Once the fear of frost has dissipated and we are planning out our gardens for the upcoming season, the first thing on many minds is that first tomato flavor, fresh from the vine. Warm from the sun and perfectly unblemished, there is nothing like it!
Many of the best-tasting tomatoes are worth the long wait, but there are also lots of early-maturing varieties available in today’s tomato market that you can give a try.
Whether growing in a greenhouse, in your backyard, or in containers on your back deck, there is surely a type of tomato that’s a perfect fit in your garden.
Early Red Slicing Tomato Varieties
Early Girl Hybrid
This hybrid is a versatile variety with early ripening, high productivity, and drought resistance.
- Days to maturity: 50-55
- Flavor: Balanced sweetness and acidity, not overly complex, surprisingly full-flavored for an early tomato
- Average size fruit and appearance: Perfectly round, four-six ounces
- Type: Indeterminate
This hybrid slicing tomato has long been praised for being one of the first to ripen in the summer and for its consistent growing patterns and productivity. It is consistently productive, quick growing, and has excellent classic tomato flavor. Early Girl is a classic red-slicing tomato, perfect for sandwiches, and salads.
Many growers have been known to plant a second succession of this variety to get a second flush in the fall before the frost arrives. It’s an indeterminate variety that can grow upwards of 4’ tall as long as it has proper support.
Did you know? You can dry-farm this variety for short periods of time because of its extreme drought resistance and resistance to blossom-end rot. You can leave town without much worry if you are growing Early Girl; she’ll be just fine when you get home.
Early Boy Bush F1
Early Boy Bush is a flavorful determinate tomato that thrives in heat and is ideal for backyard and patio growing.
- Days to maturity: 55-60
- Flavor: Tart, but well-balanced
- Average size fruit and appearance: Five-ounce red globes
- Type: Determinate
Related to Early Girl, this determinate variety is perfect for backyard and patio growers because it doesn’t need much support. Growers can be surprised by Early Boy Bush’s exceptional, juicy flavor.
This tomato variety is relatively tolerant of heat and humidity, which is perfect for people in warmer climates. However, if you are in zones 3-5, try mulching, using row covers, or growing them in a greenhouse to give these guys some extra heat as they get established in the spring.
Early Darling Hybrid
Early Darling is an early-maturing, flavorful tomato with high crack resistance, perfect for small spaces.
- Days to maturity: 55-60
- Flavor: Complex, quite delicious for an early variety
- Average size fruit and appearance: Brilliant, shiny red, three-four-ounce red globes
- Type: Determinate
The Early Darling is praised for its early maturity and amazing flavor. With high crack resistance, you’ll be pleased with the look and taste.
Get your tomato sauce and salsa recipes out because this determinate variety will have you swimming in tomatoes before the plants are affected by summer diseases.
The plant is compact and bushy, so you can easily grow this variety in a smaller space or a container.
Early Cherry Tomato Varieties
Supersweet 100 Hybrid
Supersweet 100 is a reliable and productive tomato variety known for its large clusters of flavorful fruit and early flowering.
- Days to maturity: 60
- Flavor: Very sweet
- Average size fruit and appearance: Small red cherry, about 15-20 grams each
- Type: Indeterminate
This is one of our longtime go-to varieties due to its consistency, large clusters of fruit, and delicious flavor. It has high productivity and great sweet flavor, and it produces reliably all through the season.
Supersweet 100 is typically one of the first tomatoes to flower in spring and is always full of trusses by the end of June. Bonus: Supersweet 100 is highly resistant to Fusarium wilt and Verticillium wilt.
Pro tip: Try grafting this variety and you will be blown away by its prolific production.
Sungold
Sungold cherry tomatoes, known as nature’s candy, are best enjoyed fresh off the vine but prone to cracking.
