tomatoes

Below the growing tips is a list of the tomato varieties I am offering on my farm table in 2025.

Included are beefsteak type and salad slicers, paste and oxheart tomatoes, cherry and grape tomatoes of a variety of colors.

Some varieties this year are DWARF tomatoes, which generally grow 2.5 to 4 feet tall, well suited for smaller gardens and containers.

All of the dwarf tomatoes are open pollinated (EXCEPT ‘Little Napoli’).

(Descriptions and photos are from the seed company websites.)

Growing tomatoes

PLEASE NOTE: The plants on my farm table have NOT been hardened off. They are straight from the greenhouse.
You can do one of the following:
1. Expose them gradually to outdoor conditions over a week
-OR (as I do)-
2. Plant them immediately and give them protection from excess sun, wind, and rain for a week or two.

• Plant tomatoes deep. As much as 2/3 of the stem. They will grow additional roots all along the stem.

• At planting time, work in 1/2 to one cup of general purpose vegetable fertilizer, some bone meal and some compost at a minimum.
  (I also add blood meal, garden lime, worm castings, and some 20 year old pond muck from when I cleaned out my backyard goldfish pond. This year I am also going to add some mycorrhizae — soil-dwelling fungi which form a symbiotic relationship with the roots of plants, protecting them and encouraging their growth.)

• Tomato plants are heavy feeders. You will get more fruit if you feed the plants every few weeks, but not with a nitrogen heavy fertilizer (which encourages leaf growth over fruit). Some nitrogen is good, of course, just be sure the percentage of N in N-P-K on the bag is a smaller number.

• All tomato plants benefit from some support, even dwarf tomatoes, to keep fruit off of the ground. Larger indeterminate tomatoes require support. The big oxheart and beefsteak types need substantial support to keep the fruit heavy plants from falling over.

Below is the list of tomato varieties I am offering in 2025 on my farm table.

Brad’s Atomic Grape

Grape to plum-sized tomato - indeterminate - F1 hybrid.
Elongated, large cherries in clusters. Lavender and purple stripes, turning to technicolor olive-green, red, and brown/blue stripes when fully ripe. Really wild! Fruit holds well on the vine or off, making this amazing variety a good candidate for market growers. Olive green interior is blushed with red when dead-ripe. Crack-resistant fruit is extraordinarily sweet! Wispy foliage looks delicate but belies these plants’ rugged constitution and high productivity. This variety comes from the legendary tomato breeder Brad Gates. This release from Wild Boar Farms won best in show at the 2017 National Heirloom Expo! These range in size from a large grape to plum-sized. AMAZING! (Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds)

Brandy Fred

Beefsteak type slicing tomato - determinate - open pollinated.
DWARF - about 4 feet.
(80 days) Rugose leafed variety. Tree type plants grow to about 4 feet tall and produce big crops of 10-16 ounce fruits that ripen about 80 days after transplant. This variety is proof that large sized fruits do grow on dwarf plants. Stake well! One taste and you will experience the richness of a true old fashioned tomato. It’s on the sweet side and well balanced. This is a perfect sandwich tomato. (Renaissance Farms)

Brown Sugar

Slicing tomato - indeterminate - open pollinated

A Russian heirloom with a silky texture and a smoky, complex flavor. Black tomatoes are famous for their rich, nuanced flavor, and the 7-ounce, globe-shaped fruit of Brown Sugar does not disappoint. This is a gourmet, sugar-sweet tomato, just perfect for snacking, slicing, cooked dishes, and sauces. 70 - 85 days to maturity from transplant. (Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds)

Cuore di Bue

Sauce/paste tomato - indeterminate - open pollinated.

This curious and striking tomato is guaranteed to turn heads as well as satisfy appetites. Its name is simply Italian for oxheart, although this selection (Rivera) is an exotic twist on the oxheart tomato type. These big tomatoes have a bottom-heavy shape reminiscent of a pouch with a gathered top. They measure 3 1/2 inches wide by 4  inches long and weigh in at just under 1/2 pound each. Cuore di Bue is one of the tastiest saucing types with dense flesh and lustrous, orangey-red skin. (Territorial Seed)

Cuore di Bue is also great for slicing and eating fresh!

Cuore di Bue plants need good support. A couple of years ago here at WILLS FARM, my plant toppled from the weight of the fruit. Many of the fruit I harvested were twice as large as the average for this variety — over one pound and some almost 2 pounds! Delicious tomatoes. Great for roasting for marinara sauce. Photo of the green fruit is from my own garden.

Dester

Beefsteak - open pollinated.

