A Rainbow of Freshness + Flavour Right Outside Your Door
Growing tomatoes is rather like hosting a summer guest: offer warmth, good food, and a sunny seat, and they’ll reward you with a rainbow of colour, an abundance of flavour, and joy! Whether in the ground or in a pot by the back door, tomatoes bring a touch of abundance to any garden.
Tomatoes in the Ground
There’s a certain satisfaction in planting tomatoes directly into the soil. Here the soil warms a little later than one might like, so patience is essential. Wait until late May, when the frosts have finally taken their leave.
Choose a sunny spot—tomatoes are sun‑worshippers—and enrich the soil with a generous helping of compost. Plant your seedlings deeply, right up to the first set of leaves, to encourage a sturdy root system. Once settled, they appreciate steady watering at the base and a good mulch to keep the moisture where it belongs.
Tomatoes in Containers
Container tomatoes are wonderfully obliging! The trick is to give them room to stretch their roots—a pot of at least 5 gallons is ideal—and to use a high‑quality potting mix rather than garden soil. Do remember that pots dry out far more quickly than borders. In the height of summer, you may find yourself watering daily, much like tending a cherished houseplant that lives outdoors for the season. A periodical feed keeps them in good spirits!
Visit us early to have your choice of our plentiful assortment including:
SLICERS & BEEFSTEAK TYPE TOMATOES
Basket Vee: A productive red slicer producing 6–8 oz fruits with classic tomato flavour. Known for early maturity and reliable yields. Plants are indeterminate and vigorous. Hybrid.
Beef Master: Produces very large 12–16 oz beefsteaks with meaty texture and mild, balanced flavour. Excellent for sandwiches and slicing. Strong indeterminate vines. Hybrid.
Beefmaster: Similar to Beef Master, producing 1 lb+ fruits with excellent disease resistance. Flavour is mild and juicy. Grows on robust indeterminate vines. Hybrid.
Beefsteak: A classic large red tomato producing 10–16 oz fruits with meaty texture. Excellent for slicing and sandwiches. Usually indeterminate. Many strains exist; original types are heirloom.
Better Boy: A popular hybrid slicer producing 8–12 oz smooth, round fruits. Known for excellent flavour and strong disease resistance. Vigorous indeterminate growth. Hybrid.
Better Boy Plus: An improved version of Better Boy with enhanced disease resistance. Produces 8–12 oz red slicers with balanced flavour. Indeterminate. Hybrid.
Big Beef Plus: Produces 10–12 oz beefsteaks with rich, old‑fashioned flavour. Very high disease resistance and strong yields. Indeterminate. Hybrid.
Big Boy: A classic hybrid slicer producing 10–16 oz fruits with sweet, smooth flavour. Very productive and reliable. Indeterminate. Hybrid.
Big Rainbow: A beautiful bicolor heirloom producing 1–2 lb yellow‑and‑red marbled beefsteaks. Sweet, mild, and low‑acid flavour. Grows on tall indeterminate vines. Heirloom.
Black Krim: A famous dark heirloom from Crimea producing 8–12 oz maroon‑purple beefsteaks. Rich, smoky, slightly salty flavour. Heat‑tolerant indeterminate vines. Heirloom.
Brandywine: One of the most celebrated heirlooms, producing 12–24 oz pink beefsteaks. Known for exceptional, rich, sweet flavour. Large, potato‑leaf indeterminate vines. Heirloom.
Brandywine Red: A red‑fruited strain of Brandywine producing 10–16 oz beefsteaks. Flavour is rich and balanced with classic heirloom depth. Indeterminate. Heirloom.
Buffalosteak: A large red beefsteak producing 12–16 oz fruits with meaty texture and mild flavour. Bred for uniformity and disease resistance. Indeterminate. Hybrid.
Burpee Big Boy: Produces 10–16 oz smooth red slicers with sweet, rich flavour. Very productive and widely grown. Indeterminate. Hybrid.
Bush Early Girl: A compact version of Early Girl producing 6–8 oz fruits. Early, reliable, and great for containers. Naturally determinate. Hybrid.
Carolina Gold: A golden slicer producing 8–10 oz fruits with mild, low‑acid flavour. Smooth texture and attractive colour. Indeterminate. Hybrid.
Celebrity Plus: Produces 7–10 oz round red slicers with excellent flavour and strong disease resistance. Compact determinate or semi‑determinate** habit depending on strain. Hybrid.
Cherokee Purple: A beloved heirloom producing 10–16 oz dusky rose‑purple beefsteaks. Rich, sweet, smoky flavour. Grows on tall indeterminate vines. Heirloom.
Delicious: Produces large 1–2 lb red beefsteaks with meaty texture and mild flavour. Famous for once holding the world record for largest tomato. Indeterminate. Heirloom.
Early Girl: A very popular early slicer producing 4–6 oz fruits with bright, tangy flavour. Extremely reliable and productive. Indeterminate. Hybrid.
Early Girl Plus: An improved version with enhanced disease resistance. Produces 4–6 oz fruits with classic Early Girl flavour. Indeterminate. Hybrid.
Glamour: A smooth red slicer producing 6–8 oz fruits with balanced flavour. Known for uniformity and reliability. Indeterminate. Heirloom.
Green Zebra: A striking green‑and‑yellow striped tomato producing 3–6 oz fruits. Tangy, bright flavour with firm texture. Indeterminate. Heirloom (1980s).
Heirloom Rainbow Blend: A seed mix of multiple heirloom slicers in various colours. Fruit sizes vary from 8 oz to 1 lb. All varieties in the blend are indeterminate. Heirloom mix.
