A Variety of Tomatoes

You Can Enjoy Delicious, Home-Grown Tomatoes

Tasty Tomatoes

Did you know that you can easily grow your own delicious tomatoes? While often thought of as vegetables, tomatoes are actually fruits! Visit your local garden center to discover a wide selection of determinate and indeterminate tomato varieties, including flavorful heirlooms, available seasonally while supplies last. Be sure to check with your preferred SummerWinds Nursery location for current availability.

The Benefits of Home-Grown Tomatoes

There’s nothing quite like the taste of a freshly picked tomato straight from the garden. Growing tomatoes in Arizona is surprisingly easy, giving you access to fresh, flavorful snacks and the perfect ingredients for homemade sauces year-round. Tomatoes come in a variety of types, from juicy heirlooms to bite-sized cherry and Roma grape tomatoes.

At SummerWinds Nursery, our experts can answer all of your questions about the different varieties, planting tomatoes, and how to grow tomatoes.

Tomatoes are not only delicious, they're nutritious:

Rich in vitamins A, C, and K
Excellent source of potassium
Loaded with antioxidants, especially lycopene
Fresh-picked tomatoes retain maximum nutrient value

Tomatoes are low-maintenance plants that thrive in full sun. The ideal time to plant tomatoes is in March when the temperatures range from 55°F to 95°F. Water your plants at the base—avoiding the leaves—once a week in cooler weather and 2 to 3 times a week during the hotter months to keep them healthy and productive.

Fall Tomato Planting: Typically, the best time to plant tomatoes for the fall season is from mid-August to early September (providing we're not experiencing an extended heatwave). This timing allows the plants to establish themselves as the temperatures gradually cool, giving them time to produce fruit before our winter frost. We recommend choosing heat-tolerant varieties that can handle the lingering summer heat in early fall, and ensure they are well-watered and mulched to help them retain moisture.

Determinate Verses Indeterminate Tomatoes

Determinate

Also known as "bush" tomatoes, determinate varieties are more compact, typically growing between 3 to 4 feet in height. These plants stop growing once fruit develops on the top bud. The tomatoes generally ripen within a 1 to 2-week period, with most of the harvest occurring around the same time. Their smaller size makes them ideal for container gardening, and they need minimal support, often requiring only light staking.

Indeterminate

In contrast, indeterminate tomato plants continue to grow and produce fruit until frost kills them. While many varieties reach around 6 feet, some can grow as tall as 12 feet. These plants continuously flower, set fruit, and ripen throughout the growing season, leading to a longer, staggered harvest. Due to their size and extended fruiting, indeterminate tomatoes require sturdy staking or other forms of support to manage their height and fruit load.

Tomato cages available seasonally, while supplies last.

Top 10 Hybrid Tomatoes

Ace (a) – Determinate. 80 Days to harvest. Excellent tomato flavor with low acid. An old favorite for canning, exceptional yields of 6-8 oz fruits.
Beefsteak (b) – Indeterminate. 75 Days to harvest. Huge 2-pound fruits are juicy, meaty and full of flavor. Ideal for slicing.
Better Boy (c) – Indeterminate. 70 Days to harvest. High yield of huge 10 oz. fruits. Superior disease resistance and unbeatable flavor.
Celebrity (d) – Determinate. 70 Days to harvest. All-purpose variety with superb flavor, disease resistance and heavy yields of 7 oz. fruits.
Champion (e) – Indeterminate. 65 Days to harvest. Red fruits can get 6 – 8 oz. in weight. Tomatoes are solid with a meaty texture and sweet flavor.
Early Girl (f) – Indeterminate. 57 Days to harvest. Meaty red early fruits. 4 to 6 oz. Heavy yields on hardy vines.
Juliette Red (g) – Indeterminate. 60 Days to harvest. Clusters of elongated grape-like fruits hold onto the vine longer than any other cherry type. Excellent flavor and high yields.
Large Red Cherry (h) – Indeterminate. 72 Days to harvest. An excellent salad tomato. High yields over a long season. Green fruits may be pickled while ripe ones can be used fresh or for preserves.
Roma (i) – Determinate. 75 Days to harvest. Produces a large harvest of thick walled, meaty, bright red, oblong fruits that are ideal for cooking and sauces.
Sweet 100 (j) – Indeterminate. 70 Days to harvest. Long, pendulous clusters of sweet scarlet red 1 oz. cherry-sized fruits. Great for snacking and salads. Produce over a long season.

Want one more? We recommend the Sun Gold Cherry (k) tomato: Indeterminate. 55-65 Days to harvest. This hybrid golden orange tomato is considered to be among the sweetest tomatoes with a tangy flavor. Plant can grow to be 8 to 10 feet tall or more and produces up to 1 oz. fruits until it frosts.