- Days to maturity: 57
- Flavor: Bright and very sweet
- Average size fruit and appearance: Small golden orange cherry, about 15-20 grams each
- Type: Indeterminate
Known at our farm as nature’s candy, Sungold cherry tomatoes are the perfect snack to eat right off the vine, still warm from the sun. The skins are unfortunately known for cracking, so pick them often and enjoy them fresh, as they won’t travel well or keep long.
Sungolds don’t give up, so if you plant them in a greenhouse with ample support, they will continue to reach and produce until the frost arrives. Try the lower-and-lean trellis method to maximize your space and increase production.
This golden cherry tomato is known to brighten up a pint, so if you are selling at a farmers’ market or making a cheery pasta salad, these will delight the tastebuds as well as the eyes.
Washington Cherry
This is an early determinate cherry tomato with great flavor, high yields, and compact growth.
- Days to maturity: 60
- Flavor: Sweet, meaty, and juicy
- Average size fruit and appearance: Red, round, 20-30 gram cherry
- Type: Determinate
Washington Cherry will always be one of the earliest determinate cherry tomatoes. Developed at Washington State University, this tomato is known for its great flavor, consistently high yields, and flavorful nature.
This is the perfect variety for patio growing due to its compact bush, although it will perform well in a covered area as well. The fruits resist cracking well, which is great if you are trying to sell these tomatoes.
Pro tip: Allow them to ripen a few days longer than you think after turning red for peak flavor.
Black Cherry
This is a perfect colored cherry tomato for markets, adding a vibrant hue to dishes and robust flavor.
- Days to maturity: 64
- Flavor: Robust for a cherry, sweet and juicy
- Average size fruit and appearance: Round 20-gram cherry, a pretty brownish purple
- Type: Indeterminate
Black Cherry is the perfect colored cherry tomato to round out a trio if you are selling at a farmers’ market. It also adds the perfect hue to a pasta salad or grilled kabobs.
Their flavor is robust, almost a bit smoky, and they are not overly acidic, similar in taste to the larger Black Krim
Did you know? Cherry tomatoes are a great source of vitamin A and pack a real punch of lycopene. Lycopenes help us fight free radicals in the body. Black and purple tomatoes specifically contain high levels of antioxidants and are anti-inflammatory.
Gold Nugget
Gold Nugget is a compact, early-maturing cherry tomato, providing an early harvest for snacking or salads.
- Days to maturity: 56
- Flavor: Balanced and very delicious well-balanced sweetness
- Average size fruit and appearance: Golden yellow cherry, about 15-20 grams each, slightly oval-shaped
- Type: Determinate
This variety is a great option for folks who patio grow or have smaller gardens, as the plants are very compact. It will give you a very early flush of fruits, perfect for snacking or tossing on a salad.
Gold Nugget’s unique color complements red and orange cherry tomatoes well in a trio, so if you are growing for market, this might be the cherry tomato you have been looking for. It’s suitable for cooler climates, so while it can be grown just about anywhere, it’s especially safe in zones 3-5.
If you are looking for a bright, early cherry tomato, give this one a shot!
Sakura
Sakura exceeded our expectations with its healthy plants, early-ripening fruits, and impressive disease resistance.
- Days to maturity: 55
- Flavor: Perfectly sweet and bright
- Average size fruit and appearance: Shiny red cherry, about 20-22 grams each
- Type: Indeterminate
After years of wondering about this variety and hearing how great it was, we finally added some to our lineup, and we were not disappointed. The plants are healthy and strong, the fruits are one of the first to ripen, and Sakura has an impressive disease-resistance package.
Sakura has some resistance to nematodes and high resistance to Fusarium Wilt races 1 and 2, leaf mold, and tomato mosaic virus, allowing them to be prolific all season long. It’s also rare that Sakura fruits crack.
When growing in containers, Sakura is a great option as it’s compact and provides lots of trellises full of fruit.
Bonus: Sakura performs great in both cooler and warmer climates!
Sweetie Pole Cherry Tomato
Sweetie Pole tomato is sweet and perfect for snacking directly from the garden.
