I’ve had my fair share of tomato heartbreak—cracked skins, sad blight, you name it. But after a few trial-and-error seasons, I found varieties that actually hold up and keep producing.
These tomatoes are tough, tasty, and way less trouble in the garden. I also picked up a few growing tips along the way that make a big difference.
If you’re ready for a better tomato season, this list is a great place to start!
1. Mountain Merit
Bred specifically to handle tough growing conditions, this determinate variety produces medium to large red fruits with excellent flavor. The compact plants don’t need much staking and mature early enough for shorter growing seasons.
Mountain Merit has earned the All-America Selections award for its remarkable disease resistance package. It stands strong against early blight, late blight, and vertical wilt while producing crack-resistant fruits with thick skins.
2. Defiant
Perfect for gardeners in humid regions, Defiant produces medium-sized, bright red fruits with a classic sweet tomato flavor. Its strong disease resistance makes it a reliable performer even when conditions favor blight development.
The fruits typically weigh around 6-8 ounces and have a firm texture ideal for slicing. Gardeners appreciate how this determinate variety ripens most of its crop within a concentrated time period, making it great for canning projects.
3. Iron Lady
Known as one of the most disease-resistant varieties available, Iron Lady stands up to both early and late blight like a champion. The medium-sized red fruits have excellent flavor and thick walls that resist cracking even after heavy rainfall.
This determinate variety produces most of its harvest within a two-week window. For best results, avoid planting near other tomato varieties that might harbor diseases, as this helps maintain Iron Lady’s natural resistance strengths.
4. Jasper
Cherry tomato lovers rejoice! Jasper produces sweet, crack-resistant cherry tomatoes on indeterminate vines that keep producing all season long. These little red gems have outstanding sweetness and resist splitting even when left on the vine during rainy periods.
An All-America Selections winner, Jasper shows impressive resistance to early blight, late blight, and fusarium wilt. The plants produce massive yields of cherry-sized fruits that maintain quality even when harvested less frequently.
5. Mountain Magic
Combining heirloom flavor with modern disease resistance, Mountain Magic produces beautiful clusters of crack-resistant, round red fruits. Each tomato weighs about 2 ounces, making them perfect for salads or quick snacking straight from the garden.
The indeterminate vines need good support but reward growers with continuous production throughout summer. Gardeners in high-humidity areas particularly appreciate its ability to resist both early and late blight while maintaining excellent fruit quality.
6. Plum Regal
Sauce makers love this determinate plum tomato for its meaty texture and high yields of crack-resistant fruits. The medium-sized plum tomatoes have thick walls, minimal seeds, and concentrated flavor that intensifies when cooked down for sauces or pastes.
Plants grow in a compact, bushy habit that requires minimal staking. Plum Regal’s impressive resistance to both early and late blight means you’ll harvest plenty of perfect sauce tomatoes even in challenging growing conditions.
7. Lemon Boy
Adding beautiful color to your garden, these bright yellow tomatoes resist cracking while bringing a mild, sweet flavor to your table. The medium-sized fruits have a lower acid content than red varieties, making them perfect for those with sensitive stomachs.
Lemon Boy’s indeterminate vines produce continuously throughout the season. Its resistance to verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt, and nematodes, combined with naturally crack-resistant skin, makes it a dependable performer in most garden conditions.
8. Juliet
These elongated mini-plum tomatoes offer the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. Juliet’s fruits grow in abundant clusters and resist cracking even when fully ripe, allowing for less frequent harvesting without quality loss.
The indeterminate vines produce prolifically all season and show excellent resistance to early blight. Many gardeners consider Juliet their most reliable tomato, as it continues producing quality fruits even when other varieties struggle with disease or environmental stress.
9. Primo Red
Early-season harvests make Primo Red a favorite for impatient gardeners. The large, smooth fruits resist cracking and have the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity that makes homegrown tomatoes so special.
This determinate variety concentrates its energy into producing a heavy early crop. Primo Red’s resistance to verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt, and tomato spotted wilt virus ensures healthy plants even in areas where these diseases are common problems.
10. Brandywine
Bringing heirloom flavor with improved disease resistance, this special strain of Brandywine offers the incredible taste that made this variety famous. The large, slightly flattened pink fruits have a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity that many consider the ultimate tomato flavor.
