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20 of the best tomatoes to grow
- BBC Gardeners' World Magazine
Published: Tuesday, 15 March 2022 at 10:01 am
We've picked our 20 favourite tomato varieties to grow for salads, cooking and more.
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Tomatoes come in all shapes and sizes, from large beefsteaks grown on cordons to tiny cherry varieties, suitable for cultivating in a hanging basket.
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With 10,000 varieties to choose from, it can be hard to know which are the best tomato varieties to grow. Some are great for adding fresh into salads, while others come into their own when they’re cooked.
We've picked our 20 favourite tomato varieties to grow. Find out which we rate the best for salads, grilling and more, below.
Why not use your harvest to make delicious sauces for homemade pizzas? Check out our tests of the best pizza ovens, in collaboration with BBC Good Food.
More on growing tomatoes:
- How to grow tomatoes
- How to grow the tastiest tomatoes
- Caring for tomatoes
- Three ways of growing tomatoes (part one)
- How to ripen late tomatoes
Tomato 'Incas'
Best tomatoes to grow - tomato 'Inca'
Tomato 'Incas' is a very early plum tomato with bright red, meaty fruit with a thick flesh. It's perfect for barbecuing and using in sauces and purees.
Type: Bush
Height: 100cm
- Buy tomato ‘Incas’ seeds from Dobies, Suttons and Thompson & Morgan
Tomato 'Ildi'
Best tomatoes to grow - tomato 'Ildi'
A cherry variety bearing sweet yellow pear-shaped tomatoes, 'Ildi' is perfect for eating raw and in salads. It's ideal for container growing.
Type: Cordon
Height: 180cm
- Buy Tomato ‘Ildi’ seeds from Thompson & Morgan
Tomato 'Costoluto Fiorentino'
Best tomatoes to grow - tomato 'Costoluto Fiorentino'
'Costoluto Fiorentino' is an old-fashioned beefsteak tomato producing medium to large mishapen and ribbed fruits with an excellent flavour. Suitable for slicing and using in sauces.
Type: Cordon
Height: 150cm
Tomato 'Astro Ibrido'
Best tomatoes to grow - tomato 'Astro Ibrido'
A fantastic- tasting plum tomato variety, 'Astro Ibrido' is perfect for using in sauces and preserves. Suitable for growing in containers. You may also find it sold as tomato 'Scipio Ibrido'.
Type: Cordon
Height: 90cm
- Buy tomato ‘Astro Ibrido’ seeds from Amazon
Tomato 'Rio Grande'
Best tomatoes to grow - tomato 'Rio Grande'
'Rio Grande' is a plum tomato producing heavy crops of deep-red fruit. Perfect for sauces.
Type: Bush
Height: 45cm
- Buy tomato ‘Rio Grande’ seeds from Amazon
Tomato 'Tigerella'
Best tomatoes to grow - tomato 'Tigerella'
Rich, tangy 'Tigerella' has a unique flavour and striped flesh. It's ideal for salads and sauces.
Type: Cordon
Height: 200cm
Tomato 'Super Sweet 100'
Best tomatoes to grow - tomato 'Super Sweet 100'
An incredibly sweet cherry tomato with thin skin, tomato 'Super Sweet 100' is ideal for use in salads. High yields.
Type: Cordon
Height: 150cm
Tomato 'Red Alert'
Best tomatoes to grow - tomato 'Red Alert'
Tomato 'Red Alert' is a cherry tomato bearing bright red, sweet fruits. It's heavy cropping and with a good flavour - ideal for salads and cooking.
Type: Bush
Height: 45cm
Tomato 'Gardeners’ Delight'
Best tomatoes to grow - tomato 'Gardeners’ Delight'
Tomato ‘Gardeners’ Delight’ is a large cherry variety. It has a delicious tangy flavour, and is reliable and prolific when grown under cover or outdoors. It was voted best for salads.
Type: Cordon
Height: 1.5m
- Buy tomato ‘Gardener’s Delight’ plants from Thompson & Morgan, Dobies and Crocus
Tomato 'Moneymaker'
Best tomatoes to grow - tomato 'Moneymaker'
Tomato ‘Moneymaker’ is a salad variety. This is popular for its reliably huge yields in poor soil and bad summers. A top all-rounder, it's great for use in sandwiches and salads, roasting and grilling.