A large pink beefsteak variety that reaches 1 to 1-1/2 pounds. Its rich sweet flavor makes it an excellent slicer. The seed came to us from an Amish lady who lives just a few miles from our Baker Creek farm. Anna worked as a house cleaner for Dr. Dester and his wife in Indiana in the 1970s. Having acquired the seed from Germany, the Desters shared their favorite tomato seed with Anna, who treasured it and now shares it with us. One of our best-tasting tomatoes. Indeterminate, 75 days to maturity from transplant. (Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds)

Egg Yolk

Cherry tomato - indeterminate - open pollinated.

I received some Egg Yolk tomato seeds in a seed swap in 2018. Truthfully, I only grew them out because I had some extra space. It turned out to be a great decision! Tall vines produced sweetish, juicy and flavorful cherries and were very prolific all season long. I especially liked that they were crack-free. This is absolutely a snacking and salad tomato, that may work well as a main crop variety for market sales etc. May I also suggest slicing some and dehydrating them, so yummy! There is also potential here for container growing, but some staking will be necessary. Egg Yolk is also early ripening, coming in at 70 days after transplant. Definitely worth growing!

Firebird Sweet

Slicing tomato - determinate - open pollinated.
DWARF tomato - 4 feet or less.
Very limited quantity.

(75 days) 4-10 ounce bi-color fruits are sweet, juicy, full flavored and satisfying. Let them ripen well and you will be highly rewarded. Dwarf Firebird Sweet vines are not more than 4 feet (usually shorter). Ours made it to about 3.5 feet tall by the end of the season. Clusters of 5 tomatoes begin to ripen after 75 days. (Renaissance Farms)

Juliet

Grape tomato - indeterminate - F1 hybrid.
Great flavor, fresh or cooked. A larger sister variety of Santa, Juliet is one of the most disease resistant in our trials. Deep red, shiny fruits avg. 2–2 1/4" x 1 3/8–1 1/2", weighing 1 1/2–2 oz. Typically 12–18 fruits per cluster. Delicious, rich tomato flavor for salads, great salsa, and fresh pasta sauce. Good crack resistance, vine storage, and shelf life. Intermediate resistance to early blight and late blight. AAS winner. (Johnny’s Selected Seeds)

I always grow ‘Juliet’ because it reliably produces heavy crops that never crack and keep very well after harvest in a single layer on trays. Especially good for salsas, sauces and drying, as it is not a juicy tomato.

Karma Apricot

Large cherry tomato - open pollinated.

Another stunning variety by Karen Olivier and Marsha Eisenberg, KARMA Apricot tomato is a beauty to behold. I also happen to think that this tomato has the perfect name. This potato leafed variety should do well in northern gardens! Plants are tall and produce nicely all season long. They begin to ripen fruits about 75 days after transplant. KARMA Apricot is mildly sweet, with delicious fruity undertones. Texture is nice too! Perfect cherry for salads, snacking, preserves and garnish. Tall plants so stake early and well! (Renaissance Farms)

Lemon Boy Plus

Slicing tomato - indeterminate - F1 hybrid.
A delicious yellow tomato. An updated version of the classic Lemon Boy tomato with added disease resistant and sweet, tangy flavor — a marked improvement over typical yellow tomatoes. The flattened-round, 7 to 8 ounce beefsteak fruits are consistent in size, shape, and quality. A high-yielding variety with good firmness. Can be harvested bright lemon-yellow to deeper golden-yellow when fruit exhibits light checking and a subtle blush at the blossom scar. Harvest a bit underripe if you prefer a more acidic flavor profile. (Johnny’s Selected Seeds)

Little Napoli

Sauce or salad tomato - determinate - F1 hybrid
DWARF - about 2 feet.

60-65 days. A Roma style tomato that is comfortable growing in a container. The exceptionally compact, determinate plants produce heavy flushes of fruit, perfect for cooking up into rich sauce, soup, or catsup. The bright crimson, oval tomatoes are meaty and dense with a rich, tangy flavor. These dual-use tomatoes are also ideal in salads. Overall plant size is 12 to 24 inches tall, stretching 24 to 36 inches wide. They will need some support to keep the fruit off of the ground. (Territorial Seed)

Here at WILLS FARM, Little Napoli has become a favorite. The plants produce fruit early, are delicious, and the plants need only minimal support and management. (Little Napoli was the first to ripen in 2020’s garden, even before cherry tomato Sungold.) As long as I can get seed, I will be planting it.

Mary’s Cherry

DWARF tomato - determinate - open pollinated.

