see lots of tiny holes in the leaves. Flea beetles are not usually a problem on mature plants; they can severely damage young transplants. Safer soap spray (or any soap/water spray) will usually control them. As for diseases, there are an incredible number of blights & other diseases which attack tomatoes. Once they take hold, they are difficult to control and by far the best strategy is prevention. Many (but not all) diseases are soilborne. If you have the space, rotate your tomato growing areas. Remove plant debris at the end of the growing season and burn it or take it away. Do not put it on the compost pile. Do whatever you can to prevent your plants from having direct contact with the soil. Remove lower leaves up to 8"; spread a heavy layer of mulch around the plants (straw, hay, dried grass clippings). Try to avoid using overhead irrigation with a sprinkler; if you must overhead irrigate, time your watering so that the foliage has a chance to dry out before evening. Soaker hoses are very effective and also will cut your use of water. Don’t fixate on diseases. With the exception of late blight, most foliar diseases will not completely kill your crop of tomatoes. They will usually survive and give a crop, somewhat reduced, until the first frost. Prevent blossom end rot by making sure your soil has an adequate supply of calcium - if you use lime, use one with calcium. You can also use crushed up eggshells. Adequate moisture also helps prevent blossom end rot.
Harvest/storage. You have two choices. You can pick your tomatoes when they are dead ripe and use them immediately. You can also pick them when they have turned color (say when they are mostly pink, but obviously not ready). When picked at this stage and left in a warm place out of the sun, they will finish ripening and the taste will be just as excellent as if they were ripened on the vine. The advantage to doing this is you are less likely to have fruit split, drop from the plant, crack at the stem end, etc. Never ever put your ripe tomatoes in the refrigerator. Taste declines significantly and the interior will taste mushy. Pick green unblemished fruit when you know there will be a frost. Wrap them individually in newspaper and store in a cool area in a box. Check frequently for rot. To ripen, take some and put them in a warm area. They won’t taste as good as a vine ripened tomato, but they will be better than the supermarket ones.
Tomatoes are a vine fruit and need to be supported by a trellis. Use 1.6-metre bamboo stakes to build a teepee tunnel above your plants, depending on the length of your bed. Tie horizontal bamboo to the vertical stakes at 20-centimetre intervals with string and train the tomato stems to weave around them as they grow.
Water
Keep the soil moist - neither dry nor wet. Water plants with seaweed solution and don't over feed them; you can simply add a pelletised manure through the growing stage. Make sure you remove any leaves that come in contact with soil and mulch around each plant to a depth of 15 centimetres.
Growing.
Give your plants plenty of room. If you plan on training to a single stem, you can set them 12-16” apart. If training to 2-3 stems, set 18-24 inches apart. If using cages, set 24 inches apart. If letting them sprawl, give them at least 30 inches. Make your rows at least four feet apart; five feet is better, especially if you are using cages or allowing them to sprawl. You can (and should) remove some of the lower leaves when you set them in the ground. Set them deeper than they were growing because the stems will develop roots. If they are very leggy (tall, but thin stems), remove most of the leaves, lay them in a shallow trench, then carefully bend up the tip of the plant and tamp soil around it.
Pruning.
Pinch suckers (the new growth that begins between the leaf and the stem) weekly. General rule is if training to two stems, leave the main stem (where the first flowers appear) and the first sucker below the first set of flowers. If training to three stems, also leave the first sucker above the first flower. Remove all others. Most people who use cages do not prune or only prune lightly. Unpruned plants will typically ripen the first fruit a week or two later than pruned plants.
Diseases and Pests.
There are not too many pests that bother tomatoes. Some gardeners have hornworms (huge green caterpillars). Usually they can easily be controlled by hand picking. Look carefully. They are hard to see, but usually can be found by following the line of defoliation. If you have a serious infestation, you can control them with dipel. Flea beetles are sometimes a problem. You know you have flea beetles when you see lots of tiny holes in the leaves. Flea beetles are not usually a problem on mature plants; they can severely damage young transplants. Safer soap spray (or any soap/water spray) will usually control them. As for diseases, there are an incredible number of blights & other diseases which attack tomatoes. Once they take hold, they are difficult to control and by far the best strategy is prevention. Many (but not all) diseases are soilborne. If you have the space, rotate your tomato growing areas. Remove plant debris at the end of the growing season and burn it or take it away. Do not put it on the compost pile. Do whatever you can to prevent your plants from having direct contact with the soil. Remove lower leaves up to 8"; spread a heavy layer of mulch around the plants (straw, hay, dried grass clippings). Try to avoid using overhead irrigation with a sprinkler; if you must overhead irrigate, time your watering so that the foliage has a chance to dry out before evening. Soaker hoses are very effective and also will cut your use of water. Don’t fixate on diseases. With the exception of late blight, most foliar diseases will not completely kill your crop of tomatoes. They will usually survive and give a crop, somewhat reduced, until the first frost. Prevent blossom end rot by making sure your soil has an adequate supply of calcium - if you use lime, use one with calcium. You can also use crushed up eggshells. Adequate moisture also helps prevent blossom end rot.
