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Best New Tomatoes of 2022

‘Black Strawberry’ (top left, image from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds), ‘Alice’s Dream (right, Image from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds), ‘Bodacious’ (bottom left, Image from Burpee)

What a great year for new tomatoes! The breeders have been busy. 2022 has so many new tomato introductions that I had trouble fixing on my favorites. The final picks were chosen for beauty, top trial ratings, disease resistance, and MOST OF ALL, taste.

Slicing Tomatoes

‘Enroza’ is a tasty pink slicing tomato with great disease resistance. (Image thanks to High Mowing Organic Seeds)

I am a sucker for beautiful fruits and vegetables, and tasty tomatoes in wild colors are ever-present in my garden. That’s why I’ll be trying the new bi-colored green and red ‘Captain Lucky‘ (75 days, indeterminate) slicing tomato from Johnny’s Select Seeds. Its excellent flavor challenges that of best heirloom tomatoes, and when sliced the fruits are a psychedelic yellow, green, pink, and red. Another for beauty and flavor is the Baker Creek exclusive, ‘Alice’s Dream‘ (80 days, indeterminate) beefsteak tomato, which has an orange-yellow exterior striped with purple and a deep orange-yellow interior that is described as tasting sweet and tropical.

‘Alice’s Dream’ has a delicious tropical fruit flavor. (Image thanks to Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds)

Those looking for a classic red slicer must try Burpee’s ‘Bodacious‘ (80-85 days, indeterminate) big slicing tomato. The large, red, tasty tomatoes are aromatic and produced on vines that resist blight. Each plant can produce 40-50 fruits in a season. Another good traditional tomato is ‘Enroza’ (70 days, indeterminate) from High Mowing Organic Seeds. The classic slicer is deep pink, and the vines are super disease resistant. It produces continuously, and the fruits are meaty, flavorful, and juicy. for lovely dark-red, medium-large fruits grow ‘Rubee Prize’ (60-70 days, indeterminate) hybrid tomato. It is a taste-test winner, and the vines resist many diseases.

If you are looking for more really tough, disease-resistant, slicing tomatoes with great flavor, try ‘Tough Boy Gold‘ (75-85 days, indeterminate), which is resistant to blossom end rot as well as several viral diseases. Its sweet, golden fruits are medium-sized, flavorful, and resist cracking on the vine. The deep-red, medium-sized fruits of ‘Loki‘ (70-75 days, indeterminate) are also borne on highly disease-resistant vines. It is high-yielding and its fruits have an old-fashioned, heirloom-tomato flavor.

Cherry, Grape, and Salad Tomatoes

The 2022 AAS winner ‘Purple Zebra’ is a top-notch salad tomato. (Image thanks to AAS Winners)

On the top of my cherry list is ‘Black Strawberry’ (60 days, indeterminate), cherry tomato, which bears lots of fruits in neat trusses. The fruity, super-sweet tomatoes are orange-red with a mottled overlay of purple-black. Their flavor is described as very fruity and almost plum-like.

‘Sun-Dried Cherry‘ (60-65 days, indeterminate) is a cool new cherry tomato that was developed for sun drying. The sweet fruits easily dry on the stem, and vines yield lots of tomatoes!

‘Sunset Torch’ is another great new AAS winner! (Image thanks to AAS Winners)

The beautiful small/salad tomato ‘Purple Zebra‘ (70 days, indeterminate) is one of several 2022 AAS winners. Its tart-sweet dark-red fruits are striped with dark green, and the prolific vines resist disease. I will be growing this one! The red-striped golden grape tomato ‘Sunset Torch‘ is another of this year’s AAS winners. In addition to having fruity cherry tomatoes in sunset colors, it is disease resistant, productive, and the ripe fruits resist splitting after rain.

Sauce and Paste Tomatoes

‘Marzito’ bears lots and lots of little Roma tomatoes in no time! (Image thanks to BallSeed)

The small-medium, reddish-pink tomatoes of the ‘Rugby‘ (60-65 days, indeterminate) hybrid are meaty, high in beta-carotene, and have a well-balanced flavor. They are great for canning, sauce, and fresh eating. The vines also resist disease. The unique miniature Marzano-type tomato ‘Marzito‘ (50-55 days, indeterminate) is very early to bear and produces lots of small, deep red, sauce tomatoes that are meaty with a balanced flavor. They are also good for fresh eating. Finally, sauce lovers with less space should grow the new compact Roma tomato, ‘Bellatrix‘ (65-70 days, determinate). It grows beautifully in containers, is highly disease resistant, and its delicious fruits are perfect for sauce and salsa making.

