A review of the best tomato varieties for a polycarbonate greenhouse

Rules for choosing a variety

When choosing tomato seeds for greenhouses, it's sometimes difficult to resist the temptation to buy a package of delicious tomatoes or to follow the advice of a seller who isn't always experienced in this matter. To avoid disappointment with the seeds, and to ensure that the beautiful tomatoes in the photo on the package turn into a bountiful harvest, consider a few rules. The best tomatoes for a polycarbonate greenhouse should be selected based on the following criteria:

• yield and ripening time;
• size and appearance of fruits;
• appointments;

• compliance with the climatic and weather conditions of the area or region;
• resistance to diseases and pests – many plant diseases develop in the warm and humid microclimate of a greenhouse;
• taste properties.

For most gardeners, the priority is tomato yield, which is easy to calculate. Traditional tomato varieties typically yield no more than 15 kg of vegetables per square meter, while hybrids labeled F1, which are more resilient to microclimate changes and easy to care for, can yield 20 kg or more.

Video: "Recommendations for Growing Tomatoes in Greenhouses"

A demonstration video with practical recommendations for growing tomatoes in greenhouses.

The best varieties

Tall indented varieties, reaching several meters, are best suited for greenhouse cultivation. They are characterized by prolonged fruiting until the cold autumn and a bountiful harvest. They have no growth restrictions and can produce fruit all year round in a heated greenhouse, forming up to 14 clusters. No more than three plants are planted per square meter, with the necessary training of tall stems and pinching of side shoots. Indeterminate varieties are placed in the center of the greenhouse; the first inflorescences begin to form after the 7th to 12th leaf.

Let's take a look at what experienced gardeners and growers recommend today among tall-growing tomatoes for greenhouses:

1. A favorite of many gardeners, the red De Borao produces up to 4 kg of yield from a single vine-like bush. Among the advantages of this variety are its resistance to late blight, long storage, good ripening, and transportability.
2. Talitsa F1 is a tasty, early-ripening variety that is resistant to cladosporiosis and reaches several meters in height. Its juicy and fleshy fruits weigh around 120 g.
3. Ivanhoe F1 is a virus-resistant hybrid that does not require treatment with harmful chemicals and produces a stable harvest of large tomatoes.
4. A wonderful option for year-round cultivation is the Alexia hybrid, with bright red fruits up to 210 g, which are not susceptible to viruses.
5. An interesting representative of the medium-sized, tall hybrids, the Demirosa F1 tomato ripens early, has a long shelf life, and is disease-resistant—a variety that will delight any gardener.
6. A real table decoration will be pink tomatoes from the Pink Lady F1 hybrid – a frost-resistant and high-yielding early-ripening variety.

New

Every year, breeders and professional gardeners delight us with exciting new greenhouse crops that are worthy of attention from gardeners. Today's review features:

1. The early-ripening hybrid Hurricane F1 grows well both indoors and outdoors. This tomato produces up to 10 kg of bright red fruit per square meter, whose light weight is offset by its excellent marketability and flavor.
2. Druzhok F1, a versatile, early-ripening hybrid variety, yields sweet, firm tomatoes weighing up to 200g in several harvests, making it especially convenient for processing. This tomato is resistant to pests and weather fluctuations.
3. The Pink King—the name speaks for itself—is a large raspberry, weighing up to 300g, that looks great in a variety of dishes, withstands long transportation, and retains its marketable appearance.
4. Tyutchev is a mid-season salad tomato with large red fruits weighing up to 400 g and possessing an unusual sourness.
5. A royal hybrid and the best choice for whole-fruit canning, Imperia F1 produces a bountiful harvest of elongated, oval, red fruits that can be stored for a long time without refrigeration.
6. A variety with amazing taste and aroma – the early-ripening hybrid Black Bunch F1, whose small fruits resemble small cream.

Short stature

Low-growing tomato varieties are planted around the perimeter of the greenhouse. They are easy to care for, bear fruit slightly earlier than their taller counterparts, and produce several harvests per year. Determinants are planted at 4-5 plants per 1 sq.m. for single-stem bush formation and no more than 3 bushes for two- or three-stem formation. Low-growing tomatoes produce the majority of their fruit from the first two to four clusters.

The best low-growing tomatoes for greenhouses include:

1. A striking example of large-fruited tomatoes is the Pink Honey variety. Its low-growing bushes produce slightly flattened fruits up to 700 g, resistant to cracking. These tomatoes are suitable for salads and for processing into juice or tomato paste.
2. The Ballerina variety will decorate your greenhouse and delight you with wonderful pickling tomatoes. Its compact bushes produce an abundance of small pink fruits that truly resemble a dancing beauty.
3. The universal early-ripening tomato Chaika produces small, round tomatoes that are resistant to disease.
4. Remarkable taste, quick ripening on low bushes, and good shelf life are the main advantages of the Zagadka tomatoes with their sugary, bright red fruits.
5. An excellent choice for those who don't want to bother with seedlings is the mid-season Eleonora variety, whose seeds are sown directly into the ground. This easy-to-care-for determinate variety produces small, uniform fruits with firm skin.
6. Tomatoes for growing for sale, frost-resistant and with good shelf life – mid-late variety Dama with red barrel-shaped fruits.
7. Asteroid is a universal early-ripening tomato with round red fruits weighing up to 300 g.
8. Convenient oval tomatoes for pickling – mid-early variety Triumfator with small bushes up to 40 cm.
9. Velvet Season is a mid-season variety whose small, upright bushes produce sugary, thick-skinned fruits weighing up to 300 g.