Harvest/storage. You have two choices. You can pick your tomatoes when they are dead ripe and use them immediately. You can also pick them when they have turned color (say when they are mostly pink, but obviously not ready). When picked at this stage and left in a warm place out of the sun, they will finish ripening and the taste will be just as excellent as if they were ripened on the vine. The advantage to doing this is you are less likely to have fruit split, drop from the plant, crack at the stem end, etc. Never ever put your ripe tomatoes in the refrigerator. Taste declines significantly and the interior will taste mushy. Pick green unblemished fruit when you know there will be a frost. Wrap them individually in newspaper and store in a cool area in a box. Check frequently for rot. To ripen, take some and put them in a warm area. They won’t taste as good as a vine ripened tomato, but they will be better than the supermarket ones.
Here are some traditional Italian heirloom varieties you might like to track down if you live in USA. They have been selected over the years to perform specific tasks in the Italian kitchen.
USA Varieties
San Marzano 2, a plum, is used primarily for sauces. It has few seeds and little juice.
Principe Borghese, a very small plum, can be used for sauce, fresh eating, but is primarily used by Italians to make dried tomatoes. In the event you are fortunate to have the right climate, you can dry them outside on a screen; if you do not (like most of us), use a dehydrator or the oven. Store them dry or pack in olive oil.
Cuor di bue, Costoluto Fiorintino, Pantano, Marglobe and Marmande are beefsteak types. You can use them for sauces or canning, but they are best enjoyed fresh or lightly cooked with other vegetables.
USA Varieties
San Marzano 2, a plum, is used primarily for sauces. It has few seeds and little juice.
Principe Borghese, a very small plum, can be used for sauce, fresh eating, but is primarily used by Italians to make dried tomatoes. In the event you are fortunate to have the right climate, you can dry them outside on a screen; if you do not (like most of us), use a dehydrator or the oven. Store them dry or pack in olive oil.
Cuor di bue, Costoluto Fiorintino, Pantano, Marglobe and Marmande are beefsteak types. You can use them for sauces or canning, but they are best enjoyed fresh or lightly cooked with other vegetables.
UK Varieties
Grafted tomato plants
Grafted tomato plants have been used by commercial growers for many years, but now the home gardener can also buy them too. Although they can cost an average of £10.00 for three plants the rootstock encourages greater vigour and your plants will crop earlier and more heavily - so the extra cost should be worth it. More importantly, the tomatoes aren’t affected by any seed-borne diseases.
Grafted tomato varieties:
'Koralik'
Tomato 'Koralik' is a heritage Russian bush variety that crops early enough to avoid the main August wave of blight. But it has also shown good tolerance to blight in three years of trials throughout the whole season. The foliage has remained healthy, the yield has been consistently high and all the small, bright-red tomatoes on each truss ripen together.
'Premio' F1
'Premio' is another disease-resistant tomato which has been extensively trialled and this also should be suitable for outdoor use. The flavour is excellent and the handsome red fruit has shiny red skin so it looks good on the vine. It ripens well and evenly and the taste is outstanding. It shows high resistance to many tomato plant diseases making it perfect for the home gardener.
Commonly available cordon tomato varieties
These are restricted to six trusses and all the side shoots (the leafy growths in the gap between stem and leaf) are pinched out to develop an upright plant - this takes up less space and allows fruit to ripen easily.
'Sungold'
Small orange fruits, exceptionally sweet. Crops well. For greenhouse or outdoor culture.
'Alicante' AGM
Excellent flavour, medium-sized round, red tomato with thin skin. Free-fruiting.
'Gardener's Delight' AGM
Small, cherry-sized, bright red fruits with authentic, old-fashioned flavour. Grow outdoors or in the greenhouse.
