New to gardening and dreaming of juicy, homegrown tomatoes? Don’t worry—you don’t need a green thumb to get started! Some tomato varieties are practically foolproof, making them ideal for beginners who want big flavor without the fuss.
Whether you’re planting in pots or digging into garden beds, these 20 easy-grow tomatoes are reliable, resilient, and ready to reward you with a bountiful harvest. Let’s dig in and get growing!
1. Cherry Tomatoes: Sweet Success in Small Packages
Cherry tomatoes flourish even with minimal attention, making them perfect first-time growers’ allies. Their compact size means they ripen quickly and produce abundantly throughout the season.
Start them in a sunny spot with well-draining soil. Water consistently at the base of the plant to prevent leaf diseases. These little gems don’t need much pruning – just remove yellowing leaves occasionally.
Even apartment dwellers can grow cherry tomatoes in containers on a balcony. Harvest when they’re fully colored and slightly soft to the touch for the sweetest flavor.
2. Roma Tomatoes: Reliable Producers for Sauce Lovers
Roma tomatoes thrive in almost any garden setting with their strong disease resistance and consistent production. Their meaty texture and few seeds make them ideal for cooking down into sauces and pastes.
Plant them 24-36 inches apart in full sun after the last frost. Support with stakes or cages as they grow. Roma plants typically reach a manageable 3-4 feet tall, perfect for beginners not wanting to deal with unwieldy vines.
Expect a big harvest over a shorter period – excellent for those planning to can or freeze their bounty.
3. Mortgage Lifter: The Giant Heirloom with a Story
Named because its creator supposedly paid off his mortgage by selling these seedlings, Mortgage Lifter produces massive beefsteak tomatoes weighing up to two pounds each! Despite their impressive size, they’re surprisingly easy to grow.
The plants develop naturally strong stems that support their heavy fruit load. Give them plenty of space – at least 3 feet between plants. Their pink-red fruits have a sweet, rich flavor that modern hybrids can’t match.
Beginner tip: Add calcium to your soil before planting to prevent blossom end rot, which can affect large-fruited varieties.
4. Early Girl: Quick Harvest for Impatient Gardeners
Ready to pick in just 50-60 days, Early Girl rewards gardeners who can’t wait for their first homegrown tomato. This reliable hybrid produces medium-sized fruits with classic tomato flavor long before other varieties.
Early Girl’s compact growth habit makes it perfect for containers or small gardens. The plants show excellent resistance to common tomato diseases that discourage beginners.
A bonus for northern gardeners: this variety performs well even in cooler weather, extending your growing season. Keep harvesting regularly to encourage more production throughout summer.
5. Brandywine: The Heirloom with Unbeatable Flavor
Gardeners have treasured Brandywine tomatoes for over 100 years for their incredible sweet-yet-tangy taste. Their large, slightly flattened pink fruits develop complex flavors that will spoil you forever.
While slightly more demanding than some varieties, Brandywine rewards minimal extra care with tomatoes that make store-bought ones taste like cardboard. Give them sturdy support and consistent watering.
Growing tip: Brandywines benefit from pruning to focus energy on fruit production. Remove suckers (the shoots that form between the main stem and branches) when they’re small.
6. Sun Gold: The Candy of the Garden
Bright orange Sun Gold cherry tomatoes taste like candy straight off the vine! These super-sweet fruits convert even committed tomato-haters with their fruity, tropical flavor profile.
Sun Golds grow vigorously in almost any condition, producing hundreds of tomatoes per plant. Their tendency to split after rain is their only weakness, so harvest promptly when ripe.
Many gardeners report that few Sun Golds actually make it into the kitchen – they’re too tempting to eat while gardening! Plant them near walkways for easy snacking while you tend your garden.
7. Better Boy: The Classic Backyard Tomato
Better Boy has been a gardening staple for decades because it combines foolproof growing with excellent disease resistance. These plants produce large, round red tomatoes with the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity.
The sturdy vines grow tall, so provide strong cages or stakes. One plant can yield over 100 pounds of tomatoes in a season with good care!
Better Boy adapts to various climates and soil conditions, making it ideal for first-timers. Their crack-resistant fruits hold well on the vine until you’re ready to harvest them.
8. Celebrity: The Award-Winning All-Purpose Tomato
Winning the All-America Selection award wasn’t just luck – Celebrity earned its fame through outstanding performance in home gardens. These determinate plants grow to a manageable size then focus their energy on producing loads of medium-sized, crack-resistant fruits.
Celebrity’s compact growth makes it perfect for containers or small spaces. The plants show remarkable resistance to common tomato diseases that frustrate beginners.
Harvest these versatile tomatoes when fully red for fresh eating, or use them for sauces and canning. Their balanced flavor works beautifully in any recipe.
9. Beefsteak: Big Slicers for Sandwich Lovers
One slice of a homegrown Beefsteak tomato covers an entire sandwich with juicy, meaty goodness! These giants can weigh up to two pounds each when grown with proper care.
Beefsteak plants need strong support and plenty of nutrients to produce their massive fruits. The payoff is worth it – their rich flavor and perfect texture make store-bought tomatoes seem like pale imitations.
Growing tip: Mulch well around Beefsteaks to maintain consistent soil moisture, preventing splitting and blossom end rot that can affect large-fruited varieties.
10. Patio: Perfect for Container Gardens
Living in an apartment doesn’t mean giving up on fresh tomatoes! Patio varieties were specifically bred for growing in containers with their naturally compact size and abundant production.
These tidy plants reach only about 2 feet tall but still deliver full-sized, flavorful fruits. A 5-gallon container provides plenty of space for their modest root system.