Unlike standard Brandywine, this improved strain shows better resistance to early blight and cracking. The indeterminate vines need strong support and produce steadily throughout summer until frost.
11. Celebrity
A classic garden performer, Celebrity produces medium to large red fruits on semi-determinate plants that need minimal staking. The tomatoes develop excellent flavor and resist cracking even during inconsistent watering or weather changes.
Celebrity has earned its popularity through impressive disease resistance and adaptability to different growing conditions. Its VFNT resistance package (Verticillium, Fusarium, Nematodes, and Tobacco Mosaic Virus) plus tolerance to early blight makes it a reliable choice for beginning gardeners.
12. Better Boy
Improved disease resistance makes this Better Boy strain a garden standout. The large, juicy red fruits develop on indeterminate vines that produce throughout the entire growing season.
Better Boy’s improved genetics offer good resistance to verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt, and nematodes while maintaining crack resistance. For best results, provide strong support as each plant can produce up to 100 pounds of tomatoes in ideal conditions!
13. Sunpeach
Sweet pink cherry tomatoes grow in long trusses on these indeterminate vines, offering crack-resistant fruits perfect for snacking. The flavor is exceptionally sweet with balanced acidity that makes them irresistible straight from the garden.
Sunpeach shows excellent resistance to leaf mold and tomato mosaic virus while producing continuously until frost. The fruits hold well on the vine without splitting, allowing gardeners to harvest on their schedule rather than rushing after every rain.
14. Momotaro
Japan’s most popular tomato variety brings exceptional flavor and natural crack resistance to your garden. The medium-sized pink fruits develop a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity that makes them ideal for fresh eating.
Momotaro shows good resistance to fusarium and verticillium wilt while naturally resisting fruit cracking. The indeterminate vines produce steadily throughout summer and early fall, with fruits that hold well on the vine without losing quality.
15. Big Beef
Award-winning flavor and impressive disease resistance make Big Beef a garden standout. The large, beefsteak-type fruits develop rich flavor while maintaining crack resistance even during inconsistent watering.
This indeterminate variety produces heavily throughout the season on vines that need sturdy support. Big Beef’s comprehensive disease package includes resistance to verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt, nematodes, and tolerance to early blight.
16. Granadero
Professional-quality paste tomatoes grow abundantly on these disease-resistant plants. The medium-sized, elongated fruits have thick walls, minimal seeds, and concentrated flavor that makes them perfect for sauces and canning.
Granadero’s indeterminate vines produce continuously throughout the season. Its exceptional resistance to early blight, late blight, and leaf mold makes it particularly valuable in humid regions where these diseases typically cause problems.
17. Valentine
Heart-shaped cherry tomatoes with deep red color and exceptional sweetness make Valentine a garden favorite. These adorable fruits grow in long trusses and resist cracking even when left on the vine during wet weather.
An All-America Selections winner, Valentine produces early and heavily on indeterminate vines. Its natural resistance to early blight helps maintain plant health throughout the season, ensuring continuous harvests of these delicious little fruits.
18. Damsel
Bringing true heirloom flavor with modern disease resistance, Damsel produces beautiful pink fruits with exceptional taste. The medium to large tomatoes have thin skins but still resist cracking better than traditional heirlooms.
Damsel’s indeterminate vines need good support and produce throughout the season. What makes this variety special is its late blight resistance combined with the rich, sweet flavor typically found only in less disease-resistant heirloom varieties.
19. Mountain Fresh Plus
Commercial growers and home gardeners alike trust Mountain Fresh Plus for reliable harvests of medium to large red fruits. The determinate plants produce heavily within a concentrated time period, making them perfect for canning projects.
Mountain Fresh Plus shows excellent resistance to fusarium wilt, verticillium wilt, nematodes, and early blight. The fruits develop thick walls and resist cracking, maintaining quality even when harvest must be delayed by a few days.
20. Verona
Italian-bred for sauce making, Verona produces elongated roma-type fruits with thick walls and concentrated flavor. The crack-resistant fruits have minimal seeds and juice, making them perfect for quick-cooking sauces that need minimal reduction.
Verona’s semi-determinate growth habit means plants stay more compact than indeterminate varieties. Its resistance to verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt, and early blight ensures healthy plants that produce quality fruits even in less-than-ideal conditions.