Our pick of the best salad, beefsteak and cherry tomato plants!
There are over 10,000 tomato varieties. That’s a lot. So we’re going to give you a little help by narrowing the enormous range of choices down in this article. We’ve picked 15 different types of tomato plants that are perfect for growing in the garden, and in containers on patios. We also look at whether you can have indoor tomato plants.
Cherry tomato plants are a good choice if you want to grow tomatoes in containers but don’t have endless space. The fruits stay small and you can get an incredible amount from just one plant. They are a fantastic source of vitamin C and you’ll find some great colors and shapes.
We’ve also featured some of our favorite salad and beefsteak tomatoes which can be grown in relatively small spaces.
All of the tomato plants featured are reliable, good producers and easy to grow. We’ve also got top tips on how to care for your tomato plants. Want to know the difference between bush and cordon varieties? Take a look below.
What are the different types of tomato plants?
The main difference to look out for is whether the tomato is a bush (determinate) variety or a cordon/vine (indeterminate) variety. Seed packets or plant labels should have that information.
A bush tomato variety will grow into a bushy shape and generally doesn’t need much support but can benefit from being tied loosely to a short cane. Bush tomato plants can be happy growing in hanging containers too.
A cordon or vine tomato variety needs support. Unlike bush tomatoes, vine tomatoes benefit from having their side shoots removed to produce more fruit. As the main stem grows, you take out some of the side shoots to leave a few strong ones which will bear the fruit. These fruit-bearing side shoots are also called ‘trusses’.
Can you have indoor tomato plants?
Tomatoes are often grown in greenhouses in cooler climates because they love warmth and full sun. If you live in a hot part of the world you’ll be able to grow tomatoes outdoors. Some varieties of tomatoes will happily grow outdoors in cooler climates too, such as Gardener’s Delight (featured below).
As long as your tomatoes are well-watered and get plenty of sun you can grow them in light airy indoor spaces. They need 8 hours of sun a day. If you want to grow indoor tomato plants in darker conditions you’ll need artificial light.
How to look after tomato plants – 6 top tips
- Choose tomatoes that fit your space. Only got room for hanging containers? Choose a trailing bush variety. Got a hot south-facing wall to cover? Train a big vine tomato up it.
- Try to put your tomatoes in the sunniest spot in your garden.
- Remember you don’t need loads of plants to produce loads of fruit. One cherry tomato plant can produce 200 tomatoes in a season! Less is more.
- Tomatoes need lots of water. Containers close to your back door are easy to water regularly. Water at the root, avoiding the leaves.
- Put canes in place for tomatoes to the height you expect the plant to grow, before the plants get going – this avoids disturbing the plants later.
- Limit the height of your vine tomatoes by snipping off the topmost part of the main stem – the plant will carry on producing fruit lower down.
Got a taste for tomato growing now? Let’s check out some of the best tomato plants for your backyard space.
Sun Gold Cherry Tomato
Tomato type: Cordon/vine
Height: 6ft
Small, almost perfectly round orangey tomatoes which seem to be resistant to splitting. They also stay disease-free, making them an easy cherry tomato to grow. Sun Gold grows in big clusters and is great for a patio or conservatory. These tomatoes are amazingly sweet.
Black Pearl Cherry Tomato
Tomato type: Cordon/vine
Height: Over 6ft
A distinctive purple and black fruits with a deliciously sweet flavor make Black Pearl a popular cherry tomato. It looks pretty cool too. The tomatoes grow to about 1.5 inches. Grow Black Pearl next to other cherry tomato colors and your veg will both look and taste great.
Yellow Pear Cherry Tomato
Tomato type: Cordon/vine
Height: Up to 6ft
There are so many different types of cherry tomato plants to choose from. These Yellow Pear cherry tomatoes are cute, bite-size and a gorgeous colour. They are also less acidic than some tomatoes which can be a problem for some people. A good choice all round.