'Shirley' AGM
Early-maturing, heavy-cropping F1 variety for cold or slightly heated greenhouses with excellent quality fruit. Recommended for growbag culture with an open growing habit and resistance to TMV, Cladosporium ABC and Fusarium 1 and 2. Fleshy fruit popular with vegetable exhibitors.
'Moneymaker'
A popular and reliable plant that remains a favourite.
'Golden Sunrise'
Golden-yellow, medium-sized fruit of excellent and distinctive flavour. Ideal for greenhouse or outdoor growing.
'Sweet Million' AGM
A heavy yielding plant that produces sweet, round cherry tomatoes.
'Sweet Aperitif'
As the name suggests this is a very sweet variety that produces lots of small, red cherry tomatoes on each truss.
Tomato bush varieties
Tomato bushes are the easiest for a beginner to grow and are ideal for containers and grow bags.
'Red Alert'
Very early with exceptional flavourful, one-inch wide red fruits.
'Roma VF'
Thick fleshed, nearly seedless plum tomato for sauces, ketchup, tomato juice and soup. Disease resistant and heavy cropping - for outdoors or greenhouse use.
'Tumbling Tom Yellow' and 'Tumbling Tom Red'
Sweet yellow or red, cherry-sized fruits that trail over baskets. Both are very flavourful.
'Baby Doc'
A small specialty tomato grown that has been grown on the slopes of Vesuvias for hundreds of years. From the heirloom San Marzano.
Grafted tomato plants
Grafted tomato plants have been used by commercial growers for many years, but now the home gardener can also buy them too. Although they can cost an average of £10.00 for three plants the rootstock encourages greater vigour and your plants will crop earlier and more heavily - so the extra cost should be worth it. More importantly, the tomatoes aren’t affected by any seed-borne diseases.
Grafted tomato varieties:
- 'Elegance' - a standard red
- 'Santorange' - an orange plum
- 'Conchita' - a red cherry
- 'Belriccio' - a red beefsteak
- 'Dasher' - a mini plum
'Koralik'
Tomato 'Koralik' is a heritage Russian bush variety that crops early enough to avoid the main August wave of blight. But it has also shown good tolerance to blight in three years of trials throughout the whole season. The foliage has remained healthy, the yield has been consistently high and all the small, bright-red tomatoes on each truss ripen together.
'Premio' F1
'Premio' is another disease-resistant tomato which has been extensively trialled and this also should be suitable for outdoor use. The flavour is excellent and the handsome red fruit has shiny red skin so it looks good on the vine. It ripens well and evenly and the taste is outstanding. It shows high resistance to many tomato plant diseases making it perfect for the home gardener.
Commonly available cordon tomato varieties
These are restricted to six trusses and all the side shoots (the leafy growths in the gap between stem and leaf) are pinched out to develop an upright plant - this takes up less space and allows fruit to ripen easily.
'Sungold'
Small orange fruits, exceptionally sweet. Crops well. For greenhouse or outdoor culture.
'Alicante' AGM
Excellent flavour, medium-sized round, red tomato with thin skin. Free-fruiting.
'Gardener's Delight' AGM
Small, cherry-sized, bright red fruits with authentic, old-fashioned flavour. Grow outdoors or in the greenhouse.
'Shirley' AGM
Early-maturing, heavy-cropping F1 variety for cold or slightly heated greenhouses with excellent quality fruit. Recommended for growbag culture with an open growing habit and resistance to TMV, Cladosporium ABC and Fusarium 1 and 2. Fleshy fruit popular with vegetable exhibitors.
'Moneymaker'
A popular and reliable plant that remains a favourite.
'Golden Sunrise'
Golden-yellow, medium-sized fruit of excellent and distinctive flavour. Ideal for greenhouse or outdoor growing.
'Sweet Million' AGM
A heavy yielding plant that produces sweet, round cherry tomatoes.
'Sweet Aperitif'
As the name suggests this is a very sweet variety that produces lots of small, red cherry tomatoes on each truss.
Tomato bush varieties
Tomato bushes are the easiest for a beginner to grow and are ideal for containers and grow bags.
'Red Alert'
Very early with exceptional flavourful, one-inch wide red fruits.
'Roma VF'
Thick fleshed, nearly seedless plum tomato for sauces, ketchup, tomato juice and soup. Disease resistant and heavy cropping - for outdoors or greenhouse use.
'Tumbling Tom Yellow' and 'Tumbling Tom Red'
Sweet yellow or red, cherry-sized fruits that trail over baskets. Both are very flavourful.