Miniature Tomatoes

These are the best tomatoes for containers and hanging baskets. My oldest daughter Franziska fell in love with the heart-shaped miniature tomato, Heartbreaker Dora Red (75-85 days), which just reaches 16 inches high and becomes laden with lots of heart-shaped cherry tomatoes that are flavorful and sweet (9 Brix). Another with a cartoonish name is the ‘Grinch‘ (65 days, determinate) dwarf cherry tomato, which boasts lots of bright yellow-green cherry tomatoes with a mild tart and sweet taste. They are great for snacking. The bushy plants reach 4 feet and may require minimal caging or staking.

Container tomatoes such as these grow beautifully in quality potting mix, such as Fafard Natural & Organic Potting Soil. Choose a large container that drains well, and be sure to feed with a fertilizer formulated for tomatoes.

Any of these amazing tomatoes would be a great addition to your summer vegetable plot! Whether you just garden in containers or have a big vegetable bed, there is a new tomato for you.

More Tomato Resources:

Video: Growing Tomatoes From Seed to Harvest

Beating Tomato Pests and Diseases

Ten Best-Tasting Tomatoes

America’s 10 Best-Tasting Tomatoes

America's 10 Best-Tasting Tomatoes Featured Image

Tomatoes are America’s favorite garden vegetable (technically fruit). That’s why each year there are loads of tomato taste tests across the country. I have reviewed several of these taste tests to identify the best-tasting tomatoes among them. I also used taste tests conducted at universities and other horticultural institutions. This list comprises the 10 tomatoes that rise to the top, time after time.

Because taste test results vary, I also added my own two cents. I have grown over 50 different tomato varieties, all noted as having superior flavor. Many of my own favorites were also official taste test winners.

10 Best-Tasting Tomatoes

Kellogg's Breakfast tomatoes
Kellogg’s Breakfast is the most delicious orange slicing tomato to be had.
  1. ‘Sun Gold‘ (cherry tomato, Indeterminate) fruits are borne in quantity on prolific vines and are prone to cracking after heaving rains, so plant them in well-drained soil, and harvest ripe fruits before heavy rains.
  2. ‘Aunt Ruby’s German Green‘ (beefsteak, indeterminate, heirloom (date of origin unknown)) turns bright yellowish-green when mature. Fruits can reach up to 1 lb each. If green tomatoes are not your thing, look past the color like Sam I Am would say about Green Eggs and Ham. This outstanding tomato is sweet, tart, and full-flavored. It has won taste test after taste test. The heirloom was discovered in the garden of Ruby Arnold of Greenville, Tennessee. It had been handed down by her German immigrant grandfather.
  3. ‘Cherokee Purple‘ (slicer, indeterminate, heirloom c. 1809) fruits are large, deep purplish-red, and have a meaty texture and good balance between sweetness and old-fashioned tomato flavor. Count on productive vines. As the story goes, this very old heirloom variety originated from a Tennesee family who reportedly received the seeds from area Cherokee Tribe’s People in the 1890s. Its longevity as a garden favorite is due to its reliable award-winning flavor.
  4. ‘Kellogg’s Breakfast‘ (beefsteak, indeterminate) is the finest tasting of the orange slicing tomatoes. Its large, slightly lobed fruits are bright orange with smooth, meaty flesh that is fruity, sweet, and flavorful. The heat-loving vines produce heavily. Not only has this Michigan heirloom gotten top taste-test marks, but Sunset Magazine food editors named it one of the best-tasting tomatoes of all time.
  5. ‘Gold Medal‘ (beefsteak, indeterminate, heirloom c. 1920) is arguably the top bicolor for taste. The giant 1-3 lb fruits are perfectly marbled with red and yellow and are large, meaty, and juicy. It has won lots of taste tests where it has been described as luscious and superb. I have grown it for years and heartily agree. If only the vines were a bit more prolific. Still, this is one heirloom you must grow for flavor.
  6. ‘Carbon‘ (slicer, indeterminate) has large, firm, juicy fruits of deepest purplish-red. The smooth tomatoes have won many taste tests, most notably one at Cornell University, and are produced on prolific, disease-resistant vines. The flavor is described as rich and complex.
  7. ‘Big Rainbow‘ (beefsteak, indeterminate, heirloom (date of origin unknown)) is truly big and beautiful as well as delicious. Taste testers note the marked fruity sweetness of the yellow fruits, which are marbled with red. One tomato can reach up to 2 lbs, so stake the vines well. The flesh is very soft and juicy, so treat the fruits with care. The heirloom originates from Mauckport, Indiana.
  8. ‘Red Brandywine‘ (beefsteak, indeterminate, heirloom c. 1889) is one of several Brandywine tomato varieties, but it is likely the best-known. The deep red fruits are juicy, tart, and big on sweet tomato flavor. Lovers of classic red slicing tomatoes should grow this one! Amy Goldman, the author of The Heirloom Tomato, describes it as perfection.
  9. ‘Brandysweet Plum‘ (plum tomato, indeterminate) is a more recent introduction that is believed to be a cross between ‘Red Brandywine’ and the ‘Sweet 100’ cherry tomato, both flavorful tomatoes. The result is a stellar plum tomato that is sweet, juicy, and excellent for fresh eating or sauce making. It has appeared with top marks on several taste tests.
  10. ‘Flamme‘ or ‘Jaunne Flamme’ (saladette, indeterminate, heirloom ) is an early bearer that produces loads of small, round, bright orange salad tomatoes on productive vines. The French heirloom is noted for citrusy, fruity tomatoes that have won many regional taste tests. Amy Goldman gives it an “excellent” rating for flavor.
Cherokee Purple tomatoes
Cherokee Purple is a delicious purple beefsteak that should be on every gardener’s to-grow list.