- Days to maturity: 65
- Flavor: Sweet, low acidity
- Average size fruit and appearance: Bright red, ¾ – 1-inch cherry
- Type: Indeterminate
Just like the name suggests, this tomato is known for its sweetness. You’ll likely be popping these straight into your mouth from the garden after you have the first taste.
Sweetie Pole is ready for harvest in just 65 days and grows in grape-like clusters. This variety will grow vigorously and tall, so provide ample support and prune regularly.
Early Plum/Cocktail Tomato Varieties
Cherry Roma
Cherry Roma tomatoes are quick to germinate, resistant to splitting, and highly abundant.
- Days to maturity: 75
- Flavor: Sweet and fresh
- Average size fruit and appearance: Bright red, one-ounce fruits, grape tomato shape
- Type: Indeterminate
These powerful little tomatoes germinate quickly, don’t split on the vine, and you’ll have plenty to give away to friends and neighbors.
The Cherry Roma packs a punch of flavor and is ridiculously productive. Be sure to provide a trellis system that will allow your plants to grow tall because they can, and they will!
This is the perfect snacking tomato because they are meaty with little gel; they are great to throw in kids’ lunchboxes, pack for a hike, or toss in a summer salad.
Clementine
Clementine tomatoes are eye-catching, tangerine-colored cocktail tomatoes that hold their shape when grilled or roasted.
- Days to maturity: 68
- Flavor: Sweet, tart, bright
- Average size fruit and appearance: Beautiful bright orange cocktail, two-ounce globes
- Type: Indeterminate
This tangerine-colored cocktail tomato will catch your attention on and off the vine. It’s perfect for grilling or roasting as it holds its shape when cooked.
Fruits are very crack-resistant, and plants have a high resistance to Fusarium wilt race 1 and Verticillium wilt, so they will remain healthy all season long.
Pro tip: Fertilize your tomatoes upon transplant, when you see the first fruit forming, and then for the last time when you are harvesting your first tomato for best success.
Early Beefsteak Tomato Varieties
Bush Beefsteak
Bush Beefsteak is a compact and productive tomato variety for small spaces and containers.
- Days to maturity: 62
- Flavor: Mild but flavorful
- Average size fruit and appearance: Red, smooth beefsteak, eight-ten ounces each
- Type: Determinate
With a compact plant that maxes out at just about 3 feet tall, the Bush Beefsteak is ideal for the patio or small space growers. You’ll be pleased with the productive clusters this variety provides in a short period.
Bush Beefsteak is round, sweet, and juicy, making it the perfect tomato for all your summer sandwiches and barbequed burgers.
This variety tends to perform well in containers.
Early Heirloom Tomato Varieties
Pruden’s Purple
Pruden is an early, organic Brandywine-type tomato with potato-like leaves, maturing quickly.
- Days to maturity: 67
- Flavor: Classic heirloom flavor with a silky texture
- Average size fruit and appearance: Flattened on top, primarily smooth, but can be wrinkled on shoulders. Dark blush with red flesh, 12-16 ounces
- Type: Indeterminate
If you haven’t grown a Brandywine-type tomato before, you might think it’s a potato plant in the early stages because they have potato-type leaves. But fear not, Pruden is an early and organic Brandywine tomato, maturing in a short amount of time, given the size of the fruits.
These fruits are typically crack-resistant and do not feature a hard center like some Brandywine varieties.
If you have grown Brandywine tomatoes in the past and haven’t been super impressed by their flavor or performance, I urge you to give Pruden a try; it might change your mind.
Moskvich
Moskvich is an early-harvest tomato variety with cold-tolerant plants, crack resistance, and continued productivity.
- Days to maturity: 75-80
- Flavor: Rich and acidic with balanced sweetness
- Average size fruit and appearance: Deep red, meaty four-six ounce globes
- Type: Indeterminate
Named to pay homage to the St. Petersburg, Russia area it was bred in the 1970s, Moskvich will be one of the first tomatoes to harvest in the summer. With fairly cold-tolerant plants, you can transplant these sooner in the spring than some others without negative effects.