'Baby Doc'
A small specialty tomato grown that has been grown on the slopes of Vesuvias for hundreds of years. From the heirloom San Marzano.
Tomatoes to grow in pots
Most of the popular tomato varieties do grow well in pots. Apart from being a good option for growing in smaller outdoor spaces, the great thing about pots is you can move them around to find the best warm, sunny position.
Cherry Tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes also grow well in pots, particularly in humid areas, and they look great cascading down from hanging baskets. You can trail cherry tomatoes along a fence or the edge of a raised garden bed.
Patio Prize
This compact bushing tomato plant grows up to 50cm tall. Growing well in full sun, with moderate watering, these are strong and vigorous tomatoes that produce high yields of medium-sized, juicy fruit around 2–4cm. Tomatoes to grow in garden bedsIf you plan to grow tomatoes in a veggie patch or raised garden bed, there are all sorts of interesting varieties to try. Prepare the soil first by digging in some organic matter, and giving it a good drink with some liquid fertiliser. Also, the best way to encourage healthy fruiting in any variety is to stake the plants while they are still young.
Gross Lisse
One of the most popular tomato varieties to grow in Australia is the Gross Lisse. Great for staking, this trusty plant produces good yields of medium to large fruits and is able to adapt to most soil conditions. This variety produces the best fruit in a protected, warm, sunny spot with deep free-draining soil.
Truss Tomatoes
Truss Tomatoes are another good option for staking in a garden bed and generally grow up to 1.8m. So called because each plant produces bunches or ‘trusses’ of tomatoes that can carry up to six medium-sized fruits. This bushing variety has a good resistance to disease and will enjoy a small amount of fertilising every few weeks once the plant starts flowering.
Tasty Slice
Tomato Tasty slice is a dwarf growing variety which produces masses of medium sized fruit. Ideal for growing in both pots or garden beds in nutrient rich soil or potting media. This plant has good hybrid vigour and disease resistance.
Big Beef
A large, beefsteak type tomato with a delicious, old fashioned flavour. Ideal for the home garden, this high yielding tomato produces large, flavoursome, bright red fruit.
Most of the popular tomato varieties do grow well in pots. Apart from being a good option for growing in smaller outdoor spaces, the great thing about pots is you can move them around to find the best warm, sunny position.
Cherry Tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes also grow well in pots, particularly in humid areas, and they look great cascading down from hanging baskets. You can trail cherry tomatoes along a fence or the edge of a raised garden bed.
Patio Prize
This compact bushing tomato plant grows up to 50cm tall. Growing well in full sun, with moderate watering, these are strong and vigorous tomatoes that produce high yields of medium-sized, juicy fruit around 2–4cm. Tomatoes to grow in garden bedsIf you plan to grow tomatoes in a veggie patch or raised garden bed, there are all sorts of interesting varieties to try. Prepare the soil first by digging in some organic matter, and giving it a good drink with some liquid fertiliser. Also, the best way to encourage healthy fruiting in any variety is to stake the plants while they are still young.
Gross Lisse
One of the most popular tomato varieties to grow in Australia is the Gross Lisse. Great for staking, this trusty plant produces good yields of medium to large fruits and is able to adapt to most soil conditions. This variety produces the best fruit in a protected, warm, sunny spot with deep free-draining soil.
Truss Tomatoes
Truss Tomatoes are another good option for staking in a garden bed and generally grow up to 1.8m. So called because each plant produces bunches or ‘trusses’ of tomatoes that can carry up to six medium-sized fruits. This bushing variety has a good resistance to disease and will enjoy a small amount of fertilising every few weeks once the plant starts flowering.
Tasty Slice
Tomato Tasty slice is a dwarf growing variety which produces masses of medium sized fruit. Ideal for growing in both pots or garden beds in nutrient rich soil or potting media. This plant has good hybrid vigour and disease resistance.
Big Beef
A large, beefsteak type tomato with a delicious, old fashioned flavour. Ideal for the home garden, this high yielding tomato produces large, flavoursome, bright red fruit.
Australian Varieties
There is some 7,500 varieties of tomato around the world, but heres’s a list of some cultivars available in Australia that you could try growing in your garden.
Apollo
A hybrid type that is a tall indeterminate capable of growing up to about 2.5 metres in height. They tend to fruit early with some great tasting fruit but unfortunately their tolerance to diseases and bacteria is quite low.
