Glorious, homegrown tomatoes are the rock stars of the summer garden. But since tomato plants usually need lots of sun and heat, what's a coastal gardener to do? Good news: there are tomato varieties that do well in areas that are cooler and where the summer sun is often obscured by marine layers or fog. Follow the growing tips below for a successful tomato season.
Seek out varieties that have been developed and tested to do well in microclimates that receive a lot of “coastal influence;” i.e., foggy and windy with typical daytime temperatures in the 60's and low 70's. These areas are classified as Zone C on the UCANR Climate Zone chart: https://smsfmastergardeners.ucanr.edu/files/259005.pdf
Note the number of days from transplanting the seedling to the first mature fruit (Days to Maturity--DTM). During this critical period, tomato plants will need at least 6 hours of full sun a day. Warm temperatures at night are also important so monitor air and soil temperatures. If it's not above 55 degrees, you will need to wait until mid-May before transplanting your seedlings. This means that the growing time for Zone C is going to be shorter so fewer days to maturity means that you will still have time for tomatoes to ripen.
Also good to know: planting too early increases the odds that your plants will succumb to disease. Also: be aware of wind patterns in your growing area and provide protection if necessary.
When you are ready to plant, dig 3-4 inches of compost into well-drained soil in that all-important sunny location. Plant seedlings 18-36 inches apart and ensure that only the top leaves appear above the soil. Don't remove the lower leaves as you cover them with soil; both stems and leaves will develop roots. Add a 3-inch layer of mulch around the plants a few inches from each stem. Water when the soil feels dry a couple of inches from the surface and be careful not to let water splash onto the leaves. Fertilize with a balanced slowrelease or water-soluble organic fertilizer. After 6 weeks, boost the level of available nutrients by adding compost around each plant or water every two weeks with a cup or two of compost tea. Use tomato cages or stakes to ensure the plants are upright and to keep tomatoes from touching the ground.
To see a list of tomato varieties with information on zones, disease resistance, Days to Maturity, growth habit and flavor characteristics, go here: https://smsf-mastergardeners.ucanr.eduand click on “Tomatoes” under
“Spring Edibles Plant Library.” These varieties will be offered at the annual UC Master Gardeners Spring Garden Market on April 9, 2022 from 9 am to 1pm at the San Mateo Event Center, Redwood Hall. All tomatoes, veggies, and succulents are grown by the UCCE Master Gardeners of San Mateo and San Francisco Counties. If you can't make the sale, the list below will assist coastal growers when selecting seeds or seedlings at your local nursery. Happy spring planting!
Classic Varieties
|
Cultivar |
Description |
Color |
Growth Period |
DTM |
|
Bush Early Girl |
Flavor: Balanced—More disease resistant that its big sister “Early Girl.” This variety has larger fruit and is more productive. |
Red |
Determinate |
54 |
|
Carmello |
Flavor: Full, mild—Among the most productive tomatoes ever bred with exceptional flavor. Produces heavy clusters of fruit, even in cooler weather, and is also very disease resistant. |
Red |
Indeterminate |
70 |
|
Defiant |
Flavor: Full, bright—High-yielding, medium-sized plants are widely adaptable. This mid-size slicer has high resistance to late blight and intermediate resistance to early blight. |
Red |
Determinate |
65 |
|
Early Wonder |
Flavor: Sweet, well-balanced—This extra-early-maturing, compact variety makes an impressive crop of round, dark pin tomatoes. Good for containers. |
Dark Pink |
Determinate |
55 |
|
Polbig |
Flavor: Sweet, mild—First early determinate for cool climates. High yields of very good tasting, meaty, glove shaped fruit. |
Red |
Determinate |
60 |
|
Stupice |
Flavor: Rich—Czech origin, with potato-type leaf, very early, cold tolerant, highly productive, very flavorful fruit. |
Red |
Indeterminate |
52 |
|
Taxi |
Flavor: Sweet, zesty—The best tomato variety for an early, lemon-yellow tomato with meaty, uniformly-round, delicious fruit.
