Tomatoes are one of America’s favorite vegetables. They are packed with vitamins and offer an incredible eating experience when picked vine-ripe. Here at McShane’s we fancy ourselves on a wide selection of high quality plants. We stock hundreds over a season including rare and hard to find varieties. The purpose of this guide is to provide you with details on some of the various characteristics you will want to look for when selecting the ideal tomato for your garden Enjoy!

Days to Ripeness: Approximate number of days to first ripe tomato from transplanting into the garden. This can vary according to temperature, rainfall (or watering). And amount of sunlight.

Growth:

Indeterminate (Ind.) Tomato plants produce fruits throughout the season until frost. These varieties are typically the most vigorous growers and heaviest producers. Most large slicing tomatoes are indeterminate varieties. Unless given plenty of room to sprawl, these tomatoes are best trained on stakes or supported with a stout tomato cage.

Determinate varieties produce most of their tomatoes in a short period of time. They are usually bushy in growth habit, and because they produce heavily in a brief time, they are excellent for canning or sauce-making. Determinate tomato varieties need less support than indeterminate varieties.

Semi-Determinate varieties produce throughout much of the growing season, but plants are generally smaller and less vigorous in growth than most indeterminate varieties.
Color

Red is the color most people imagine when they think of a “ripe” garden tomato. Some varieties are ripe when they are red with green “shoulders”. Others are yellow or gold at ripeness while some are yellow with red streaks, and a few are even ripe when green!

Other Qualities

Taste is a very subjective matter! What taste great to one person may taste bland to another. Some tomatoes are tart and acidic while other have a balance of sweetness and acidity. A few varieties are considered low-acid. Slicing tomatoes are usually excellent for eating on a sandwich. Paste tomatoes are good for making sauces because they contain less water than most other varieties. Cherry tomatoes tend to be very sweet with an almost sugary flavor. A few varieties store extremely well so you can have fresh tomatoes well into late fall. 115 Monterey-Salinas Hwy Salinas, CA 93908 (831) 455-1876 FAX: (831) 455-2753

Tomato Varieties

(Please ask Sales Associate if your are looking for a variety not on this list)

Abe Lincoln- Delicious old time flavor with the uniformity and disease resistance of the new hybrids. The male parent is an heirloom with a strong growing habit and the female parent provides you with earlier maturity. Delicious bright red, globed shaped fruit can grow to 1lb each. Very disease resistant.

Ace Tomato- Extra large, deep oblate fruits are thick-skinned and protected by good foliage coverage. Solid and meaty, mild taste, low acidity. This is one of the old time standbys.

Amana Orange- A huge heirloom beefsteak named for Amana Iowa. The light orange fruit can get as large as 2 pounds each or more. Mildly sweet, very pleasant, almost tropical fruit flavor. Late season tomato.

Anna Russian- Exquisite large heart shaped deep velvety pink, sweet and creamy fruit. An excellent, gorgeous tomato! Superb, rich, old fashioned tomatoes flavors. Early maturing plant with beautiful lacey foliage. Excellent trellised on a metal fence. Midseason tomato.

Arkansas Traveler- Bred by the University of Arkansas, this variety is well known for its ability to produce fruit in hot weather. Abundant crops of pink tomatoes are medium sized and very flavorful.

Aunt Ruby’s German Green- Tangy, sweet, earthy, unforgettable flavor. The pink blushed interior is a surprise to the gorgeous light green, pleated exterior. A vigorous plant that rewards you with a big crop. Good in cooler climates.

Banana Leggs- Kids will love these brilliant yellow 4 inch mini banana tomatoes hanging on their vines! An abundant producer of fruit throughout the growing season. Very tasty to nibble as you cruise through your garden. Fruit has a low acidity, and adds great color to any dish. Early season tomato.

Better Boy- Rugged vines produce large crops of bright red, large fruit. Firm and perfect for slicing. One of the best tasting garden tomatoes available anywhere. Wonderful as a sandwich tomato.

Big Beef- A miracle of modern breeding, combining traditionally delicious flavor with today’s disease resistance. Many experts at the tomato trials described this variety as “the best tomato yet developed.” Coupled with old fashioned, rich flavor, and colossal fruit size and yield.

Black Krim- Originally from the Krim on the Black Sea in the former Soviet Union. Regular leafed plant yields 4-6 inch slightly flattened dark reddish fruit with deep green shoulders. Green gel around sees. Fantastic taste. Mid season tomato.

Brandywine Red- The old Amish heirloom dating back to 1885. Large, vigorous vines produce large, deep-red fruits in clusters of 4-6 tomatoes. Excellent, robust, old fashioned tomato flavor. This plant is very large and potato leafed. Late season tomato.

Celebrity Tomato- 1984 All-America Selections Winner! Absolutely incredible set of exceptionally flavorful, large fruit on strong vines with good over and outstanding disease resistance. Large clusters of consistently large beautiful tomatoes.

Tomato Varieties

(Not all varieties may be available)

Variety Days to Ripeness (DTR)

Fruit (DTR) Size Growth Fruit Color Use

Better Boy 72 12 oz. Ind. Red/Green Slicer

Beefmaster 85 16 oz. Ind. Red Slicer

Big Boy 78 16 oz. Ind. Red Slicer

Brandywine 78 12 oz. Ind. Dark Pink Slicer

Bush Big Boy 72 10 oz. Semi-Det. Red Slicer

Celebrity 70 7 oz. Ind. Red/Green Slicer

Early Girl 54 5 oz. Ind. Red/Green Early Slicer

First Lady 58 7 oz. Ind. Red Slicer

Floramerica 70 7 oz. Det. Red Slicer

Golden Boy 80 6 oz. Ind. Golden Slicer

Green Zebra 78 6 oz. Ind. Green Slicer

Hillbilly 80 12 oz. Ind. Yellow/Red Slicer

Lemon Boy 72 6 oz. Ind. Yellow Low Acid Slicer

Old German 72 16 oz. Ind. Red Slicer

Patio 70 Medium Det. Red Slicer/great

to grow in tubs!

Roma 76 2 oz. Ind. Red Sauce/Paste

Santa 60 Grape Ind. Red Salads

Sweet Million 60 Cherry Ind. Red Salads

Sweet 100 65 Cherry Ind. Red Very Sweet

Tiny Tim 50 Cherry Det. Red Container Growing

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