All About Tomatoes: Varieties, Success Tips, & More

What are the best tomato varieties for snacking, sauce, and slicing? How do you prevent blossom end rot? What fertilizer should I use for my tomato plants? Find the answers to these commonly asked questions and more below!

VW Grown Favorites

Brandywine Red – Heirloom with huge tomatoes that produce extremely well all season. They are a bit misshapen, but don’t let that discourage you. The shape is weird, but the flavor is great! Considered one of the best-tasting heirlooms for slicing. 

Early Girl – Just like the name says… this variety has one of the earliest yields of any tomato. The fruit is medium and an all-around utility player, good for salads, sandwiches, and slicing.  

Patio Red – This small package packs a big punch. The plant may be small, but the yield is not! Perfect for small-space gardening or growing in pots. The plant reaches only 2 feet tall on a sturdy stem. It is common to get 50 small to medium tomatoes from one plant.  

San Marzano – THE ONLY TOMATO for sauce. They are longer and skinnier than regular plum tomatoes. Juicy yet meaty, and thin-skinned with a complex flavor, make these a must.

Sungold – This is a cherry tomato that ripens to an orange color. One plant will yield LOTS of small, exceptionally sweet tomatoes. These do not ship well because they tend to pop, so get them while they last off the plant! Roast these with garlic and basil, then blend them all up for a sweet & healthy sauce.

Sweet 100 – This plant produces a LOT of perfectly round, bite-sized fruit. Long branches with clusters make them easy to pick quickly, so that you can eat them quickly too. They are high in sugar, making them very sweet, and high in vitamin C, so they are good for you!

Big Boy – Very large, smooth, scarlet fruit with meaty flesh. If you love a summer tomato sandwich, this is the one for you: all you need is one slice!

Looking for something else? Click the button below to see the full list of herbs and veggies we’ll be carrying in 2026.

2026 Herb & Veggie List

Tomato CARE Tips

• PROTECT: Blossom End Rot can be avoided with Calcium and Magnesium, which you can find a lot of in Van Wilgen’s Super Compost! Mix this compost with your potting soil to keep plants healthy. We recommend keeping Rot-Stop on hand to spray after periods of heavy rainfall or growth to ensure you won’t run into any issues.
• WATER: Make sure you keep your tomatoes well watered! They have a very fibrous root system to soak up as much water as possible… sometimes they need water in the morning and in the evening.
• FULL SUN: The more sun, the better. Tomatoes use the sun for energy, and they need a lot of it! Ensure they get a MINIMUM of 6 hours.
• FEED: Fertilize, fertilize, fertilize! Tomato plants give us a LOT of food… they need food too. Use Van Wilgen’s Controlled Release, Espoma Organic Tomato Tone, or BOTH; they will help your plant thrive and produce!
• WATCH TEMPS: Make sure you wait to put your tomatoes out till the coast is clear and nighttime temps don’t drop below 55 degrees.
• SUPPORT: A big tomato cage not only provides strong support but also helps protect the fruit. Fruit lying on the ground is susceptible to fungal disease and animal damage.