Perhaps the most prolific dwarf variety that we grew in 2018, Dwarf Mary’s Cherry tomato is awesome! Inconsistent in sizes, fruits vary from 2-3 inches in diameter. Dwarf Mary’s Cherry is rich and juicy. There is some sweetness and a bit of earthiness also!  It’s a really good tomato for snacking and fresh tomato salsa. It should really liven up your soups, the flavor is that good! Our plants did not exceed 2.5 feet tall and they began to ripen fruits early, coming in at 70 days after transplant. This variety is easily one of my top ten dwarf varieties. Another good variety for growing in containers or in the ground. Side disease resistance too! (Renaissance Farms)

New Big

Beefsteak style slicing tomato - determinate - open pollinated.
DWARF tomato - 3.5 feet
Very limited quantity.

(85 days) Rugose leaf plants produce big, pink slicers that can reach one pound and are as tasty as they come. Great variety if you are gardening in smaller spaces and want bigger yields. Plants are hardy, prolific and produce excellently.  Tallest plants were about 3.5 feet. We harvested our first ripened fruits about 85 days after transplant. Sweet, juicy and well balanced. Stake early and well. (Renaissance Farms)

Noah Stripes

Slicing tomato - determinate - open pollinated.
DWARF tomato - 3.5 feet.
Very limited quantity.
(85 days) Bi-colored 4 to 10 ounce, smooth skinned, oblate shaped fruit that are purple with distinct green colored striping and a deep crimson interior. An excellent slicing tomato, they possess a rich, lovely flavor that is well balanced between sweet and tart. This tomato reminds me of Girl Girl’s Weird Thing tomato but on a dwarf plant.
Tree-like plants no taller than 3.5 feet, rugose leaves, very productive. Definitely one of the hardiest varieties that we grew in 2021.  These will do well in larger containers of perhaps 4-5 gallons and with regular feeding and watering. Will have to be staked because of heavy production. Nice little slicer that’s definitely worth growing! (Renaissance Farms)

Polaris

Beefsteak tomato - open pollinated.

Polaris Tomato is a fattened, delicious, black beefsteak that was bred by Karen Olivier in Canada. In 2020 I grew several excellent black varieties, including PPP X PP “C”, and Gary’O Sena. Polaris held its own against the best! What I especially love, is that plants are potato leafed! Our vines grew to about 6 feet tall and produced nicely. The first ripened fruits appeared about 75 days after garden transplant. Taste is rich, complex and sweet. Excellent texture that’s perfect for sandwiches. Not runny, so no bread wetting. Recommended for northern gardens!

Polish

Slicing tomato - open pollinated.

Polish is a nice size tomato that is a must grow if you are a serious gardener. Huge pink fruits grow in clusters of 3 to 5 and begin to ripen about 85 days after transplant. They continue to decorate the garden until season’s end. Fruits are sweet, meaty, juicy, and medium-mild. Vines are about 6 ft tall, perhaps taller, and demonstrate great disease resistance.

This is a perfect tomato for sandwiches and slicing. I especially recommend this one for market sales because its taste is similar to Pink Brandywine. (Renaissance Farms)

Pomodoro Squisito

Sauce/paste tomato - indeterminate - F1 hybrid.
72 days. This new San Marzano hybrid produces heaps of luscious fruit for all your cooking needs. (I think sauce tomatoes are also good for slicing — delicious and not so watery as slicing tomatoes). Vigorous, indeterminate plants set heavy clusters of 6 to 8, elongated deep red fruit with thick meat, a minimal seed cavity and well-developed flavor. Resistance to blossom end rot. (Territorial Seed)

Pozzano

Sauce/paste tomato - indeterminat - F1hybrid.

72 days. Pozzano produces remarkably uniform, firm, orange/red fruit in clusters of 4–5. Reaching about 4 ½ inches long and 1½ inches across, they’re moist and meaty and cook down quickly for old world-flavored sauce, soup, or ketchup. We were delighted to see this sturdy indeterminate tomato’s resistance to blossom-end rot.

Pink - Purple - Sunrise Bumble Bee Mix

Cherry tomato - indeterminate - open pollinated.
Our Pink-Purple-Sunrise Bumblebee Mix is a blend of three popular cherry tomato varieties. All three varieties are individually fantastic. They noted as some of the best cherries on the planet. This is a perfect blend for market vendors and chefs, big time snackers and anyone wanting to experiment. Each of these cherry types is as versatile as they come. Make jams, dehydrate, fantastic salads, eat in the garden, cook or do anything that you want with these. All varieties have vibrant growth with great disease resistance. This blend is not even, but it’s close.  Surprise yourself, plant a row! (Renaissance Farms)

Primary Colors

Large cherry tomato - open pollinated.

A pretty antho variety, Primary Colors tomatoes are large cherries with dark top antho pigmentation and canary yellow blossom ends. A milder fruit hints of sweets and fruitiness, this can make the perfect tomato for someone not wanting a too strong tasting variety. Our 4.5 feet tall plants were very productive but late ripening. These would be perfect for garnish, drying/dehydrating, cooking, snacking and more. Try these in larger containers, they should also do well. Must be staked well.