Moskvich is crack resistant and will continue to be productive even after the temperatures cool down in the fall.
Try freezing these in the fall for wintertime soups. Simply thaw them on your countertop the morning you plan to use them. They’ll be soft by lunchtime, and the skins will easily peel off. You won’t be able to tell they weren’t just picked fresh off the vine.
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki is a robust heirloom tomato with excellent resistance and cluster size, ideal for selling.
- Days to maturity: 75
- Flavor: Almost berry-like flavor with some tartness
- Average size fruit and appearance: True red six-eight-ounce firm globes
- Type: Indeterminate
The Thessaloniki seeds are believed to have originally come from the Ministry of Agriculture Farm in Greece, and this vigorous heirloom does not mess around. They are sunscald, spot, and crack resistant and offer the perfect size cluster for selling on-the-vine tomatoes.
These fruits will kindly keep for a while on the vine after ripening, so if you don’t get to them right away, they’ll wait for you.
In terms of heirloom varieties, this is definitely one that could end up in your annual lineup due to its high performance, productivity, and out-of-this-world flavor.
Early Paste/Canning Tomato Varieties
Tiren
Tiren is an early San Marzano-type tomato with improved disease resistance, offering flexibility in harvest stages.
- Days to maturity: 75
- Flavor: Meaty, great for sauce making
- Average size fruit and appearance: Classic elongated oval-shaped San Marzano, five-six ounce fruits
- Type: Indeterminate
This may not be early in the season to mature, but it is certainly earlier than most other paste varieties. Tiren is a San Marzano-type tomato with improved resistance to Fusarium Wilt, tomato mosaic virus, and Verticillium wilt.
One of the best features of Tiren is that you can harvest the fruits while they are still a bit under-ripened or leave them on the vine until they are fully ripened. This is a nice feature if you are growing for a farmers’ market or bringing them to a friend.
Ensure you provide this variety with plenty of support, as the large clusters tend to weigh it down.
Pozzano
Pozzano is a disease-resistant San Marzano-type tomato ideal for protected growing and preventing blossom-end rot.
- Days to maturity: 72
- Flavor: Old-fashioned tomato flavor, perfect for sauce or ketchup
- Average size fruit and appearance: Classic elongated oval-shaped San Marzano, four-six ounce fruits, very uniform
- Type: Indeterminate
If you are a greenhouse or hoop house grower, this is the San Marzano-type tomato for you, as Pozzano thrives in a protected space. Plants will continue to produce and stay healthy for a long season due to their high resistance to Fusarium wilt races 1, 2, tomato mosaic virus, and Verticillium wilt.
Sturdy bottoms make this tomato resist blossom-end rot.
Pozzano is great for sauce making as it cooks quickly and improves in flavor after cooking.
Bloody Butcher
Bloody Butcher, an early-maturing tomato, is perfect for satisfying that longing for homegrown tomatoes.
- Days to maturity: 60
- Flavor: Classic bright tomato flavor
- Average size fruit and appearance: Deep red, two-four-ounce fruits
- Type: Indeterminate
It’s been a long winter and all you can think about is the first bite of homegrown tomatoes. We’ve all been there! Bloody Butcher will be among the first to mature each season, even in cooler regions, so this is a great one to add to your lineup.
With five-nine evenly sized tomatoes per cluster, this would make a great tomato for on-the-vine clusters to sell at a farmers’ market.
Try using this variety to make a homemade Bloody Mary mix or your grandma’s tomato sauce to freeze or can; it features the perfect red tomato flavor.
Final Thoughts
There are some great options for early-season tomatoes, whether growing on an acre in greenhouses, just on your patio in containers, or in raised beds in your urban backyard.
Remember, the days to maturity listed are simply a guide, and the amount of time before harvest depends on your growing climate, soil health, and other environmental factors. Your best bet is to start experimenting with smaller varieties, which will almost certainly mature the earliest.
