What Variety of Tomato Should I Plant?

	Cool-weather Tomato Growing Basics
	What Variety of Tomato Should I Plant? (this page)
	Growing Your Own Tomato Plants From Seed
	The Best Tricks in Planting Tomatoes in Your Yard
	Frames, Houses and other Growing Helpers

What kind and varieties of tomatoes to grow depends on your needs and your location. If you are inland, you can grow any kind of tomato, but if you live within a few miles of the coast you will be limited to certain types.

No matter where you live, plant as least two types of tomatoes, an extra-early and an early variety. If you would like to experiment, or if you live where you regularly hear foghorns, plant an ultra-early type. Ultra-early tomatoes set and ripen fruit with less heat needs than other types of tomatoes. Don't count the "Days to Maturity" of the variety because the actual days to when these tropical fruits ripen will depend entirely on your daytime and nighttime warmth. However, those numbers are a good guide to determine which other varieties would likely also do well in your microclimate. See "Where to plant your tomatoes" for the tricks you can use to give your plants as much help as possible.

Extra-early tomatoes are usually determinate (explain) and set blossoms during cooler weather and produce earlier fruit. Early tomatoes are next, and if you have enough heat, main-crop tomatoes will allow you to make sauces and juice. The sizes of the fruits will depend on how soon they ripen, with earlier fruits being smaller.

We are reluctant to specify tomato varieties because of availability. Use these as an example, and if you are not able to find the variety try a similar one. Ask at a good nursery and ye shall receive. What if you can't find the plants you're looking for? Start your own tomato plants from seed.

Ultra Early Tomatoes

	Glacier
	Scotia
	Stupice

Extra Early Tomatoes

	Oregon Spring
	Santiam
	Siletz
	SunGold (Cherry tomato, yum)

Early Tomatoes

	Early Girl
	Medford
	Willamette