Early

Greenhouse tomatoes have varying ripening times. As noted above, determinate tomatoes ripen much earlier than indented tomatoes, which is a common practice among gardeners who want to harvest their first crop as early as possible. Early varieties are divided into ultra-early, early-ripening, and early-ripening tomatoes.

Ultra-early ripening tomatoes include:

• Junior - the first fruits appear 80 days after germination, the compact bush is covered with bright red tomatoes, weighing up to 100 g, resistant to cracking, yields up to 2 kg of tomatoes from one plant;
• The Yantarny variety, which is undemanding to weather conditions, has small bushes up to 35 cm high that do not require pinching or tying, and are covered with beautiful yellow or golden fruits weighing up to 56 g;
• one of the best varieties for canning is Joy of Summer with flat, elongated red fruits weighing up to 120 g;
• Mishka na severe – tomatoes with a strong, low bush and sweet red fruits that have a good taste and retain their marketable appearance for a long time.

Among early ripening tomatoes, gardeners prefer:

• High-yielding hybrid Samara F1, the fruits ripen evenly, they can be picked in bunches, dense round tomatoes have an unusual taste;
• Reinette - fruits set in any weather, weigh up to 100 and are suitable for canning;
• Fat Jack with low bushes up to 50 cm in height, which bear large sweet fruits up to 300 g in weight;
• A high-yielding variety called Volovye Ushko with elongated, fleshy tomatoes weighing around 100 g.

The best early ripening varieties are considered to be:

1. Disease-resistant tomato Ilyich F1 with large fruits up to 150 g, which are distinguished by high yield and good shelf life.
2. Verlioka F1 hybrid has excellent taste and yields up to 18 kg per square meter. Its round, smooth fruits weigh about 100 g and can withstand long-term storage and transportation.
3. A tomato with an upright, weakly leafy bush up to 50 cm – Semko-Sindbad F1, resistant to tobacco mosaic and fusarium, produces smooth, matte red fruits with a uniform yield.
4. One of the best greenhouse hybrids is Blagovest F1, a very productive and easy-to-grow variety. A single plant can yield up to 5.5 kg of tomatoes. This spreading bush produces numerous rounded fruits, weighing up to 200 g, which are ideal for salads, marinades, pickling, and canning.

Large

Large-fruited tomatoes typically yield a later harvest and require more careful care. These tomatoes are often eaten fresh and boast a beautiful presentation and indescribable sweet flavor, making them a favorite ingredient in dishes across the globe. The following varieties are most popular among farmers and gardeners:

1. Scarlet Sails is a disease-resistant variety that produces a consistent harvest throughout the season, is resistant to temperature fluctuations, and produces round, even-shaped fruits.
2. The Great Warrior is an early-harvesting Siberian tomato. Its round, slightly ribbed, raspberry-colored fruits do not crack, weigh up to 500 g, and have an exceptional taste.
3. The mid-season variety Miracle of the Garden, the first fruits of which can reach a weight of up to 1.5 kg, has few seeds.
4. Eagle's Beak is a productive tomato with sweet, heart-shaped, pink-raspberry fruits weighing around 1 kg.
5. A favorite holiday - with a relatively low bush up to 80 cm, the weight of the fruits can reach 1.3 kg.
6. An excellent variety for sale is Alsu, with large fruits up to 800 g, distinguished by good shelf life and excellent taste.

Cherry

Small-fruited cherry tomatoes have long been popular with both restaurant chefs and home cooks. These delicious and sweet tomatoes boast a berry-fruity flavor, making them perfect for garnishing dishes and complementing many salads. Their varied colors, from yellow to purple, make them attractive when pickled. The smallest variety weighs up to 10 grams, while the largest reach around 30 grams. In a heated greenhouse, cherry tomatoes produce a harvest year-round.

The best cherry varieties:

• Yellow cherry is a small-fruited and early-ripening variety that should be grown with a garter to a support; it forms a cluster with 20–40 fruits;
• Parrot - a plant covered with abundant brushes, each containing at least 20 red tomatoes;

• Ferry – original, dense, barrel-shaped tomatoes, a variety originally from Spain, ideal for both canning and fresh consumption, characterized by high yield and long storage;
• Solntse is a medium-sized variety with oval yellow tomatoes weighing up to 20 g. Children will love the sweet candy-like taste. They grow in clusters and are not susceptible to diseases;
• Sweet bunch is an ultra-early variety with a long fruiting period. The tomatoes are quite large in size and weigh up to 30 g, and a single bunch can produce up to 50 tomatoes.

Video: "Which variety should I choose?"

An informational video to help you choose the right variety for planting.