Other notable, tasty varieties include ‘Cherokee Chocolate‘, ‘Black Krim‘, ‘German Red Strawberry‘, ‘Franchi’s Italian Pear‘, and ‘Virginia Sweets‘.

To learn more about growing tomatoes from seed to harvest, we recommend watching this handy video.

<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-DuYxxNpSEc" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>

<h2><a href="https://blackgold.bz/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Black-Gold_GYO_Tomatoes-From-Seed-To-Harvest_8.5x11_031820-Final.pdf">Click here for a Step-by-Step PDF.</a></h2>

Learn More about great-tasting tomatoes via the Cornell University vegetable database. Also, check out our article about the ten best-tasting cherry tomatoes (click here to read).

Japanese Flowering Cherries for Every Yard and Garden

A Historic Spring Gift

Best Japanese Flowering Cherry Trees Featured Image

In 1912, the people of Japan donated over 3,000 flowering cherry trees to the people of the United States as a gift of enduring friendship. Planted around and near the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., the trees delighted visitors and gave birth to a festive seasonal tradition. It is no surprise that home gardeners clamored for Japanese cherry trees.

Most of us don’t have room for the kind of large-scale cherry tree plantings that wow Washington visitors, but even a single tree can put on a glorious garden show. Some dwarf varieties will even flourish in large containers, a boon to gardeners with limited space.

Flowering Cherry Basics

'Kwanzan' cherry trees
The double flowers of ‘Kwanzan’ cherries often bloom in late April or May.

Cherry trees belong to the genus Prunus, which is part of the rose family, Rosaceae.  Some are commercially important for fruit production, but the famous Japanese cherry trees are just grown for their flowers. These include several species native to Japan, and other areas of Asia, that produce glorious single or double spring blooms in shades of pink, rose, and white. 

Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost Blend pack

Which Japanese flowering cherries are best for your garden?  Size, growth habit (upright or weeping), flowering time, and blossom color or configuration are the most frequent criteria for tree selection. All flowering cherries have similar cultural needs, which include sunny locations, well-drained soil and (preferably) shelter from damaging winds. No matter which cherry you choose, give it a good start by filling the planting hole with soil amended with Fafard® Premium Natural & Organic Compost. (Click here for a full tutorial on how to plant trees and shrubs.) Young trees also need regular watering while they establish root systems  and may require support to keep them upright during the first year.