Stump of the World

Beefsteak tomato - Indeterminate, open pollinated.

With great sadness and expectations for the future I am listing this awesome tomato. In 2021 we, the tomato growing community, lost one of our very best friends. Her name is Remy Rotella and she was an avid grower. Remy loved growing everything good, but among her biggest passions was tomatoes. Remy’s favorite tomato was Stump Of The World. So in 2021, a bunch of us, her friends and acquaintances in the tomato community, got together and decided to grow it in her memory. I wouldn’t describe this tomato except to say that if Remy loved it, then it must have been a good one. I love it too! I am offering these seeds in remembrance of our friend Remy. If you love Brandywine tomatoes, you’ll love this one! Introduced by the late Ben Quisenberry, Ohio. Indeterminate, potato leaf plant produces a good yield of large, 10-20 oz., pink , very meaty tomatoes with superb flavor. Small seed cavity. An historic and VERY popular variety for marketplace appeal. RARE. (Renaissance Farms)

Sungold

Cherry tomato - indeterminate - F1 hybrid
Sungold’s fruity tropical flavor has been a favorite for years. The bright apricot-orange round globes are 1 1/4 inches across and are borne on long, 10 to 15 fruit, grape-like trusses. The vigorous indeterminate vines produce equally well in the field and the early spring greenhouse. (Territorial Seed)

Dwarf Sweet Sue

DWARF slicing tomato - determinate - open pollinated.

Dwarf Sweet Sue tomato is exactly what its name suggest. But there is more! A perfect variety for anyone with little space or doing container growing, this variety will out-produce almost any dwarf variety. Three foot tall plants are tree type and have rugose leaves. They grow clusters of 4-5 tomatoes that begin to ripen 75 days after transplant. Tomatoes are sweet and juicy. This is a great variety for sauces, cooking, fresh eating , slicing and salsa. Not many of them have made it out of the garden. One of my favorites for snacking while I am working! (Renaissance Farms)

Wild Galapagos

Cherry tomato - short indeterminate habit - open pollinated
(Seeds provided by generous neighbor MaryDee. Thank you!)

There is a tomato that is so unique that it caught the attention of Charles Darwin himself! In 1835, Darwin first collected specimens of this wild tomato from the lava flows and rugged terrain of the Galapagos Islands. Officially known as Solanum cheesmaniae, the Wild Galapagos tomato thrives in challenging volcanic soils and arid climates. Its resilience has even made it a favorite food of the iconic Galapagos Island tortoises. Growing this rare heirloom in your garden is a unique opportunity to savor a taste of the Galapagos' incredible biodiversity.

This intensely sweet and complex fruit is remarkably resistant to many tomato pests. Its flavor surpasses many other small-fruited varieties, and its abundant clusters will produce almost faster than you can harvest them. 

The Wild Galapagos tomato demonstrates remarkable resilience across a wide range of climates. It continues producing even in scorching Texas summers, with temperatures soaring above 110°F for over 40 days. Our customers report yields of two pints of tomatoes every other day from just two plants!

Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, our customers in the northern tip of Idaho, southern Alaska, marvel at its cold hardiness. It's the first to flower and set fruit in the spring and the last to succumb to frost in the fall, consistently delivering a dependable harvest.

This heirloom tomato is a robust plant that can grow up to three feet tall and wide and thrives in containers or smaller garden beds, making it perfect for those with limited space. Despite its small stature, this bushy plant offers an abundant harvest of small, round, yellow-orange fruits. It can have a more sprawling growth habit in favorable climates but can be trimmed back as needed. The leaves are typically lime green to dark green, adding to the plant's overall hardiness. The small, pale yellow flowers are a delicate contrast to the vigorous foliage.

It is an indeterminate variety that perfectly balances sweetness and acidity. Remarkably resilient, it tolerates salt, drought, and poor soil conditions. A true champion in the garden, it's often the first to ripen and the last to surrender to the cold. Even in partial shade, it produces consistently high-quality, crack-resistant fruit.

Tasmanian Chococolate

Slicing tomato - determinate - open pollinated.
DWARF tomato - 3.5 feet.

Tasmanian Chocolate DWARF tomato is a full flavored and beautiful fruit. They grow on plants that are about 3.5 feet tall. These will perform well in buckets or in the ground. Plants produce plenty, light chocolate colored fruits that can reach 12 ounces. Take a bite and you will discover a really juicy fruit that has a bit of earthiness to it. Plants quickly become top heavy so some staking may be necessary. You can expect your first ripened fruits around the 80 day mark. Try some of these in your garden and get ready for a bountiful harvest! (Renaissance Farms)