Tomatoes 101 Series | Part 2 | Breaking Down the Best Tomato Varieties for Your Needs
Every year, our wonderful gardening customers from the Kemptville and Merrickville area come to us looking for tomato gardening tips. Today, we’re focusing on the different tomato varieties available and helping you decide which type is best suited to your needs.
There’s nothing quite like the taste of a fresh tomato straight from the garden. With more than 15,000 tomato varieties cultivated worldwide, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. Whether you’re growing tomatoes for cooking, slicing, or snacking straight off the vine, we’re here to help. Read on for Part 2 in our series: Tomatoes 101 | Breaking Down the Best Tomato Varieties for Your Needs.
Catch up on our Tomatoes 101 series | Part 1 | Vine vs Bush.
The 3 Main Tomato Varieties
Cherry tomatoes produce small fruits in a rainbow of colours and a variety of shapes, including round, pear-shaped, and teardrop. These tomatoes are perfect for picking right off the vine and popping into your mouth, and they’re ideal for salads. Some of our favourite varieties include Tiny Tim, Sweet Million, and the exciting newer addition, Rapunzel.
Slicing tomatoes are round, juicy, and ideal for eating fresh on sandwiches. Fruit size and colour can vary from deep red to pink, yellow, and orange. There are also some impressive, large-fruited varieties such as Beefsteak, Brandywine, and Big Beef. Bonny Best is a classic slicer that we’ve been growing here at Gemmell’s since 1932, and it continues to be a customer favourite.
Paste tomatoes, often called canning tomatoes, have dense flesh and very little juice, making them the best choice for cooking, canning, and drying. Reliable varieties include Roma and Heinz, both popular options for sauces and preserving.
Choosing the right tomato variety really comes down to how you plan to use your harvest. If you love snacking and fresh salads, cherry tomatoes are a great place to start. For classic sandwiches and burgers, slicing tomatoes are hard to beat. If you enjoy cooking, canning, or making your own sauces, paste tomatoes are a dependable choice. Many gardeners find that growing a mix of all three gives them the most enjoyment — and the most flavour — throughout the season.