Patio tomatoes thrive on balconies, decks, or sunny windowsills. Their determinate growth means they produce their crop over a shorter period – perfect for urban gardeners wanting a manageable harvest.
11. Yellow Pear: Decorative and Delicious
Yellow Pear tomatoes bring both beauty and flavor to beginning gardens with their bright color and distinctive teardrop shape. Kids especially love picking these bite-sized treats straight from the vine.
The plants grow vigorously and can reach impressive heights, so provide tall stakes or cages. Their mild, low-acid flavor makes them perfect for colorful salads or eating fresh.
Yellow Pears often continue producing until frost, giving beginners an extended harvest season. Their unique appearance makes them conversation starters when friends visit your garden.
12. Juliet: The Grape Tomato That Never Quits
Juliet combines the best traits of cherry and Roma tomatoes into one super-productive package. The elongated grape-shaped fruits grow in clusters like grapes and resist cracking and disease better than most varieties.
Once Juliet starts producing, it simply doesn’t stop until frost kills the plants. Gardeners routinely harvest hundreds of tomatoes from a single plant throughout the season.
Their thick skin and meaty texture make them excellent for drying or roasting. Many beginners consider Juliet their “insurance policy” tomato because it produces reliably even when other varieties struggle.
13. Big Beef: The Hybrid with Heirloom Flavor
Big Beef delivers the rich taste of heirloom tomatoes with the disease resistance and reliability of modern hybrids. These large, beefsteak-type fruits mature earlier than most large tomatoes, giving beginners quicker gratification.
The vigorous plants show excellent tolerance to common tomato diseases that often discourage new gardeners. Their fruits resist cracking even after summer rains.
With proper support, Big Beef plants can grow over 6 feet tall and produce tomatoes weighing up to 1 pound each. The flavor consistently wins taste tests against other large-fruited varieties.
14. Green Zebra: The Beginner-Friendly Oddball
Green Zebra proves that not all tomatoes need to be red to taste amazing! These striking fruits stay green even when ripe, developing golden stripes and a slightly soft feel when ready to harvest.
Their tangy, bright flavor adds incredible dimension to salads and salsas. Green Zebras grow on manageable plants that resist many common tomato diseases, making them surprisingly easy for beginners.
Growing tip: Since color change doesn’t indicate ripeness, gently squeeze the fruits to check – they should yield slightly to pressure when ready to pick. Their unique appearance will make your garden stand out!
15. Black Krim: The Exotic Flavor Champion
Black Krim introduces beginners to the fascinating world of “black” tomatoes with their deep mahogany-purple color and rich, smoky flavor. Originally from the Crimean Peninsula, they bring a gourmet touch to any garden.
Despite their exotic appearance, they grow surprisingly well for beginners in average garden conditions. The medium-large fruits develop their best flavor when allowed to ripen fully on the vine.
Their dark coloration comes from anthocyanins – the same healthy compounds found in blueberries. Slice them for dramatic color contrast on sandwiches or in salads.
16. Stupice: The Cold-Climate Champion
Gardeners in short-season areas rejoice over Stupice (pronounced “stoo-peech-ka”), a Czech heirloom that matures ultra-early and tolerates cool weather better than most tomatoes. These tennis ball-sized fruits develop full tomato flavor despite early ripening.
Stupice begins producing weeks before most varieties and continues steadily all season. The compact plants work well in containers or small gardens.
Northern gardeners especially appreciate how Stupice sets fruit even during cool summer nights when many tomatoes drop their blossoms. Their potato-leaf foliage adds visual interest to your garden.
17. Amish Paste: The Versatile Sauce Maker
Amish Paste tomatoes bridge the gap between paste and slicing varieties with their juicy yet meaty texture. Their heart-shaped fruits grow larger than typical Roma types, giving beginners more harvest from fewer plants.
Originally grown by Amish communities, these productive heirlooms excel both for cooking down into thick sauces and eating fresh. The plants produce heavily over a long season.
Their pointed shape makes them easy to peel for canning projects. New gardeners appreciate how versatile these tomatoes are – one variety serves multiple culinary purposes.
18. Mountain Fresh: The Disease-Resistant Workhorse
Mountain Fresh was developed specifically to overcome common tomato diseases that plague beginners. These plants shrug off early blight, late blight, and verticillium wilt that can devastate other varieties.
Their determinate growth habit means they reach a manageable size, produce their crop over several weeks, then finish – perfect for gardeners wanting a concentrated harvest for canning. The medium-large fruits have excellent classic tomato flavor.
Commercial growers favor Mountain Fresh for reliability, making it a smart choice for beginners seeking guaranteed success. They perform well even in challenging weather conditions.
19. Glacier: The Extra-Early Option
Glacier tomatoes can be harvested as early as 55 days after planting – weeks before most varieties even begin ripening! These golf ball-sized fruits deliver surprisingly rich flavor despite their early maturity.
The compact plants grow just 24-30 inches tall, making them perfect for containers or small spaces. Their naturally bushy growth rarely requires staking.
Impatient gardeners love Glacier for providing the season’s first tomato sandwiches. They continue producing throughout summer, making them both early birds and marathon runners in the tomato world.
20. Super Sweet 100: The Productive Cherry
Super Sweet 100 lives up to its name by producing long strands of deliciously sweet cherry tomatoes – often yielding over 100 fruits per plant! The vigorous vines keep producing from mid-summer until frost.
Their high sugar content makes them favorites for snacking and salads. Children who claim to dislike tomatoes often change their minds after tasting these natural candy-like treats.
Growing tip: These indeterminate plants can reach over 8 feet tall with proper support. Provide a tall cage or trellis and regular feeding to maximize their impressive production potential.