Green Envy Cherry Tomato
Tomato type: Cordon/vine
Height: Up to 6ft
We just love the look of this tomato. The ripe fruits are green, oval-shaped, about an inch wide, and have a sweet tangy flavor. When you combine these with your other tomato plants you’ll get a fantastic explosion of color in your salad bowl.
Italian Ice Cherry Tomato
Tomato type: Cordon/vine
Height: Up to 6ft
These have got the wow factor. White tomatoes? Yes. You might be thinking they won’t taste that great, but they are perfectly sweet. The fruits change from green to yellow as they grow, and will turn a creamy ivory white colour if they ripen in the shade. Quite astonishing, and easy to grow too.
Red Profusion Cherry Tomato
Tomato type: Bush, miniature
Height: Up to 8 inches
A perfect choice for small spaces. Red Profusion is easy to grow in pots, hanging baskets, or balcony window boxes. You will get small, bright red tomatoes on a short plant that grows in a bushy way. It will spread naturally and doesn’t need cutting back to produce fruit.
Costoluto Fiorentino Beefsteak Tomato
Tomato type: Cordon/vine
Height: Over 6ft
A bigger tomato than most on this list, but a beautiful one to grow if you have space. The fruits are red-orange with an attractive ribbing style – very distinctive. Tastes great sliced in salads and used in sauces. How about growing one beefsteak tomato for cooking and one cherry tomato for salads?
Gardener’s Delight Salad Tomato
Tomato type: Cordon/vine
Height: Up to 5ft
A reliable cropper will live indoors or outdoors. Gardener’s Delight produces plenty of medium-sized red fruits that are not too sweet. It’s easy to grow, and happy in the ground or in containers too — an all-round top choice.
Sweet Gold Cherry Tomato
Tomato type: Cordon/vine
Height: Over 5ft
Produces masses of delicious yellow tomatoes on the vine and will carry on fruiting throughout the summer. The fruits are sweet, as the name suggests. This tomato also has good resistance to diseases and cracking. Not too acidic either. It’s the yellow version of the Sweet Million cherry tomato (below).
Sweet Million Cherry Tomato
Tomato type: Cordon/vine
Height: Over 6ft
Ideal for a sunny patio, this cherry tomato will produce loads and loads of sweet fruit. As with other cherry tomatoes you probably only need to grow two or three strong plants to get hundreds of tomatoes over the summer. This one grows exceptionally well in containers.
Tigerella Beefsteak Tomato
Tomato type: Cordon/vine
Height: Over 6ft
A rich tangy tomato, Tigerella has a lovely striped appearance and a distinct flavour. It’s a useful tomato for salads and sauces, and will bring a splash of colour to your backyard too. The fruits are quite large. Also known as ‘Mr Stripey’.
Green Zebra Salad Tomato
Tomato type: Cordon/vine
Height: About 5ft
A pleasantly tangy tomato, Green Zebra has some cool stripes too. It’s a medium-sized fruit with beautiful lime green and yellow coloring. One of the prettiest tomato plants on our list. The tomatoes get to about 2 inches and more.
Supersweet 100 Cherry Tomato
Tomato type: Cordon/vine
Height: About 4ft, maybe taller
A very reliable cherry tomato that lives up to its name – it is certainly supersweet. Expect plenty of rich red fruits. Some have reported getting 200 tomatoes off just one plant! Perfectly happy in a container and easy to grow.
Tumbling Tom Cherry Tomato
Tomato type: Bush
Height: up to 2ft, has trailing ‘tumbling’ habit
Tumbling Tom grows really well in containers and hanging baskets. The tomato flavour is one of the best you can get too. Red and yellow varieties are available. It’s a really good choice for a patio or indoor space with plenty of light and air.
Jubilee or Golden Jubilee Tomato
Tomato type: Cordon/vine
Height: Up to 6ft
This is a medium-to-large orange tomato with a fantastic flavor. The tomato plants stay relatively compact. You may only need one plant because it will produce plenty. Perfect for slicing into salads and salsas.
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