Choosing Tomaotes

Nothing compares to a fresh-picked, homegrown tomato, especially when the tomatoes we buy at the store are often nearly tasteless! The trouble is there are hundreds of varieties to choose from.

To help you navigate the nursery or seed catalog this spring, Birds & Blooms—America’s # 1 Bird & Garden Magazine—has put together a list of the top 10 best tomatoes to grow:

·         Sauce-makers: You wouldn't think a Roma tomato would pack such a punch, but the name really says it all. Burpee claims a single 2-pound tomato will fill an entire sauce jar. So if you like to can your own sauce,SuperSauce (pictured to the right) could be your new favorite. 

·         Staples: Chances are you've seen them at your garden center.Celebrity tomatoes were an All-America Selections veggie in 1984, and we think they still deserve top honors. They’re bright red, reliable and scrumptious—everything you love about tomatoes in summer.

·         Colorful varieties: While most tomatoes start green and then redden as they ripen, consider branching out into one of these more colorful varieties: Aunt Ruby’s German Green, the Black Cherry, or the exotic-looking Green Zebra.

·         Grafted varieties: If you have a small space but want lots of fruit in your tomato garden, grafted tomatoes could be the solution. The Grafted Brandywine is one great example.

 Thanks Birds and Blooms!

Happy Gardening!