Tomatoes are a grow your own favourite, especially now the range of types available to grow is wider than ever. The diversity is not only in size - which can range from the size of a redcurrant up to the size of a small melon – and type (cherry, beefsteak and so on) but also in colour, ranging from yellow and orange right through to pink and even black.
Here we have chosen some of the most interesting, colourful and, of course, delicious cultivars to try growing this year – including several that crop early, ideal if we have a disappointing summer.
You may also like
- How to grow your best ever tomatoes this year
- The best flowering vegetables to grow
- Slug-proof veg: the ultimate list of vegetables that slugs and snails won't eat
New and exciting tomatoes to grow
Tomato 'Atomic Fusion'
This unusual looking variety produces masses of plum-shaped black fruits that are streaked with green, orange and red. It was developed by renowned tomato breeder Brad Gates, and is said to be an improvement on his legendary Brad’s Atomic Grape, producing a bigger crop earlier and larger fruits over a long harvest period. Available from She Grows Veg.
Tomato 'Gardener's Ecstasy'
So named as it is said to taste even better than the eternally popular ‘Gardener's Delight’. It was bred and named by the late Tony Haig, mathematician, chess champion, astronomer and gardener at Brithdir Mawr Community in Wales. A cross between Dr Carolyn Pink and Irish Gardeners Delight, it will produce hundreds of cherry tomatoes over the season and starts fruiting early. Available from Real Seeds.
Tomato 'Stupice' (aka 'Stupicke Polni Rane')
A 1954 heirloom variety from Eastern Europe which promises to crop early, even in a poor summer, so ideal if you grow tomatoes outdoors and this summer is disappointing. Market gardener and TV presenter Anna Greenland, who has grown vegetables for chefs including Raymond Blanc, is a big fan. “This tomato produces flavoursome fruits outdoors in the British summer, which is brilliant if you have no room for a greenhouse,” she explains. “It tastes great – the right balance of sweet and sharp. It is an old cultivar from Czechia and crops heavily from early summer all the way through. If you are a lazy gardener, this one is great as you don’t need to pinch out all the side shoots or stake it if you don’t want to – you can just let it ramble.” Reaches 2m and offers good blight resistance. Ideal for salads. Available from Real Seeds and Sarah Raven.
Tomato 'Rebel Star Fighter Prime'
This eye-catching variety looks like it’s from a galaxy far, far away, with swirled, striped skin and marbled flesh. Has a bold, sweet and smoky flavour and a meaty texture. From She Grows Veg.
Tomato 'Chocolate Cherry'
A very sweet and fruity cherry tomato, with lots of cocoa-brown fruits. The fruits don’t crack or split on the vine, and keep well after picking. Available from Sarah Raven and Real Seeds.
Tomato 'Grushovka'
Produces masses of large, heart-shaped pink tomatoes, halfway between a plum and an ox-heart type, all summer. They have an excellent flavour. They are great for sauces, pretty in salads, and make a lurid pink gazpacho soup. Available from Real Seeds.
Tomato 'Green Zebra'
A green-when-ripe variety with eye-catching yellow stripes. The flesh is also bright green, with a very rich flavour and a tangy kick; the fruits look almost like cucumbers when sliced. Available from Suttons, Plant World Seeds, Vital Seeds, Mr Fothergill’s, Chiltern Seeds and Sea Spring Seeds.
Tomato 'Indigo Rose'
A very large cherry tomato that has black skin blushed with pink. Originally bred from wild tomatoes in Peru, crossed with fruits from the Galapagos. Excellent flavour. High in anthocyanins, the same antioxidants found in blueberries. Available from Sarah Raven, She Grows Veg, Plant World Seeds and Suttons.
Tomato 'Galina'
A hugely productive yellow cherry tomato from Siberia that is early to get going, and fruits over a very long period, often long after other plants have stopped fruiting. The fruist are super sweet and borne in neat bunches. It makes an amazing yellow tomato soup, or yellow ketchup. From Real Seeds.
Tomato 'Marmande'
This classic French variety has large, flattened, ribbed fruits. One of the best large tomatoes for flavour and texture, it is cook and Gardens Illustrated columnist Nigel Slater’s favourite type to grow. Best grown in a greenhouse. Widely available.
Tomato 'Blue Bayou'
This striking tomato has navy-blue to purple/black fruits when ripe, due to their high anthocyanin content. Plants have very strong and vigorous stems. The fruits are both sweet and tangy. Available from Chiltern Seeds and the Hampshire Seed Company.
You may also like
- How to save tomato seeds
- 'We should stop eating tomatoes in the winter: it's bonkers and bad for the environment'
Subscribe to Gardens Illustrated to have inspiration dropped on your doorstep every month.
