The best varieties of low-growing tomatoes for open ground

For open ground

Dwarf tomato varieties are primarily planted outdoors. This is primarily because they don't require any additional support. Thanks to selective breeding, these varieties also require minimal maintenance and can produce very good yields.

It's crucial to understand that the selective breeding approach has improved not only the yield of this vegetable crop but also its resilience to environmental factors. Artificially bred varieties better tolerate adverse weather conditions and are more resistant to diseases and fungi, which often attack seedlings grown outdoors.

Gardeners also prefer to plant low-growing tomato varieties when they have a small plot of land. They allow for more efficient crop production, yielding significantly more fruit per square meter of soil.

In low-growing tomatoes planted outdoors, flower clusters are located above the 4th or 5th leaf. Most often, the inflorescences are close together, separated by a single leaf. These flower clusters help limit the height of the plant.

One of the advantages of the best dwarf tomato varieties is their ability to produce an early harvest. Breeding allows the fruits to ripen faster and be harvested before the first cold snaps or rains. For this reason, these tomatoes are preferred in temperate and northern regions.

Video: "Tomato Varieties for Outdoor Growing"

The video's author talks about the best tomato varieties that are most suitable for growing outdoors.

Standard

The main characteristic of selected standard tomato varieties is that they don't grow tall. However, they are ready to produce a harvest much earlier than other varieties. They can be pinched out during the final stages of growth. Standard varieties produce large ovaries, and with a good harvest, the seedlings take up significantly less space, unlike varieties typically planted outdoors.

Let's give examples of the best types of tomatoes that are usually planted in the middle zone.

Watercolor

This early variety can produce a harvest in as little as three months. The average height of the bush is about 50-60 centimeters, and the top of the seedlings will not stretch. The bush becomes lush, and the foliage spreads outward rather than upward.

When fully ripe, Aquarelle tomatoes have an elongated shape and thick, red skin. Typically, tomatoes from this variety weigh around 100 grams. Among the advantages of this variety are its long shelf life and its exceptional flavor, which is why people prefer to use them in dishes rather than canning them. Aquarelle tomatoes have good resistance to septoria, late blight, and blossom-end rot.

El Dorado

A very productive variety. The standard bush reaches 80 centimeters in height. The fruits are quite impressive, weighing between 220 and 250 grams. They are larger than some other similar standard tomato varieties. The oval-heart-shaped form is bright yellow.

Early ripening

These semi-circular red tomatoes weigh up to 200-220 grams each. This variety is convenient because it requires little care when grown outdoors. It doesn't require much care, so it's often planted in garden plots where owners can't visit frequently to tend to the harvest.

This variety is very early, has an excellent yield, and is resistant to most dangerous diseases that affect vegetable crops and temperature fluctuations.

Gold rush

The fruits typically grow to no more than 120 grams each and are bright orange. Since this variety ripens very early, it's perfect for planting greens or some melons.

Mid-season varieties

Mid-season varieties are more suitable for those who want to store tomatoes longer after harvest. Sometimes it's better to have fresh tomatoes for salads or other dishes than to can them immediately.

For these purposes, it's advisable to grow mid-season or late-season vegetable crops. There are quite a few varieties of mid-season tomatoes that are considered the best, but we'll provide examples of just a few. These tomatoes are typically grown in Ukraine, Georgia, and southern Russia, as these areas have the most suitable weather.

Pink Stella

A mid-season, low-growing tomato variety typically grown outdoors. In cool climates, temporary shelter is recommended. The plants reach 50 centimeters in height, each bearing 6-8 fruits weighing up to 200 grams.

The color, as the name suggests, is pink with a raspberry hue. They have a sweet dessert flavor. Even under unfavorable growing conditions, Pink Stella can produce a good harvest.

Supermodel

This variety has a distinctive visual distinction from most others: its elongated fruit (approximately 11-12 centimeters). Each standard bush averages 70 centimeters in height. When ripe, the tomatoes of this variety turn a rich crimson color and weigh up to 130 grams of moderate density. Supermodel is most often used for canning, pickling, and making tomato juice.

Pink Leader

Full fruiting takes up to 115 days. The upright, standard bush grows approximately 60-65 centimeters tall. The tomatoes are pink. They are primarily used for pickling and canning.

Indeterminate tomatoes

Indeterminate tomato varieties are generally considered to be those with tall bushes. They can reach heights of over 2 meters. This can make harvesting difficult. Indeterminate tomatoes can grow without limitation not only in height but also in width, spreading their branches over a larger area.

Their disease resistance is significantly lower than that of other low-growing vegetable varieties. They also require special care. Indeterminate tomatoes, in particular, require regular staking to protect the crop from rot.

The best varieties of this type of tomato are considered to be Vezha, Start 1, Comfort 1, De-Barao, and Hybrid-Tarasenko 2. Varieties grown in open ground, rather than greenhouses, are characterized by larger fruit weights.

Let's take a look at the Kitano variety. Each tomato weighs about 200 grams and is pink. They are very tasty and juicy, and don't crack when the weather changes or the soil becomes too wet. Kitano tomatoes have become very popular due to their excellent flavor. They are typically found in the southern regions of Ukraine, as they thrive in sunlight, which makes them juicier and sweeter.

The earliest ripening

The earliest ripening tomato varieties are best planted in regions where cold weather sets in early. The best early tomato varieties are best planted in the Urals, northeastern Russia, and Siberia. Most of them are easier to grow in greenhouses, but this isn't necessary if you use varieties developed through selective breeding.

Gold rush

The fruits typically grow to no more than 120 grams each and are bright orange. Since this variety ripens very early, it's perfect for planting greens or some melons.

Antoshka

This is one of the earliest ripening tomato varieties, reaching maturity in just three months. The bushes typically reach 50 centimeters in height and are not very large. The yellow, round fruits average 70 grams. This shape and size make the plant look like an ornamental plant. The resulting harvest is most often used for whole-fruit canning or in salads, or eaten fresh.

It's easy to grow both outdoors and in greenhouses. It's best to plant Antoshka in northern regions (e.g., the Urals and Siberia) to ensure the harvest can be harvested before the cold weather sets in.

Siberian Heavyweight

This is an early-ripening tomato variety, which is grown in cold regions to ensure a quick harvest before temperatures drop significantly, as weather changes as early as September can be quite dangerous for seedlings.

Through selective breeding, we were able to develop a variety that produces impressively sized fruits. Each fruit can reach a weight of up to half a kilogram. The color is red with a pinkish tint, and the shape is heart-shaped. When caring for this variety, you can either leave the bushes unpruned or only do so partially.

Video: "Low-Growing Tomatoes for Open Ground"

A live broadcast of the program "My Dacha," in which Sergey Dubinin, CEO of the SeDeK agricultural firm, talks about how to grow tomatoes outdoors and which varieties to choose.