To achieve the highest yield of quality tomatoes from your garden, plant as early in March as possible. The Coastal Bend offers a brief growing season from March through June, after which heat and pests typically halt production.
To make the most of this short window, select varieties that mature quickly, such as Early Girl, as well as types that can withstand summer heat, like Cherry or Juliette tomatoes. Smaller varieties, such as Cherry or Grape, are generally easier to grow.
While numerous excellent varieties are available, the hybrids mentioned below are time-tested favorites. Growing heirlooms in the Coastal Bend is possible, but challenging, as they typically yield far less than hybrids and are highly susceptible to pests and disease. For heirloom varieties, visit Rare Seeds’ website.
Top Tomato Varieties for the Coastal Bend
- Early Girl (50 days to harvest): Quick to mature with medium-sized, uniform fruits. Meaty with a rich flavor and tender skin.
- Any Cherry Variety (55 days): Fast-maturing and prolific, continuing to produce in the summer heat. Bursting with flavor.
- Celebrity (75 days): Slower to harvest but heat-tolerant. Produces uniform, meaty tomatoes great for slicing, with 20-30 fruits per plant in good soil.
- Juliette (60 days): A Roma-grape hybrid that matures early and thrives well into summer. Prolific, pest-resistant, with slightly tough skin. Exceptional flavor, making it ideal for pasta sauce.
For container gardening, opt for bush or determinate varieties like Heatmaster or Better Bush. Use a tomato cage for support and enjoy a modest, yet rewarding, harvest.
Gardener’s Notes
Growing Up: Spacing, 3’. Height, 5’ to 9’ vines. Full sun is essential, and the soil must be extremely rich and well-drained. For each plant, mix in 6” of organic compost, four cups of pastured poultry manure and two cups of homemade wood ash. Water the soil at the base of the plants, not the leaves. When the first flowers appear, side dress with two cups of poultry manure. Apply up to 12” of native leaf mulch to keep the soil cool and moist, helping to extend the season.
Profile: Tomatoes grow in three stages: first low on the vines, then in the middle, then high on the vines. For the best flavor, harvest when the tomato turns red and just begins to soften. Don’t wait too long, as pests — especially leaf-footed bugs — attack ripe tomatoes. Pinch these pests at night with a headlamp before they get out of control. Spray tomato vines weekly with Garrett Juice to boost plant health, repel pests and increase yields.
Fun Facts: Each of the tiny hairs down the stem of a tomato is a potential root; these hairs can grow into an extensive root system beneath the soil. Plant tomato transplants two-thirds of the way into the ground — this allows the hairs to form additional roots. The more vigorous the root system, the more prolific the tomato plant will be. Use a strong trellis to support the heavy vine weight, like a cattle panel zip-tied to metal T-posts.
