The number of the most favorite varieties of tomatoes (according to our amateur tomato growers) is not calculated in just a few or even in dozens. Among this diversity, identifying the 15 best varieties was incredibly difficult. We chose those that were mentioned more often than others.
As you know, there are no comrades for taste and color. The same situation applies to tomatoes. Some people like sour ones, others almost like sugary ones; Some people serve tomatoes for canning, while others grow them only for quick consumption. Some people like to grow low-growing varieties (so that they don’t need to be pinched or tied up), while others are simply in love with two-meter giants. Thanks to such diverse tastes, our selection of the best tomatoes of 2021 also turned out to be varied.
Sergeant Pepper
Photo by Galina Vergasova
One of the most beloved tomato varieties by our club members is Sergeant Pepper. This is a tall, productive variety with fruits of a rather unusual red-violet color. The fruits are shaped like a heart, juicy and tasty.
Galina Vergasova: “Well, what’s a garden without Sergeant Pepper? I give these tomatoes to my friends. Everyone loves the unusual coloring and heart shape.”
Lidia Domnikova: “That's for sure! A sergeant is always needed. Decorating the garden!
Arina Erdman: “Sergeant Pepper is a variety of pink-striped salad tomatoes, aromatic, with a piquant taste and a pleasant, persistent aftertaste.”
Arina Yariga: “Sergeant Pepper is the favorite of the favorites!”
Tomatoes for open ground
When choosing tomatoes for garden beds in the open sun, it is worth considering varieties that are small bushes that do not require weekly trimming. The best varieties of tomatoes for 2021 are considered to be varieties and hybrids that can survive a sharp drop in temperature to 10-12 degrees Celsius. If this temperature is maintained for two weeks, the tomatoes will not die and will be able to develop again as soon as the weather stabilizes.
No. 1 - Top Ten
Low-growing bushes, reaching a length of no more than 60 cm. Weight - varies from 80 to 190 g. Color and shape - without features. It differs from other varieties in its rapid ripening, sweet notes and the ability to withstand tests when air temperatures drop.
No. 2 - Iceberg
Small bushes have always been distinguished by large, fleshy fruits, ideal for food. Thousands of people choose this variety every year, not regretting their decision at all when harvesting.
No. 3 - Danko
If you want to grow a heart in your garden, you should take a closer look at the “Danko” variety, which is a large heart-shaped plant.
#4 – Cheerful gnome
When choosing this variety, it is worth planting the seedlings as far apart as possible. The bushes of these tomatoes stretch wide, becoming a deciduous hedge in the middle of a summer cottage. In this way, the bushes protect their fruits from the sweltering sun and drought.
Approximate weight: 80 g.
De Barao
The well-known and beloved variety De Barao has not given up its position for many years now. The reasons are high productivity, low maintenance requirements and disease resistance. Even in less than favorable years, De Barao does not leave summer residents without a harvest.
Our tomato growers could not say unequivocally which De Barao is better - black or red. Both one and the other have fans.
Inna Tom'yuk: “De Barao black is a variety that has been proven over the years. He never gets sick, and the tomatoes are very tasty.”
Vera Stepanova: “Black De Barao is tasty, productive, suitable for canning.”
Galina Naliuhhina: “I agree that the black one tastes more elegant, but when preserved, its skin bursts and the tomato becomes like porridge. And fresh, for food, it is ideal. And yes, very productive. But my red De Barao is strewn with fruits and is ideal for canning - I used them to make tomatoes in their own juice.”
Izida Zotova: “I like it too. The varieties change, but the red De Barao remains.”
Galina Voskova: “This year was not very fruitful for me, but De Barao was pleased with the black one.
As the first one began to bear fruit, the last one finished, it didn’t hurt at all, it’s good for preservation.”
The best frost-resistant varieties
Tomato seeds "Spiridonovsky"
This is one of the shortest varieties in our review of the best tomatoes - it reaches a maximum height of 45-50 cm. However, it is characterized by serious spreading, so it needs a lot of free space. It has a thick and strong stem and small leaves, colored dark green. The yield is average, but on one bush all the fruits ripen at approximately the same time. One of the main positive qualities of this variety is its excellent frost resistance - the bush will develop well even at a temperature of +7-10 degrees, it also perfectly resists almost all diseases and does not need additional feeding.
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The fruits are round, almost not ribbed, their maximum weight is about 100 grams, but you can grow a specimen weighing up to 200 and even up to 250 grams. Fully ripened fruits are bright red in color and have a rich tomato taste with pronounced sourness. When growing this variety, you should carefully monitor the soil moisture, avoiding its excessive increase, as this can ultimately lead to cracking of the fruit. Well suited for fresh consumption and canning.
Advantages:
- Does not require stepsoning;
- Withstands strong temperature changes well;
- Resists diseases and pests.
Flaws:
- You will have to monitor soil moisture very carefully.
Tomato seeds "Spiridonovsky"
Tomato seeds "Lemon Giant"
This is a rather exotic variety in terms of the appearance of the fruit. They are painted bright yellow, have a beautiful and large shape, and a pleasant taste. The bushes are tall, so they need to be tied up. The ripening period is average, the bushes can be grown both in open ground and in a greenhouse - in the first case, the fruits are somewhat smaller, but significantly more of them are formed on one plant. There are not too many leaves on the bushes. In greenhouse conditions, the height of plants can reach 2.5 meters, so they should be molded. In open soil they turn out lower, but you still can’t do without molding. With good care, the weight of one fruit can reach 900 grams.
