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Tomato Varieties & Cultivars

Tuesday, 17 March 2009 18:29
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Tomato Variety Organization and Categorization

This article discusses the different categories of tomatoes available, as well as the organization of varieties. You can jump to notes on specific varieties that I have grown (or want to grow) here:

Tomato Diversity

There is a staggering amount of diversity in the tomato world. They are divided by size (cherry, slicer, beefsteak, etc), shape (roma, pear, pleated, etc), color (red, pink, yellow, etc), growth habit (vine (indeterminate) or bush (determinate), and by when they ripen (early, mid-season, or late). But the tomato category that gets the most attention these days, is heirloom vs. hybrid.

Heirloom vs. Non-heirloom:

Although it's heavily debated, the standard definition of an heirloom variety, for any plant species, is that it is a cultivar that has been grown for many generations, the seeds passed down from gardener to gardener through the years. To be considered an heirloom variety, though, these seeds that have been saved and handed down, must be open-pollinated. However some schools of thought add an age requirement. The benefit of heirloom varieties is that over time, through selective breeding, the plant adapts to the regional climate and soil that they have been grown in; leading to the plant being resistant to local temperature extremes and even pests that are common to that region.

Heirloom varieties are not commonly used in commercial agriculture due to their inconsistent fruit shapes and production. They are also more easily damaged by mechanical picking machines, and don't keep or store well. Varieties that are used in commercial agriculture are hybrids that have been developed for high production, disease-resistance, storage-length, herbicide-resistance, and transport. These hybridized varieties are not-necessarily evil, but the practices of monoculture, herbicide use, and trucking produce for long distances, aren't sustainable. But the biggest problem with commercially grown produce, in my opinion, is that it doesn't taste as good, since they are not selecting for taste as much as the other traits, and because commercial growers have to pick them so early in order to transport them.

So, in general, I prefer to purchase produce that has been grown in my area from the local Farmer's Markets. Even someof our local grocery stores are now carrying produce from small local farmers. I am fortunate to live very close to the area that grows most of the produce for the western United States, and sometimes the entire US. As for what I choose to grow in my own garden, I grow mostly heirlooms, because there is way more variety to choose from and they are very tasty, but I also grow a few hybrids, if they are unique or interesting.

Cultivars by Growth Habit:

  • Indeterminate Varieties (also known as Cordon or Vine Tomatoes)
  • Dwarf Indeterminate
  • Determinate Varieties (also known as Bush Tomatoes)
  • Intermediate Varieties: lesser-known type which grows like a bush, but gets so tall that staking is required, like vines; sideshoots should not be pruned.
  • Semi-determinate Varieties: self-limiting height, but grow somewhat like a vine, with sideshoots.

Cultivars By Tomato Size:

  • Currant-sized
  • Cherry tomato
  • Plum, Roma or paste tomato
    • thick-walled tomatoes have less juice, so they are better for sauces
    • take longer to ripen
  • Slicing Tomato
  • Large Beefstakes: 
    • Giant ones weighing up to 16 oz.
    • take longer to ripen

Cultivars By Tomato Shape

Cultivars By Tomato Color:

  • Red (standard)
  • Pink
  • Purple/black
  • Green
  • White
  • Yellow
    • May be more resistant to potato blight than other colors (REOG)
  • Orange
  • Striped
  • mottled

Cultivars By Maturity Rate:

Cultivars By Disease Resistance: 

There are hybrids that are bred for disease resistance, so this leads to further categorization. On the plant label, if you see one of the following abbreviations, the plant is resistant, or more tolerant of, the disease from the list below. Some heirloom tomatoes carry a natural resistance to a disease; these are the plants they start from when selecting for that disease-resistance.

  • V = Verticillium Wilt
  • F = Fusarium Wilt (F1 & F2)
  • FF = Fusarium Wilt
  • N = Nematode Resistant (root knot nematode)
  • T = Tobacco Mosaic Virus Resistance
  • A = Alternaria Leaf Spot resistance (Alternaria Blight)
  • ASC = Alternaria Stem Canker

Cultivars by Environmental Conditions:

  • Hot weather: to deal with hot summers, grow small-fruited cultivars which will set fruit better, and crack less due to the heat. Cherry tomatoes, currants and pear-types all do well, as do plum, or roma, or paste tomatoes. Larger hybrids have been bred with heat resistance. Plant vigorous early varieties, along with a midseason heat resistant one at the same time. Pick fruits continually to get them out of the heat.
  • Dry weather
  • Humid weather
  • Foggy conditions
  • Short growing seasons (colder climates)
  • Season Extension, Cold-Season Gardening
    • For fresh tomatoes in winter (TKG):
      • pick a variety that has a long maturity length and not terrific flavor, nor rich color (Burpee's Longkeeper, for example).
      • Start later in the season, like late spring
      • pick tomatoes before frost, while still green
      • wrap the green tomatoes in paper and keep in a cool environment
      • weeks or months later they will ripen

Cultivars by Cultivation Practices

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Last Updated on Saturday, 18 February 2012 10:23  

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