Tomato Trials: What is the best tomato variety

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Tomatoes have always been the favorite vegetable to grow in the garden. We are all searching for the best-producing, and of course, tasting tomato. No one will agree on which variety tastes the best as we all have our personal opinions. But with some help from our friends at the University of Missouri Extension we can help shed some light on which varieties tend to do the best in the Kansas City area. Thank you to Tom Fowler, Missouri Extension for sharing his information.

Based on three years of data the study looked at twelve commonly available tomato varieties. It is important to have this length of study as each year the conditions can vary and how a variety performs under those conditions can change. These are all modern varieties except for the heirlooms Amana Orange, Rutgers and Black Krim. Keep in mind there are a number of good tomato varieties on the market. The table below shows results of this study.

Variety	Pounds of Fruit Per Plant	Ounces Per Fruit
Celebrity	14.66	6.25
Beefmaster	12.84	7.56
Crista	12.71	6.18
Big Beef	12.60	6.37
Hy-Beef	12.33	5.50
Jet Star	10.76	5.65
Rutgers	10.43	4.31
BHN 961	9.82	7.06
Black Krim	9.69	6.62
Florida 91	9.25	6.63
Supersonic	8.69	6.62
Amana Orange	6.58	11.82

Have questions? The Garden Hotline is staffed by trained EMG volunteers and Extension staff who will assist you with questions.

Phone: (913) 715-7050

Email: garden.help@jocogov.org