Jet Star: Produces 6–8 oz smooth, low‑acid red slicers. Very reliable and crack‑resistant. Indeterminate. Hybrid.
Lemon Boy: A bright yellow slicer producing 7–8 oz fruits with mild, low‑acid flavour. Very uniform and attractive. Indeterminate. Hybrid.
Mortgage Lifter: A famous heirloom producing 1–2 lb pink beefsteaks with sweet, rich flavour. Developed in the 1930s by Radiator Charlie. Strong indeterminate vines. Heirloom.
Ox Heart: Produces large 12–16 oz heart‑shaped fruits with meaty texture and few seeds. Sweet, mild flavour ideal for slicing or sauce. Indeterminate. Heirloom.
Oxheart Cœur de Bœuf: A traditional European oxheart producing 10–16 oz ribbed, heart‑shaped fruits. Meaty, sweet, and excellent for sauces. Indeterminate. Heirloom.
Parks Whopper: Produces 10–12 oz red slicers with sweet, juicy flavour. Very productive and disease‑resistant. Indeterminate. Hybrid.
Pineapple: A large yellow‑and‑red bicolor beefsteak producing 1–2 lb fruits. Sweet, fruity, low‑acid flavour. Indeterminate. Heirloom.
Pink Delicious: A large pink slicer producing 12–16 oz fruits with sweet, smooth flavour. Bred for heirloom flavour with hybrid vigour. Indeterminate. Hybrid.
Ultra Girl: A productive red slicer producing 6–8 oz fruits with bright, balanced flavour. Early and reliable. Indeterminate. Hybrid.
PASTE & SAUCE TOMATOES
Amish Paste: A classic heirloom paste tomato producing 6–12 oz elongated, meaty fruits. Flavour is rich and slightly sweet, excellent for sauces and canning. Fruits have fewer seeds than typical paste types. Plants are vigorous indeterminate growers. Heirloom.
La Roma IV: A modern improvement on the traditional Roma, producing 4–6 oz firm, meaty fruits. Excellent for sauce, paste, and canning due to low moisture and high solids. Highly disease‑resistant with very uniform yields. Naturally determinate. Hybrid.
Roma: The classic paste tomato producing 3–5 oz plum‑shaped fruits. Dense flesh and low juice make it ideal for sauces and salsas. Plants are typically determinate, though some strains are semi‑determinate. Heirloom (1930s USDA release).
San Marzano: A world‑famous Italian heirloom producing 4–6 oz long, slender paste tomatoes. Sweet, rich flavour with low acidity and very few seeds — prized for premium sauces. Grows on tall, productive indeterminate vines. Heirloom.
CHERRY, GRAPE & SMALL-FRUITED TOMATOES
Cherry: A general category of small, round tomatoes typically 1–1.5 inches. Flavour ranges from sweet to tangy depending on the strain. Most cherry tomato strains are indeterminate and highly productive. Not considered a single heirloom variety.
Cluster (Sweetie): Produces clusters of very sweet 1–1.5" cherry tomatoes with high sugar content. Excellent for snacking and fresh eating. Plants are indeterminate and vigorous. Heirloom.
Fantastico: A compact cherry tomato bred for containers and hanging baskets. Produces ½–1 oz bright red fruits with sweet, balanced flavor. Naturally determinate, making it tidy and manageable. Hybrid.
Grape: Small, oblong fruits about 1 oz with firm texture and excellent keeping quality. Sweet, crunchy, and great for snacking. Most grape tomato strains are indeterminate. Typically hybrid.
Juliet: A mini‑Roma grape tomato producing 1–2 oz elongated fruits. Sweet, firm, and exceptionally crack‑resistant. Grows on vigorous indeterminate vines. Hybrid.
Midnight Snack: A striking cherry tomato that ripens red with glossy black anthocyanin shoulders. Fruits are 1–1.5 oz with mild sweetness. Plants are indeterminate. Hybrid.
Rapunzel: Produces long cascading trusses of 1 oz bright red cherries. Very sweet and extremely high yielding. Grows on tall, vigorous indeterminate vines. Hybrid.
Sugar Rush: A sweet, fruity cherry tomato producing 1–1.5 oz fruits. Known for high sugar levels and vigorous growth. Typically indeterminate. Usually hybrid.
Sun Sugar: One of the sweetest cherry tomatoes available, producing ½–1 oz golden-orange fruits. Excellent crack resistance and heavy production. Plants are indeterminate. Hybrid.
Sungold: A legendary orange cherry tomato with intense tropical sweetness. Fruits are ½–1 oz and borne in long clusters. Very vigorous indeterminate vines. Hybrid.
Super Sweet 100’s: Produces long trusses of 1 oz bright red cherries with very high sugar content. Improved disease resistance over the original Sweet 100. Strong indeterminate growth. Hybrid.
Supersweet 100: Similar to Super Sweet 100’s; produces 1 oz fruits in long clusters. Very sweet and extremely productive. Indeterminate. Hybrid.
Sweet 100: Classic cherry tomato producing long chains of 1 oz fruits. Very sweet flavour and heavy yields, though more prone to cracking than newer hybrids. Vigorous indeterminate vines. Hybrid.
Sweet Million: Produces hundreds of ½–1 oz cherries with bright, sweet flavour. Very reliable and crack‑resistant. Strong indeterminate growth. Hybrid.
Tiny Tim: A dwarf cherry tomato ideal for containers, producing ¾–1" fruits. Mild, slightly sweet flavour. Naturally determinate and compact (under 18"). Heirloom (1940s).
Yellow Pear: Produces 1–2 oz pear‑shaped yellow fruits with mild, lightly sweet flavour. Very productive and ornamental. Grows on tall indeterminate vines. Heirloom (1800s).
