How to Pick the Right Tomato for Your Space

Tomatoes are one of the most beloved homegrown vegetables. Almost every growing space I visit in the summer has them! Clients look forward to planting them every year. And there is nothing sweeter than biting into the first harvested fruit of the summer. It really is the best.

Choosing the right tomato plant for your space doesn't have to be complicated, but it can be super helpful in terms of maximizing your yields and setting expectations for plant care throughout the summer months.

When choosing what varieties you may want to plant, keep in mind these three considerations -- taste, use, and growing habit. Read more below for each!

Choosing a Tomato based on Taste:

Tomatoes have as broad a flavor profile and spectrum as wine and coffee! Each variety carries its own notes and nuances. Bright red tomatoes are acidity and punchy. Yellow and orange tomatoes are generally sweeter due to a lower acidity. Dark purple and "black" or brown varieties offer a smokiness and umami flavor. Green tomatoes are tangy, and tart.

What kinds of flavor do you look for in your tomatoes? Have you ever noticed the different flavor profiles in from your plants?

A fun activity to try this year is to grow several different colors of tomatoes and do a side-by-side taste test. Make notes of what flavors you pick up between varieties. Do you taste fruity or floral notes? Sweet or tart? Peppery? Herbal? Complex? Rich? Vinegar? Umami? Earthy? Smoky?

I like to plant a variety of different colored tomatoes so I can experience the full spectrum of tomato flavor throughout the summer! My favorite varieties of heirloom tomatoes are Striped German (for it's sweetness and brightness) and Black Krim (for the smoky, umami notes).

Choosing a Tomato based on Use:

This consideration really speaks to the texture of fruit produced. Are you looking for a classic slicer beefsteak to make sandwiches or top a burger? Are you planning to make a big batch of sauce or salsa this year and want fruit that has a lower water content? Are you planning to make salads with smaller, cherry, grape or plum varieties?

If you're looking to enjoy big slices of tomato, I would recommend an heirloom beefsteak tomato that produce large fruits. You could also opt for a hybrid variety that will produce more uniform fruit throughout the summer (more on that below).

If you're looking to make sauce and salsas, choose a paste tomato or a variety that has more flesh than seeds and juice. Amish Paste, San Marzano, and Roma are great varieties!

If you're looking for snack-sized tomatoes, opt for a cherry tomato, or other smaller fruited variety. Cherry tomatoes are usually my most prolific plants. It doesn't take as much energy to produce smaller fruit, and I often end up filling a large bowl once or twice a week from just a handful of plants. Cherry tomatoes are super versatile and can be used up quickly.

Choosing a Tomato based on Growing Habit:

Have you heard the terms "indeterminate" and "determinate" before? This verbiage refers to how tomato plants (and other crops) produce fruits.

Indeterminate tomato plants are "vining" plants that will grow super tall and produce fruit gradually throughout the season. These plants require sturdy trellises and benefit greatly from being pruned.

Determinate tomato plants are more "bushy" and will grow a little more compactly than the indeterminate varieties. These plants require less supports, hardly any pruning, and produce clusters of ripe fruit at a time.

Determinate plants tend to be better for small spaces, like pots and containers. Although I've grown plenty of indeterminate plants in pots throughout the years and been successful.

​You can read more about "indeterminate" and "determinate" in this blog post I wrote.