Type: Cordon
Height: 2m
- Buy tomato ‘Moneymaker’ seeds from Suttons, Thompson & Morgan, Dobies and Crocus
Tomato 'Sungold' AGM
Best tomatoes to grow - tomato 'Sungold’ AGM
Tomato ‘Sungold’ holds the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit (AGM). It's a cherry variety, with orange fruit. It was voted the sweetest tomato and is best eaten raw. It also has good disease resistance.
Type: Cordon
Height: 2m
- Buy tomato ‘Sungold’ plants from Thompson and Morgan, Dobies and Crocus
Tomato 'Tumbling Tom'
Best tomatoes to grow - tomato 'Tumbling Tom'
Tomato ‘Tumbling Tom’ is a cherry tomato, voted best for growing in hanging baskets. This compact variety has sweet fruit, and is available in classic red and yellow varieties.
Type: Bush
Height: 30cm
- Buy tomato ‘Tumbling Tom’ seeds from Dobies, Thompson & Morgan and Suttons
Tomato 'Ailsa Craig'
Best tomatoes to grow - tomato 'Ailsa Craig'
'Ailsa Craig' is a salad tomato. This flavour-packed variety has been around for 100 years and for good reason; it has thin, dark-red skin and a firm texture.
Type: Cordon
Height: 1.5m
- Buy tomato ‘Ailsa Craig’ seeds from Dobies, Thompson & Morgan and Suttons
Tomato 'Shirley' AGM
Best tomatoes to grow - tomato 'Shirley’ AGM
Tomato ‘Shirley’ holds the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit (AGM). A salad tomato, it's ideal for growing in an unheated greenhouse. It matures early and has good disease resistance.
Type: Cordon
Height: 2m
- Buy tomato ‘Shirley’ plants from Thompson & Morgan, Dobies, and Suttons
Tomato 'Marmande' AGM
Best tomatoes to grow - tomato 'Marmande’
Tomato ‘Marmande’ is a beefsteak tomato. Its meaty texture and strong flavour makes it perfect for slicing into sandwiches and for cooking. Can be grown outside. The Royal Horticultural Society has give it its prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM).
Type: Cordon
Height: 60cm
- Buy tomato 'Marmande' seeds from Suttons, Thompson & Morgan and Dobies
Tomato 'Golden Sunrise' AGM
Best tomatoes to grow - tomato 'Golden Sunrise’
Tomato ‘Golden Sunrise’ is a salad tomato with unusual, vivid-yellow fruits and a sweet flavour. Perfect for salads. The Royal Horticultural Society has give it its prestigious Award of Garden Merit.
Type: Cordon
Height: 2m
Tomato 'Rosada'
Best tomatoes to grow - tomato 'Rosada'
Tomato 'Rosada' is a sweet-tasting cherry tomato variety, with small, plum-shaped fruits, perfect for salads and pasta dishes. The Royal Horticultural Society has give it its prestigious Award of Garden Merit.
Type: Cordon
Height: 2m
- Buy tomato ‘Rosada’ seeds from Thompson & Morgan
Tomato 'Black Russian'
Best tomatoes to grow - tomato 'Black Russian'
Tomato 'Black Russian' bears medium-sized purple-brown tomatoes with a delicious flavour. It's perfect for indoor or outdoor cultivation.
Type: Cordon
Height: 2m
- Buy tomato ‘Black Russian’ seeds from the Crocus, Primrose and Thompson & Morgan
Tomato 'Orange Santa'
Best tomatoes to grow - tomato 'Orange Santa'
Tomato 'Orange Santa' is a fantastic cherry plum tomato variety, with a super sweet flavour. It's best for growing in a greenhouse.
Type: Cordon
Height: 1.8m
- Buy tomato ‘Orange Santa’ seeds on Amazon
Tomato 'Black Cherry'
Best tomatoes to grow - tomato 'Black Cherry'
Tomato 'Black Cherry' is a beautiful cherry variety, bearing masses of mahogany brown fruits with a delicious flavour.
Type: Cordon
Height: 150cm
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- Buy tomato ‘Black Cherry’ seeds from Thompson & Morgan
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