Beef SteakThis indeterminate variety tends to flourish mid-season growing fruits that are large and have solid flesh, making them a great option for salads.
Black Russian
As the name suggests this tomato has a darker colour and can be described as almost purple or chocolatey. The Black Russian is an open pollinated heirloom variety making it a traditional meaty and rich tomato. They can thrive in a cooler climate than most due to the fact they can absorb more heat than most other types of tomatoes.
Father Tom
The best feature of this hybrid tomato is that it is bred to be highly resistant to a range of diseases including Verticillium, Fusarium, and Tobacco Mosaic Virus just to name a few. The plant itself is a tall, fast growing and can protect their fruit from sunburn due to their extensive foliage. They can be described as a gourmet style tomato that would be great for salads and also have a long-lasting shelf life.
Grosse Lisse
These open pollinated indeterminate tomatoes fruit in a warmer climate which is generally the medium to late season. However they grow medium to large tomatoes and are seen as reliable with a great flavour which makes them very popular.
Health Kick
This determinate type of tomato is known for its added health benefits as it contains 50% more of the antioxidant lycopene. It is a roma type that grows quite tall and requires a decent amount of direct sunlight.
Mama’s Delight
If you’re a novice gardener then you should consider this type of tomato as it’s easy to manage due to it’s height. They are medium sized, don’t require any trimming and can be grown in a pot. However they should be staked or grown alongside a medium sized wire frame.
Mini Roma
Also known as grape tomatoes, the mini roma is a hybrid that is bred from a cross between a roma tomato and a cherry tomato. They fruit a small roma tomato that are considered sweet and bite sized and go great salads.
Patio Tomato
The Patio Tomato is a roma hybrid that is a compact determinate and is very productive despite it’s small size. They only grow to an average of 0.5 meters and product small plum-shaped tomatoes. They are low maintenance, don’t require staking and they grow well in small gardens or pots.
PinkMost pink tomatoes have either a mild or sweet taste. The most common types are the German pink, Caspian pink and the Brandywine heirloom tomatoes.
Pot Prize
You probably could have guessed from the name that these hybrid tomatoes are the perfect type to grow in pots! Despite the fact that they only grow to a medium height they produce heavy tomatoes and do need to be staked.
Reggae
This roma type is well known for being a high yielding variety, growing tall and producing sweet, thick skinned tomatoes. Due to their thick skin, these heavy tomatoes are well suited for drying and saucing. They can work well growing in a tomato cage and tend to be a one harvesting plant.
San Marzano
This tomato is very popular and often described as the classic Italian roma because it originates from Italy, is great to cook with and is ideal for making tomato paste. It is an indeterminate small bush plant that produces high yields of thick skinned roma tomatoes. They can be grown in small pots, don’t need to be stake and have a high resistance to diseases.
Sweet Bite
This cherry sized tomato is an indeterminate type that is also known as the Sweet 100 and can grow to around 2 metres. They are vigorous and high yielding, producing sweet cherry tomatoes in the mid to late season. They can also self seed so they may continue to grow from last years season but they need to be staked. Sweet bite tomatoes should be picked quite regularly as over watering can cause them to split.
Sweet GrapeAnother high yielding plant, the sweet grape plant is considered the “original grape tomato” that produces small and sweet tomatoes.
Tommy Toe
This indeterminate type usually grow to around 2.5 metres with the right support as this vining plant has good climbing capabilities. They are a strong garden variety that grows in the mid to late season producing sweet and large cherry tomatoes.
Truss Sweet
This type of tomato is an indeterminate that grows to about 1.8 metres tall producing great tasting plum shaped tomatoes.
Tumbler
The tumbler is well known for being a traditional hanging basket plant that produces small, yellow and red sweet cherry tomatoes. They are quite unusual but are attractive, low maintenance and fairly high yielding. They can be grown in a small pot or in the garden supported by a small stake.
Yellow Pear Tomatoes
There is a variety of different yellow types tomatoes including the little sugar yellow, yellow baby (aka the mini yellow pear) and lemon boy just to name a few. Typically they have a lower level in acidity which causes them to be more mild than most other tomatoes. The typical yellow tomato is a mellow salad variation and can grow quite tall. They are usually quite vibrant with their bright yellow flesh which is a great feature if you are looking to add colour into you garden.
There is some 7,500 varieties of tomato around the world, but heres’s a list of some cultivars available in Australia that you could try growing in your garden.
