The Perfect Garden

Creating the perfect garden is subjective. That is, no single garden will be perfect for everyone. Knowing what you like comes with nothing less than good experience.

If you’re new to gardening, let’s make some suggestions for what to start with, and why they’re a good choice for you.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes come in mostly 2 main categories: determinate, and indeterminate. Indeterminate tomatoes are vine-like, continuously growing and produce fruit throughout the season until frost, often requiring support due to their height. In contrast, determinate tomatoes grow to a fixed size, resembling bushes, and yield their entire crop in a shorter time frame, making them ideal for bulk harvesting or canning. While indeterminate varieties offer a prolonged harvest, determinate types provide a concentrated yield.

So, what one is better to start with? Both are great choices to be honest, but there are some lessons to be learned with both types. If you’re growing in containers, indeterminate tomatoes can be a challenge, but it can definitely be done. At the same time, both indeterminate and determinate varieties do well in the ground. Mainly, when selecting a tomato variety, you will want to consider a few things:

1. Space – Potential height / spread of the plant.
2. Water – Bigger plants need more water.
3. Medium – Growing in the ground or in a pot?
4. Harvest – Concentrated or spread out?

If you can, plant your vining (indeterminate) tomato in a pot of at least 5 gallons in volume, and you may have some success. Ideally, pot sizes will need to be larger, 7-10 gallons per plant. Indeterminate tomatoes planted in pots become very heavy when they set fruit, so you will definitely need support beyond a standard tomato cage. Large plants will require daily watering in pots! Missing a day can cause severe loss in yields if the plant suffers excessive stress.

Tomato Type Survey

1. Garden Space:
   • How much space do you have available for growing tomatoes?
     • Limited space (e.g., small garden, balcony) (1)
     • Moderate space (2)
     • Plenty of space (3)
2. Growth Support:
   • Are you willing to provide support structures (like stakes or cages) for your tomato plants? Determinate plants can get away with smaller cages, but indeterminate vines will need more help than that.
     • Yes (3)
     • No (1)
3. Harvest Preference:
   • Would you prefer to have your tomatoes ripen:
     • All at once (over a few weeks) (1)
     • Gradually throughout the growing season (3)
4. Usage:
   • What is your primary purpose for growing tomatoes?
     • Fresh eating over an extended period (3)
     • Preserving/canning in bulk (1)

If you score above a 9, you’ll probably get the best results with a vining tomato. Otherwise, for scores less than 9, you may want to consider a determinate tomato. For scores of 4, you should definitely get a determinate tomato.

Beginner Determinate (bush) choice – 🍅Mountain Merit ($5) – This hybrid variety is known for its resistance to common tomato diseases and pests. The Mountain Merit produces round, medium-sized fruits with a classic, balanced tomato flavor. It’s a reliable choice for gardeners dealing with challenging growing conditions, offering both disease resistance and good taste. Great choice for containers. Not sure what to get? I’d get this one.

Beginner Indeterminate (vine) choice – 🍅Early Girl ($4) – Early Girl is a well-known tomato variety prized for its early ripening and consistent productivity. These tomatoes are medium-sized, round, and have a classic red color with a balance of sweet and tangy flavors. They’re perfect for slicing and using in salads or sandwiches. Early Girl is a reliable choice for gardeners seeking an early harvest, as it’s one of the first to produce fruit each season. Good unprotected vine choice for Zone 6/7 (Chatham-Kent).

Cucumber

Growing cucumbers is easy, but growing something like you’d buy at the grocery store can be a little bit tricky. Growing smaller parthenocarpic seedless cucumbers is easy when done with quality seed, and they’re a bit easier to time than full sized cucumbers. Cucumbers need a lot of space, but the smaller varieties tend to do well with smaller grow spaces.

Beginner Cucumber choice: 🥒Picolino ($8) – Picolino offers a burst of flavor in a small package. These miniature cucumbers are crisp, sweet, and ideal for snacking, salads, or garnishing. The plants are compact and produce abundantly, making them suitable for small gardens or container growing. Picolino cucumbers are a delightful addition to any garden, offering a fresh and convenient snack option. If I could only grow one cucumber forever, it would probably be this one. Useful for both pickles, and eating fresh.

Pepper

Most of them grow with around the same habit, with small bush like shape. If you’re new to growing peppers, you might want to try both California Red Bell and a Jalapeno. Both are simple plants, and it’s pretty much impossible to harvest at the wrong time.

Why no Heirlooms?

Heirloom varieties are awesome, but they tend to have a few negative traits in common: they’re susceptible to diseases, and lower yields. While heirlooms are certainly recommended for everyone to try, quality hybrids are the way to go if you’re not in the experimental mood. Ideally, you would grow a couple varieties (both an heirloom and a hybrid) of tomatoes to learn what you like (including cherry tomatoes). Simply said, hybrid varieties are more vigorous to help you learn.