The skin of the fruit is strong, but not too thick, very elastic - the plants are not afraid of excessive watering, the tomatoes will not crack even with a significant amount of moisture. They can be picked from the bush even when unripe: they will ripen at home, and this will not in the least affect their taste characteristics. Plants can withstand low temperatures and significant changes well. They contain approximately the same amount of carotene as carrots and a high percentage of vitamin C.
Advantages:
- Large fruits;
- With proper care, high productivity is ensured;
- Good nutritional value;
- Withstands long-term transportation;
- Plants practically do not get sick.
Flaws:
- It is required to follow the watering and feeding regime;
- Soil fertility must also be acceptable to ensure high yields.
Tomato seeds "Lemon Giant"
Tomato seeds Snegirek
This variety is distinguished by its insignificant height - the bushes grow to a maximum of 40 cm. The fruits are red in color and round in shape with a maximum weight of 200 grams at the first level, and up to 180 grams at subsequent levels. No pinning required. It develops at temperatures from 0 degrees, even in these conditions the yield is quite high, especially with good sunlight. The crop does not develop top and root rot and is perfect for growing on a balcony, in a greenhouse and in open ground.
Seeds can be planted even in soil unprotected from frost - the main thing is that it is well fertilized. For this variety, it is advisable to fertilize the soil with humus, cow or horse manure in the fall. When growing seedlings at home, after the appearance of two leaves, the plant needs to be pruned; during plant growth, it is necessary to additionally feed it with products containing potassium and phosphorus.
Advantages:
- Ideally withstand low temperatures;
- Good yield;
- Minimum leaves.
Flaws:
- Not detected.
Tomato seeds Snegirek
Bull's heart
Photo by Svetlana Mikhnevich
Another old-timer in the tomato world, which has been a favorite of summer residents for many years, is the Bull's Heart variety, and there are different types of it: red, gold, and amber.
Svetlana Mikhnevich: “Bull’s heart Black is a salad tomato with a rich taste.”
Maria Bolocan: “I will definitely plant Bull’s Heart Golden (large, a lot of fruits, the flesh on the cut with orange stripes) and Bull’s Heart Amber (this year I was very pleased with its taste and appearance).”
Brad's Atomic Grape
Photo by Svetlana Mikhnevich
If you're a fan of tomatoes with unusual colors, Brad's Atomic Grape is for you. It is impossible to describe the color of their fruits in one word: they are red-brown with stripes of green and purple. The fruits are plum-shaped and small in size. The bush bears fruit until frost.
Tatiana Kir: “Next year I will plant mainly fleshy cocktail grapes for drying, among which, most likely, will be Atomic Breda grapes and Pear orange. They were swept away."
Svetlana Mikhnevich: “Brad’s atomic grapes are a sweet tomato. Good yield, excellent shelf life.”
Minusinsky
Photo by Tatyana Mityugina
Minusinsk tomato varieties are characterized by increased cold resistance, so they can grow well not only in a greenhouse, but also in open ground. Tomato growers have long loved them for their taste, high yield and unpretentiousness.
Irēna Semjonova: “Minusinsk balls, Minusinsk bull and Minusinsk ruler - for permanent residence, I liked them!
Jana Dmitrijeva: “All the Minusinsk varieties that I planted are simply wonderful! Of course, there is definitely a place for them every year!”
Arina Erdman: “Minusinsk pink is a salad variety, the tomato is aromatic, meaty with a pleasant, persistent aftertaste.”
What are the differences between tomato varieties and hybrids?
There is a wide variety of tomato seeds on the planting material market. Some of them are varieties, while others are hybrids. Such a wide range can make you doubtful. Breeders are inventing more and more interesting hybrids, but some gardeners view such fruits with distrust. In fact, hybrids are completely safe.
Varietal tomatoes are a group of plants obtained as a result of selection. They have a set of certain characteristics that distinguish them from all other tomatoes. You can collect seeds from these tomatoes. This planting material is sown the next year, as a result of which plants grow that have all the same characteristics.
What are F1 tomato hybrids? Some tomato lovers criticize hybrids and consider them less tasty and healthy than varietal ones. Others, on the contrary, choose them because they are more productive and less sick. Every year on the shelves...
Hybrids are obtained by crossing several varieties. This is what breeders do. In greenhouses, they plant tomato varieties nearby, and after the plants bloom, they pollinate them by hand. This is quite painstaking work. Treated plants need to be protected from cross-pollination, so protective bags are placed on the flowers. It is very easy to distinguish varietal seeds from hybrid ones. Packages with hybrids are always marked F1. This mark can be deciphered as follows:
- F—the first character of the word “children” (filii);
- 1—first generation.
On a note!
Seeds collected from hybrid fruits cannot be used for planting. They can grow into tomatoes that will be radically different from the original plant in all characteristics. Only “first generation seeds” can be planted, and they are bred by breeders.