Apollo
A hybrid type that is a tall indeterminate capable of growing up to about 2.5 metres in height. They tend to fruit early with some great tasting fruit but unfortunately their tolerance to diseases and bacteria is quite low.
Beef SteakThis indeterminate variety tends to flourish mid-season growing fruits that are large and have solid flesh, making them a great option for salads.
Black Russian
As the name suggests this tomato has a darker colour and can be described as almost purple or chocolatey. The Black Russian is an open pollinated heirloom variety making it a traditional meaty and rich tomato. They can thrive in a cooler climate than most due to the fact they can absorb more heat than most other types of tomatoes.
Father Tom
The best feature of this hybrid tomato is that it is bred to be highly resistant to a range of diseases including Verticillium, Fusarium, and Tobacco Mosaic Virus just to name a few. The plant itself is a tall, fast growing and can protect their fruit from sunburn due to their extensive foliage. They can be described as a gourmet style tomato that would be great for salads and also have a long-lasting shelf life.
Grosse Lisse
These open pollinated indeterminate tomatoes fruit in a warmer climate which is generally the medium to late season. However they grow medium to large tomatoes and are seen as reliable with a great flavour which makes them very popular.
Health Kick
This determinate type of tomato is known for its added health benefits as it contains 50% more of the antioxidant lycopene. It is a roma type that grows quite tall and requires a decent amount of direct sunlight.
Mama’s Delight
If you’re a novice gardener then you should consider this type of tomato as it’s easy to manage due to it’s height. They are medium sized, don’t require any trimming and can be grown in a pot. However they should be staked or grown alongside a medium sized wire frame.
Mini Roma
Also known as grape tomatoes, the mini roma is a hybrid that is bred from a cross between a roma tomato and a cherry tomato. They fruit a small roma tomato that are considered sweet and bite sized and go great salads.
Patio Tomato
The Patio Tomato is a roma hybrid that is a compact determinate and is very productive despite it’s small size. They only grow to an average of 0.5 meters and product small plum-shaped tomatoes. They are low maintenance, don’t require staking and they grow well in small gardens or pots.
PinkMost pink tomatoes have either a mild or sweet taste. The most common types are the German pink, Caspian pink and the Brandywine heirloom tomatoes.
Pot Prize
You probably could have guessed from the name that these hybrid tomatoes are the perfect type to grow in pots! Despite the fact that they only grow to a medium height they produce heavy tomatoes and do need to be staked.
Reggae
This roma type is well known for being a high yielding variety, growing tall and producing sweet, thick skinned tomatoes. Due to their thick skin, these heavy tomatoes are well suited for drying and saucing. They can work well growing in a tomato cage and tend to be a one harvesting plant.
San Marzano
This tomato is very popular and often described as the classic Italian roma because it originates from Italy, is great to cook with and is ideal for making tomato paste. It is an indeterminate small bush plant that produces high yields of thick skinned roma tomatoes. They can be grown in small pots, don’t need to be stake and have a high resistance to diseases.
Sweet Bite
This cherry sized tomato is an indeterminate type that is also known as the Sweet 100 and can grow to around 2 metres. They are vigorous and high yielding, producing sweet cherry tomatoes in the mid to late season. They can also self seed so they may continue to grow from last years season but they need to be staked. Sweet bite tomatoes should be picked quite regularly as over watering can cause them to split.
Sweet GrapeAnother high yielding plant, the sweet grape plant is considered the “original grape tomato” that produces small and sweet tomatoes.
Tommy Toe
This indeterminate type usually grow to around 2.5 metres with the right support as this vining plant has good climbing capabilities. They are a strong garden variety that grows in the mid to late season producing sweet and large cherry tomatoes.
Truss Sweet
This type of tomato is an indeterminate that grows to about 1.8 metres tall producing great tasting plum shaped tomatoes.
Tumbler
The tumbler is well known for being a traditional hanging basket plant that produces small, yellow and red sweet cherry tomatoes. They are quite unusual but are attractive, low maintenance and fairly high yielding. They can be grown in a small pot or in the garden supported by a small stake.
Yellow Pear Tomatoes
There is a variety of different yellow types tomatoes including the little sugar yellow, yellow baby (aka the mini yellow pear) and lemon boy just to name a few. Typically they have a lower level in acidity which causes them to be more mild than most other tomatoes. The typical yellow tomato is a mellow salad variation and can grow quite tall. They are usually quite vibrant with their bright yellow flesh which is a great feature if you are looking to add colour into you garden.
