5 easy to grow tomato varieties for beginners

Let's talk tomatoes. Picture this: your hands brushing against sun warmed vines, and the thrill of plucking a ripe tomato that is actually bursting with flavour instead of tasting like the ones in the plastic punnet. It is more than gardening. It is connecting with something timeless.

If you have been flirting with the idea of growing your own but you have not quite taken the plunge, this is your sign. You do not need to be an expert, you just need a nudge and the right tomatoes to get you started, and these five are the ones I point beginners at because they forgive you while you are learning.

1. Tommy Toe

Tommy Toe sounds like a mate you would have a beer with, and it is about the friendliest tomato in the patch. These cherry tomatoes are small but they pack a punch of flavour that will make your salads sing, and you can snack on them like berries straight off the vine. What makes Tommy Toe a beginner's dream is its laid back attitude. It thrives with minimal fuss, shrugs off pests, and produces generously, so even if your gardening skills are still finding their footing this little beauty will make you feel like you know what you are doing.

2. Roma

Roma tomatoes are the ones that whisper pasta night. They are meaty rather than watery, which is what makes them right for sauces, soups and purees, and they grow to a manageable size so they suit a smaller patch. Their resilience is the quiet kind. You will barely notice them asking for anything, and they will still reward you with the taste of a sauce you made yourself.

3. Grosse Lisse

For those who reckon bigger is better, meet Grosse Lisse. These are the tomatoes that turn a sandwich into a meal, so slice one, put a bit of salt on it, and let the flavour do the work. Grosse Lisse is not bothered by our climate either, because it is built for warm summers and the cold snaps that arrive when you were not expecting them. If you want a hearty, no nonsense tomato that delivers on taste and size, this is the one.

4. Sweet Bite

Sweet Bite lives up to its name and then some, because these tiny juicy morsels are about as close to lollies as a vegetable patch gets. If you have kids, or you are a kid at heart, they will disappear faster than you can gather them. They grow in cheerful clusters and need very little from you. Decent soil and a sunny spot, with something to climb, and they will hand you an abundance of snackable treasure.

5. Apollo

South Australians, this one is for you. Apollo tomatoes are your shortcut to an early harvest because they do not make you wait long, and in frost free spots they will keep producing well past when you expected them to stop. With strong resistance to pests and disease, Apollo takes a lot of the stress out of it. It is the dependable mate who always turns up.

A few quick tips to get you started

Growing tomatoes is not a mystery, it is a rhythm you pick up fast. Keep these in mind and you will be laughing.

• Sun is king. Tomatoes love basking in it, so six hours a day is the minimum. A sunny backyard, balcony or windowsill will do the job.
• Water, but not too much. Keep the soil moist and not soggy, and let it drain properly so the roots do not sit wet.
• Give them something to lean on. Taller varieties like Grosse Lisse want a stake or a trellis, which keeps the fruit off the ground and out of trouble.
• Pick them gently. Tomatoes bruise if you are rough with them, so take them when they are ripe and treat them kindly on the way inside.

Shop related products

• D.T Brown Tomato Grosse Lisse Seed Pack. The big slicing tomato from number three, straight from seed.
• D.T. Brown Tomato Red Cherry Seed Pack. A heavy cropping cherry, the same job Tommy Toe does.
• Manutec Tomato Tablets. Slow release feeding so you are not guessing at fertiliser.
• David Grays Tomato Dust 3 in 1. For caterpillars, mites and powdery mildew when they show up.

Did you know we also keep seed, seedlings, potting mix and pest control in the garden centre in store, and not all of it makes it onto the website. Give us a ring on (08) 8536 4333 to check what is on the shelf.

Everything above lives in the garden centre, and if you would rather talk it through than guess, come in and we will sort you out.

Keep reading

• Setting up dripper irrigation, a beginner's guide
• Why tomato tablets are worth having in the shed
• What is the cardboard weed barrier method

Cheers,
Candeece

I have killed more seedlings than I have grown, and the tomatoes still turn up every year anyway.