So you'd like to grow your own tomatoes?! Tomatoes are one of the most popular crops for home gardeners but they can also be quite challenging to grow, especially in our climate. We've compiled an introduction to growing tomatoes for you to check out before you go shopping for plants, because there are lots of varieties to choose from and each one has different pros and cons based on your experience level, amount of space, and taste. Read our "Introduction to Growing Tomatoes" guide.
While its fun to shop for tomato seeds and see all the fun shapes and sizes of Heirloom tomatoes, certain varieties are much better suited to our climate than others. Hybrids bred by Universities in hot states are always good choices: Florida and Hawaii to be more specific. We also recommend not growing extra large fruits like beefsteaks, the yield is lower and the fruit is more vulnerable to pests while on the plant because its so large and needs longer to ripen. At the farm we grow only cherry tomatoes since years of experience and failures has made us weary of larger sized fruit.