The following are among the loveliest and most popular flowering cherry choices.

Sargent’s cherry (Prunus sargentii, Zones 4-7, 20-30 feet)

Sargent's cherry trees
Sargent’s cherry has pretty pink spring flowers and glowing fall leaf color.

Sargent cherry is famed for providing multi-season interest. Its bark is remarkable—a rich, lustrous shade of reddish-brown, marked by horizontal striations. The mid-spring blooms are usually soft pink to deep rose and may be single or semi-double on trees with rounded crowns. When the flowers fade, toothed, oval leaves appear in a shade of shiny dark green. In fall, those leaves turn bronze to red. 

The Sargent cherry hybrid ‘Accolade’, is a popular variety with rose-pink buds that open to soft pink, semi-double flowers. Its fall leaves turn shades of orange and yellow.

Japanese flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata, Zones 5-8, 15-35 feet)

Prunus serrulata cherry tree
Prunus serrulata is the latest of the flowering cherries to bloom.

Among the most popular Japanese cherries, Prunus serrulata is not usually sold in species form. Instead, merchants offer grafted or non-grafted varieties, like the extremely popular, double-flowered ‘Kwanzan’.  Mature trees generally have a rounded or vase-shaped habit. While the mid- to late-spring flowers are the main attraction, the foliage is also appealing, with a reddish cast in spring, followed by glossy green summer leaves that turn red to bronze in autumn. The variety, ‘Amanogawa’, features a space-saving columnar habit and fragrant, shell-pink flowers. ‘Shirofugen’ is another fragrant variety with near-white double flowers. ‘Shirotae’, sometimes known as ‘Mt. Fuji’, is also popular and widely available.  Its flowers are palest pink to white, semi-double, and fragrant.

Higan cherry (Prunus subhirtella, Zones 4-8, 20-30 feet)

Higan cherry trees
Higan cherry has white or pale-pink flowers that bloom quite early.

Higan or spring cherry is rarely available in species form. One of the best-known varieties is ‘Autumnalis Rosea’, which produces double pink flowers in early to mid-spring and a smaller number of blooms in the fall, leading some people to think the tree is suffering from seasonal confusion! Tree guru Dr. Michael Dirr, Professor Emeritus at the University of Georgia, characterizes Prunus subhirtella as “among the most cold-,  heat-, and stress-tolerant [of the] ornamental cherries.”

Weeping Higan cherry (Prunus pendula, Zones 5-8, 15-25 feet)

Weeping cherry trees
Clouds of pretty flowers appear on weeping cherries early in the season.

Characterized by its distinctly weeping habit and early spring flowers, Prunus pendula has also been known to cause confusion among experts, who sometimes characterize it as a variety of Prunus subhirtella. What matters most is not the name but the habit, which is graceful and cascading or weeping. Clusters of white or pink flowers appear on trees in early spring. Available weeping varieties include ‘Pendula Rosea’, with pink blooms, ‘Pendula Rubra’, sporting darker rose flowers, and Extraordinaire™, with double pale-pink blossoms and fall leaves of burgundy.

Compact Japanese Flowering Cherries

The tiny Fuji cherry Zuzu® (Image thanks to Proven Winners)
The tiny Fuji cherry Zuzu® is a good selection for small gardens. (Image thanks to Proven Winners)

Choose the right varieties, and you can have all the beauty and drama of traditional Japanese cherry trees in a compact form. The hybrid ‘Snow Fountains’ is a weeping, white-flowered type that grows only 8 to 15 feet tall. Reaching only 7 to 8 feet tall and wide, ‘Kojo-No-Mai’, a variety of Fuji cherry (Prunus incisa, Zones 5-9), is perfect for containers. The pale pink, bell-like flowers are a little different in shape than those of other flowering cherries but equally beautiful. Elongated leaves are green during the growing season but turn flame red in the fall.  Another exceptional tiny Fuji cherry is Proven Winner’s Zuzu®, which reaches just 5 feet and has fully double pink flowers. To maintain a tree shape, trim off any shoots or branches that appear below the crown.