Tomato cultivars for Ohio gardens

Determinate. Indeterminate. Heirloom. Hybrid. Growing tomatoes takes some thought and consideration. If you’re a seasoned grower, you know what to grow, but if you’re new to the gardening scene, choosing tomato varieties can leave you scratching your head.

Here are 26 tomato varieties and descriptions recommended by Ohio State University Extension. OSU Extension offers more information about which varieties are disease resistant, as well as planting requirements and recommendations, days to maturity and growth habit.

Red or pink tomatoes

• Early Girl — Bright red, round, good flavor, 4-5 oz.
• Bush Steak — Large, flavorful, meaty, 8-12 oz.; perfect for small gardens or patio growing
• Better Boy — Succulent, juicy, meaty, 10 oz. 
• Celebrity — All-purpose, superb flavor, crack-resistant, 7 oz.
• Mountain Delight — Large, firm, flavorful, 10 oz.
• Pik Red — Smooth, meaty, 6-7 oz.; can be grown in gardens or containers
• Jet Star — Tasty, mild-flavored, few scars or cracks; 6-8 oz.
• Big Beef — Traditional tomato flavor, big, good for slicing, salads, sauce and canning, 10 oz.
• Mountain Pride — Very firm, large, 10 oz.
• Supersonic — Large, meaty, good flavor, 10 oz.
• Beefmaster — Large, meaty, deep red, good for salads and sandwiches, 16 oz.
• Supersteak — Huge, red, meaty, good for salads and sandwiches, 2 lbs.

Yellow tomatoes

• Mountain Gold — Golden-yellow, sweet, mild, 8 oz.
• Lemon Boy — Bright lemon-yellow, mild, sweet, 7 oz.
• Jubilee — Golden-yellow, low acidity, excellent taste, 8 oz.
• Golden Boy — Golden-yellow, globe-shaped, meaty, mild flavored, low-acid, 8 oz

Hybrid cultivars with small tomatoes

• Sungold — Golden-orange, very sweet
• Juliet — Glossy pink, grow in clusters, 1 oz.
• Sugary — Dark pink, sweet, grow in clusters; good for gardens or containers, .5 oz.
• Small Fry — Bright red, grow in clusters, good for gardens or containers, 1-inch
• Sweet 100 — Very sweet, grow in clusters, .5-inch
• Super Sweet 100 — Huge, sweet, grow in clusters, .5-inch
• Sweet Million — Improved version of Sweet 100, tolerant to cracking, disease resistant
• Sunsugar — Orange cherry, medium-sized, very sweet
• Jolly — Pink, peach-shaped, grow in clusters, 1.5 oz.
• Yellow Pear — Yellow, pear-shaped, tasty

Source: Ohio State University Extension