|
Yellow |
Determinate |
68 |
Cherry Varieties
|
Cultivar |
Description |
Color |
Growth Period |
DTM |
|
Artemis |
Flavor: Rich, sweet—Vigorous vines are disease resistant and robust, producing lot of trusses with 15-20 crisp fruits. |
Red |
Indeterminate |
65 |
|
Black Cherry |
Flavor: Rich—High yielding, early producing, delicious variety |
Reddish Brown |
Indeterminate |
65 |
|
Blush |
Flavor: Complex, bright—An elongated, plum, bullet-shaped cherry that is large enough to slice, yet still small enough for snacking out of hand.
|
Golden with Red Streaks |
Indeterminate |
70 |
|
Chocolate Sprinkles |
Flavor: Sweet—Elongated, bit-sized tomatoes with striking, forest green streaks over deep coppery-red. Very sweet and crack resistant.
|
Red with Green Stripes |
Indeterminate |
70 |
|
Gardener's Delight |
Flavor: Sugar, sweet—Crack-resistant red fruits arranged in clusters of 6 to 12. Rates high with gardeners for its big yields of sugar sweet tomatoes.
|
Red |
Indeterminate |
65 |
|
Juliet Hybrid |
Flavor: Sweet—Elongated, crack-resistant cherry tomatoes grow in grape-like clusters and really load up on vigorous vines.
|
Red Glossy |
Indeterminate |
60 |
|
Mountain Magic |
Flavor: Bold acidity and sweet--A cross between a large-fruited tomato and a very sweet grape tomato. Abundant long clusters of tomatoes are crack-resistant, so they hold up very well after harvest.
|
Deep Red |
Indeterminate |
72 |
|
Pink Bumble Bee |
Flavor: Sweet, rich—Vigorous and attractive plants with dramatic coloring; tolerates tough conditions. |
Pink with Yellow Streaks |
Indeterminate |
70 |
|
Purple Bumble Bee |
Flavor: Sweet, rich—Vigorous and attractive plants with dramatic coloring; tolerates tough conditions. |
Red, Purple, Green Stripes |
Indeterminate |
70 |
|
Sun Gold |
Flavor: Extra sweet with intense fruity flavor--A favorite with children, very popular. |
Bright tangerine orange |
Indeterminate |
57 |
|
Sunrise Bumble Bee |
Flavor: Sweet, tangy—Vigorous and attractive plants with dramatic coloring; tolerates tough conditions. |
Orange with Yellow and Red Streaks |
Indeterminate |
70 |
|
Sweet Million |
Flavor: Sweet, classic—Very disease resistant plant; produces loads of fruit in grape-like clusters
|
Red |
Indeterminate |
65 |
|
Washington Cherry |
Developed by Washington State University for cooler growing regions. Compact, prolific, regular-leaf tomato plants that yield huge amounts. |
Red |
Determinate |
60 |
Beefsteak Varieties
|
Cultivar |
Description |
Color |
Growth Period |
DTM |
|
Big Beef |
Flavor: Sweet, balanced acidity--Large, juicy, early, flavorful beefsteak variety that will even ripen in cooler areas. |
Red |
Indeterminate |
70 |
|
Pruden's Purple |
Flavor: Rich, sweet—Medium-tall, potato-leaf plants produce large, smooth, crack resistant fruits. |
Dark Pink |
Indeterminate |
67 |
|
San Francisco Sunrise |
Flavor: Classic flavor with fruity notes—A must-try, fog-friendly beefsteak! Developed by UC Master Gardener in SF, Bruce Neal Goren. Performs very well in the Bay Area's fog zones, multi-lobed with uniquely attractive coloration, produces large tasty fruit in the long cool growing season of Sunset Zone 17—Pacific Coastal. |
Orange and Red Stripes |
Indeterminate |
90 |
Cynthia Nations is a UCCE Master Gardener who grows many of these tomato varieties on the coast. This article was edited by Maggie Mah, UCCE Master Gardener who can't wait to plant her tomatoes.