Top 10 Heirloom Tomatoes

Black Krim (l) – Indeterminate. 80 Days to harvest. Dark red-purple fruits with a rich, sweet flavor. An heirloom from Russia with very large 8 oz. fruits. Highly regarded for it’s excellent, bold taste.
Brandywine (m) – Indeterminate. 85 Days to harvest. Large potato-leaf vines produce deep-red, meaty fruits up to 2 pounds in size with an excellent mild, non-acidic flavor rated by many as simply the best!
Cherokee Purple (n) – Indeterminate. 80 Days to harvest. Beautiful heirloom weighing in at about 1 pound and filled with intense violet-purple hues. Believed to have originated more than 120 years ago, this heavy bearing vine truly is a treasure from the past.
German Johnson (o) – Indeterminate. 80 Days to harvest. Introduced nearly a century ago, a large 2 pound, nearly seedless tomato that’s creamy, tangy, meaty and juicy. A parent of the popular Mortgage Lifter tomato. Very heat tolerant.
Green Zebra (p) – Indeterminate. 78 Days to harvest. A result of four heirlooms bred together, this tomato boasts beautiful emerald green striped 2 oz. tomatoes with flavorful green flesh. Great fresh or canned.
Mortgage Lifter (q) – Indeterminate. 80 Days to harvest. 1930’s heirloom beefsteak with meaty and very juicy fruits that average 2.5 pounds. Consistently wins taste tests by home gardeners.
Pearson (r) – Determinate. 80 Days to harvest. A 1942 variety with rich old-fashioned tomato flavor. High yields of 7 oz. red fruits perfect for slicing, sandwiches and canning. Popular commercial variety in California in the 1950’s. Excellent yields in hot, semi-arid areas.
San Marzano (s) – Indeterminate. 80 Days to harvest. Introduced in 1926, this tomato is thinner and more pointed than Roma types. Flesh is much thicker with fewer seeds. Taste is stronger, sweeter and less acidic. Ideal tomato for pastes and sauces.
Taxi (t) – Determinate. 70 Days to harvest. Bright yellow 6 oz. fruits are meaty, mild and acid free. Great fresh for salads, sandwiches or as an addition to salsas.
Yellow Pear (u) – Indeterminate. 80 Days to harvest. Very sweet 1.5 inch, yellow pear-shaped tomatoes, great fresh or used for preserves. Very productive plants and easy to grow.

Hybrid Tomatoes vs. Heirloom Tomatoes

Heirloom: Heirloom tomato varieties are typically those that were introduced before 1940 and have been passed down through generations. These tomatoes can be grown from seeds saved from the previous crop. Although heirloom tomatoes may not be as resistant to diseases as hybrids, they are highly prized for their rich, multi-generational flavor.

Hybrid: Hybrid tomato plants are bred by crossing two different varieties to combine desirable characteristics. These hybrids are often more resistant to disease and may also be designed to thrive in various climates, whether hot or cold. They are also selected for traits such as flavor, texture, and size, making them a popular choice for consistent performance in the garden.

Want to Know How to Grow the Tastiest Tomatoes?

At SummerWinds Nursery, we recommend the following soils, amendments and fertilizers to help you grow absolutely fabulous tomatoes:

E.B. Stone Organics Recipe 420 All Purpose Fertilizer: Developed by professional growers, Recipe 420 All Purpose Fertilizer is a powerful blend designed to give your plants the nutrients they need for vigorous growth. This 100% natural and organic formula restores nutrient-depleted soil, making it perfect for containers and raised beds before planting. It provides maximum support during the vegetative growth stage, ensuring your plants have the best conditions to thrive and flourish.
E.B. Stone Organics Tomato & Vegetable Food The 4-5-3 tomato and vegetable food can be used throughout your vegetable garden, in addition to being used with soft fruits (such as strawberries) to produce high-quality fruits and vegtables. Registered cdfa.
Worm Castings: At SummerWinds, we offer several types of worm castings:

Brown Banana Organics offers two eco-friendly products: Worm Castings, and Worm Castings Extract
Worm castings are a nutrient-rich, organic fertilizer that boosts plant yields, improves soil health, and enhances water retention. Safe for pets and kids, they naturally balance pH and aerate the soil. The Extract is a concentrated solution that increases nutrient absorption, promotes root growth, and improves soil fertility by removing toxins and preventing diseases. Both products are 100% organic, odorless, and excellent alternatives to chemical fertilizers.
E.B. Stone Organics Super Earthworm Castings
An ideal addition to local soils, this organic soil conditioner helps improve the overall health of your soil. Registered cdfa.

WormGold® Plus Pure Worm Castings
A great organic addition to potting soil mixes. In addition to being used as a soil amendment, can also be used for making compost tea.

HuMic Granular Humic Acid (by Fertilome)
HuMic Granular Humic Acid soil amendment is for vegetable gardens, flowerbeds, indoor plants and compost bins. It is a highly concentrated soil conditioner. Its humic acids enhance nutrient uptake, stimulates soil microbial life and encourages root development.
Tony's Magic Flower (by Earth's Original Organics) An organic-based fertilizer that contains a complete balance of nutrients so nothing else is needed. Can be made into a fertilizer tea for easy application. Contains beneficial mycorrhizae, bat guano, molasses, and a high degree of macro and micro nutrients - including nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, zinc, copper, calcium, magnesium, manganese and sulfur.
Natural Guard Soil Activator (by VPG Fertilome) Natural Guard Soil Activator is a safe, natural way to help your lawn clippings compost and return to the soil valuable nutrients found in grass clippings and thatch. Promotes the chelation of available nutrients, assists in nutrient uptake, and improves the growth of beneficial microorganisms.
Maxi-Cal 10-0-0 Fertilizer (by Grow More)
Maxi-Cal liquid is a bio-effective formulation that prevents or corrects physiological calcium and micronutrient deficiencies. Contains 10 percent calcium plus eight micros. Improves quality of fruits and vegetables. Corrects blossem end rot in tomatoes, peppers, melons and broccoli

Want to learn more? Speak with one of our Trusted Garden Advisors.

At SummerWinds, We Guarantee Success!