More New Tomato Introductions We Picked For Your 2018 Garden

Hybrid Tomato Pretty In Pink (73 days). “Pink tomatoes are the latest rage,” says Hilton, “so we went to Asia, where pinks out-sell reds, to get this new gem. Loads of sweet, mild, 6 to 8-ounce, disease-resistant fruits with heirloom-like shoulders. Indeterminate.”

Stellar Hybrid VFFLbEb (70 to 75 days). “Perhaps our best all-purpose red slicing tomato in areas plagued by the serious diseases late blight and early blight,” notes Hilton, “Not our biggest or our earliest, but for broad multi-uses—slicing for sandwiches, cutting for salads, even for sauces and pastes—where taste and flavor are critical and blight resistance is essential, ‘Stellar’ can’t be beat! Bright red, perfectly-round fruits weigh 5-7 ounces and are produced abundantly by compact, upright plants measuring only 36 inches high. Ideal for pots and patio containers, but best when planted in the ground. Determinate plants need support.”

Chocolate Sprinkles Hybrid Tomato FNT (60 days). “Whether you call dark tomatoes ‘black,’ ‘brown’ or ‘chocolate,’ there’s no doubt they are the current rage in tomato breeding!” says Hilton, “And this new one is the first dark tomato with a strong package of disease resistance. Dramatically-colored, with faint green stripes against a dark, brick-red background. Grape-shaped fruits, 1 by 1-and-a-half inches, are richly sweet and grow in trusses of 6 to 8. Hybrid vigor gives it unequalled yields. Indeterminate.”

Jetsetter Hybrid Tomato VFFNASt (64 days). “A much improved ‘Jet Star’ that’s earlier, more disease resistant and at least as big!” raves Hilton, “Originally introduced in my Totally Tomatoes catalog as both a fresh-market alternative to ‘Jet Star,’ and as an extremely early home-garden variety that delivers big, juicy, smooth, uniform, flattened globes weighing 8 ounces or more. Nicely balanced, sweet, rich taste that mimics that old-fashioned real tomato flavor. Strong disease package makes it ideal for home gardeners and market growers. Indeterminate.”

Fried Green Hybrid Tomato (80 days). “The first tomato bred specifically to be fried while fruits are still firm and immature!” notes Hilton. “A Southern staple that eliminates forever the problem of soggy fried green tomatoes. The flavor is similar to a green apple, but is sweeter, not sour and tart like many other green tomatoes. And the best holding ability, in the field or kitchen, of any variety we offer! Pick these tomatoes in October, put them into cold storage and find their flesh still perfect in February! Harvest when either apple-green or yellow, weighing 6 to 7 ounces, with firm fruits being produced endlessly. Perfect variety for home gardeners. Indeterminate.”

BHN 589 Hybrid Tomato VFFT (75 days). “Don’t shy away from the letters and numbers identifying this variety to market growers,” says Hilton, “Bred especially for great flavor with that real-tomato taste. A superior all-around tomato boasting fabulous yields of large, 8 to 10-ounce, crack-resistant fruits borne on semi-determinate plants with superb disease resistance. Perfect for both home gardeners and those who sell at roadside stands and farmers’ markets. Needs support.”

Red Grape Hybrid Tomato FNT (64 days). “Unbelievable yield is making this new variety the top choice for commercial grape-tomato production,” says Hilton, “Long clusters of 20 or more bright-red, grape-shaped tomatoes on indeterminate vines, with excellent disease resistance and good canopy cover. Sweet, flavorful, crack-resistant fruits are bite-sized, weighing about ½-ounce, and can be eaten directly off the vine or in salads. Perfect for home or market gardeners.”

German Pink Tomato (85 days). “One of the two German heirlooms introduced into America in 1883 that later started the heirloom-laden ‘Seed Savers Exchange’ company,” Hilton remarked, “Deep pink, beefsteak-sized, 10 to 20-ounce fruits are meaty, nearly seedless and fairly smooth, with lots of rich, sweet flavor. Ideal for slicing, juicing, canning or freezing. Potato-leaved, indeterminate plants.”

Patio Choice Yellow Hybrid Tomato VFT (50 days). “2017 AAS Winner produces huge yields of 1-inch, 1-ounce, lemon-yellow cherry tomatoes on compact determinate plants, reaching only 18 inches in height. Plants set over 100 fruits and are ideal on your patio when popped into a 10-inch pot or hanging basket. Mild-flavored, juicy, sugar-sweet fruits, with just the right amount of acid. Perfect fresh or dried. Broad disease resistance.”

Giant Oxheart Tomato (90 days). The original 100-year-old strain offered during my days owning R.H. Shumway Seedsman, with its extremely thick flesh, few seeds and mild, sweet, old-timey flavor,” says Hilton, “Fruits are deep-rose-pink, firm, meaty, heart-shaped and variously weigh from 12 ounces to a giant 2 pounds! High yields on vigorous, indeterminate vines.”

Giant Garden Paste Hybrid VF (89 days). The biggest, most beautiful paste tomato you will ever grow!” exclaims Hilton, “Bright-red, boat-shaped fruits weigh an astonishing 8 to 10 ounces—twice the size of the popular ‘Roma’—and have a wonderful balance of sugar sweetness and tangy acids. Flesh is solid and meaty, with lots of gel to make perfect pastes and sauces! Attractive, slightly-ribbed fruits have superb crack-resistance and are ideal for fresh-eating too! Excellent disease resistance. Indeterminate.”