Many gardeners either hear or experience that “growing tomatoes on the coast is more difficult.” Certainly not!
There are two main keys to successfully growing tomatoes on the coast. First, you need good tomato growing/culture techniques – see my previous article It’s Time for Tomatoes. Second, you need to select a tomato variety that is suitable for growing on the coast.

So, what is a “coastal” variety of tomato? Why are some varieties considered “coastal” and some are not?
Suitable tomato varieties for coastal gardens must:
1) have disease resistance – tomato diseases are much more prevalent in cooler, more moist, coastal climates.
2) set (create) fruits at cooler temperatures than other types of tomatoes.
Any “coastal” variety will grow just fine further inland, but not necessarily vice versa. Why is that?
For example, most (but certainly not all) heirloom variety of tomatoes require higher temperatures than typically found along the coast to grow well and set fruit. Furthermore, most heirloom varieties tend to be more disease prone (e.g. early blight, late blight) when grown on the coast. Warmer inland temperatures inhibit certain diseases, like powdery mildew.
As mentioned above, good culture techniques are as equally important for successfully growing productive, disease-free tomatoes along the coast. See my previous article, It’s Time for Tomatoes.
Below you will find a handy coastal tomato variety reference list. You can also click on this pdf Excellent Tomato Varieties for Coastal Gardens. Feel free to print this out and take with you to your next visit to the nursery. This list works not just in San Diego, but also anywhere along the entire west coast of the United States.
Remember to have fun!
Chuck
EXCELLENT TOMATOES VARIETIES for COASTAL GARDENS
MEDIUM to LARGE SIZE TOMATO
*Better Boy – One of the most popular large tomatoes; very productive.
*Celebrity – determinate; medium to large size fruit; disease resistant.
Champion – medium to large; solid, meaty tomatoes; disease resistant.
*Early Girl – early maturing; highly productive; disease resistant.
Kellogg’s Breakfast – the LARGEST orange tomato! Low acid and sweet.
hSiberian – medium size, determinate, very early producing.
hValencia – orange tomato; very smooth skin! Excellent flavor; few seeds.
SMALL to MEDIUM SIZE TOMATO
hGlacier – similar to Stupice; early flowering; excellent flavor.
hIndigo Rose – fascinating purple-orange tomatoes with a rich flavor.
*!hOregon Spring – excellent flavor; highly productive.
*Patio – dwarf, determinate 18-24” tall; golf-ball sized tomato.
*San Diego – reliable performer; multi-purpose tomato.
San Francisco Fog – golfball size; excellent salad tomato.
*!hStupice – small-med size, juicy tomato; excellent flavor.
CHERRY or SMALL TOMATO
!hBlack Cherry – tasty, rich, dark red cherry-type tomatoes.
*Red Cherry – classic, cherry sized tomato; the largest of the “cherry” types.
Red Pear – small, red pear-shaped tomatoes.
!*Sungold – VERY SWEET, low acid, orange cherry tomato; huge harvest.
*Sweet 100 – 3/4-1” size super sweet cherry tomato; heavy yields.
Sweet Baby Girl – super sweet, smaller cherry tomato.
*Sweet Million – highly productive; disease resistant; super sweet.
!*Yellow Pear – vigorous vines; abundant yields, great flavor.
DETERMINATE VARIETIES (great for containers)
!hAce – med-large, deep red, low-acid tomatoes; disease resistant.
*Celebrity – determinate; medium to large size fruit; disease resistant.
Health Kick – juicy, plum-shaped tomatoes; disease resistant; high yielding.
Husky – small to medium-sized tomatoes; disease resistant.
!hOregon Spring – highly productive; excellent flavor.
*!Patio – dwarf, determinate 18-24“ tall; golf-ball sized tomato; great in pots.
hSiberian – medium size, determinate, very early producing.
Siletz – nearly seedless; large slicing tomatoes.
Tiny Tim – dwarf plants 10-16” tall; small cherry type tomato; great in pots.
* = good confidence builders for first-time tomato growers
! = Chuck’s favorites
h = heirloom
