Tomato varieties for your growing space

A sunny basket and a greenhouse border need different plants. Choose the growing habit first, then the flavour and fruit you’d like to pick.

These four varieties each have a different strength. All need warmth and sun; a sheltered outdoor spot matters, especially in cooler parts of the UK.

Jump to the quick comparison

Four varieties, four good reasons

These are ordinary retailer links. GrowGuide UK does not earn a commission from them. Seed links open in a new tab. Check the retailer for current availability.

Gardener’s Delight

Latin name: Solanum lycopersicum

Tall cordon · red cherry fruit

Best for: an outdoor cherry tomato

In general

Choose Gardener’s Delight if you want a familiar cherry tomato with a tangy flavour for everyday salads and sandwiches. Its bite-sized red fruits make it a useful all-rounder for picking fresh through summer. It suits a greenhouse or a warm, sheltered outdoor spot, so you can grow it without a greenhouse if your garden has the right conditions. Allow room for a tall support and a little regular attention to tying in the stem and removing side shoots.

Conditions: Greenhouse or warm, sheltered outdoors. Full sun; fertile, well-drained soil or compost kept evenly moist.
Height & spread: Up to 2m tall × 50cm wide
Containers: Large pot or growing bag, with support
Difficulty: Moderate · train and remove side shoots
Sowing time: Indoors: February–April; March–April for outdoor crops.
Planting time: Greenhouse: late May. Outdoors: early June, after frost risk has passed.
Harvest time: July–October

Pests & diseases

Watch for aphids and whitefly. Blight can affect outdoor crops, especially in warm, wet weather.

Bear in mind: Needs a tall support and regular side-shoot removal; allow space for a plant up to 2m tall.

View seeds at Thompson & Morgan

Sungold F1

Latin name: Solanum lycopersicum

Tall cordon · orange cherry fruit

Best for: sweet tomatoes for snacking

In general

Choose Sungold F1 when sweetness is your main reason for growing tomatoes. Its small golden-orange fruits are lovely eaten straight from the plant and add colour to a bowl of mixed tomatoes. It is a good fit for a greenhouse border or a sunny, sheltered outdoor position where you can give a tall plant room to grow. If you enjoy picking a few tomatoes for snacks and salads, this variety makes good use of that space.

Conditions: Greenhouse or warm, sheltered outdoors. Full sun; fertile, well-drained soil or compost kept evenly moist.
Height & spread: Up to 2m tall × 50cm wide
Containers: Large pot or growing bag, with support
Difficulty: Moderate · train and remove side shoots
Sowing time: Indoors: February–April; March–April for outdoor crops.
Planting time: Greenhouse: late May. Outdoors: early June, after frost risk has passed.
Harvest time: July–October

Pests & diseases

Watch for aphids, whitefly and blight. Has resistance to tobacco mosaic virus and fusarium wilt; it is not disease-proof.

Bear in mind: A vigorous climber, not a compact patio bush. Needs regular training and side-shoot removal.

View seeds at Thompson & Morgan

Tumbling Tom Red

Latin name: Solanum lycopersicum

Trailing bush · red cherry fruit

Best for: pots and hanging baskets

In general

Choose Tumbling Tom Red if you want to grow tomatoes in a basket or raised pot without finding space for a tall support. Its compact, trailing growth suits a sunny patio or balcony, bringing a crop of red cherry tomatoes within reach even when you have no vegetable bed. There is no need to train a main stem or remove side shoots, which makes the pruning simpler for a first-time grower. It is especially useful where space is limited and you can check the compost regularly to keep it watered.

Conditions: Greenhouse or sunny, sheltered outdoors. Full sun; fertile, free-draining compost. Check baskets often to keep the roots evenly moist.
Height & spread: Up to 30cm tall × 30cm wide; trailing habit
Containers: Especially suited to baskets and raised pots
Difficulty: Easy · no side-shoot removal
Sowing time: Indoors: February–March for greenhouse crops; March–April for outdoors.
Planting time: Pot up under cover in spring. Move baskets outdoors in late May–June, after frost risk has passed.
Harvest time: July–September

Pests & diseases

Watch for aphids, whitefly and blight. Check the foliage regularly, including underneath the leaves.

Bear in mind: Basket compost dries quickly, so check watering often. Keep its side shoots: this is a bush tomato.

View seeds at Thompson & Morgan

Crimson Crush F1

Latin name: Solanum lycopersicum

Tall cordon · large salad fruit

Best for: outdoor blight resistance

In general

Choose Crimson Crush F1 if you grow outdoors and blight has spoiled your tomatoes in previous summers. Developed for outdoor growing, it offers an extra defence against blight, although plants can still become infected. Its larger salad tomatoes suit slicing for sandwiches or serving alongside other summer vegetables. It also suits a greenhouse if you have room for a tall plant and time to tie it in and remove side shoots.

Conditions: Outdoors; also suitable for a greenhouse. Full sun in a sheltered spot; fertile, well-drained soil kept evenly moist.
Height & spread: Up to 2m tall × 50cm wide
Containers: Large pot or growing bag, with support
Difficulty: Moderate · train and remove side shoots
Sowing time: Indoors: February–April; March–April for outdoor crops.
Planting time: Greenhouse: late May. Outdoors: early June, after frost risk has passed.
Harvest time: July–September

Pests & diseases

Blight-resistant, but symptoms can still develop. Watch for aphids and whitefly as with other tomatoes.

Bear in mind: Resistance is not immunity. Keep checking for blight and give the plants space and support.

View seeds at Thompson & Morgan

Sizes are approximate mature dimensions, not planting distances. Difficulty is our practical guide to the care involved, not an official rating. “Easy” still means regular watering and feeding.

Compare at a glance

Short on room? Start with the growth habit. A pot can hold a tall tomato, but it still needs support.

Tomatoes compared by best use, growing place and mature size
Variety	Choose it for	Growing place	Height & spread
Gardener’s Delight	An outdoor cherry tomato	Greenhouse or warm, sheltered outdoors	Up to 2m tall × 50cm wide
Sungold F1	Sweet tomatoes for snacking	Greenhouse or warm, sheltered outdoors	Up to 2m tall × 50cm wide
Tumbling Tom Red	Pots and hanging baskets	Greenhouse or sunny, sheltered outdoors	Up to 30cm tall × 30cm wide; trailing habit
Crimson Crush F1	Outdoor blight resistance	Outdoors; also suitable for a greenhouse	Up to 2m tall × 50cm wide

Swipe the comparison sideways to see all four columns.

A note on UK timing

Start seeds indoors. For greenhouse crops, late February to mid-March is a useful guide; for outdoor crops, aim for late March to early April. An indoor sowing date does not mean the plant can spend its whole life on a windowsill.

“Planting time” means moving young plants into their final growing position. The dates assume an unheated greenhouse or outdoor growing; heated greenhouses can start earlier. Harden plants off and wait until frost risk has passed before moving them outdoors. Local conditions can shift all these dates, so follow the seed packet and your weather forecast.

A cordon is a tall plant grown on a support, usually as one main stem. A bush branches naturally and keeps its side shoots. F1 means a first-generation hybrid; saved seed may not grow into the same type.

Keeping tomatoes healthy

Check young growth and leaf undersides for pests, and ventilate greenhouses. Blight is a particular concern in warm, wet conditions, even on resistant varieties.

Split fruit and blossom-end rot can be linked to uneven watering. Blossom-end rot is a growing disorder, not an infectious disease; keeping the compost evenly moist helps.

Make it work for your plot

Use your growing space and local weather to plan the next step, from sowing to planting out.

Back to your personalised Grow Guide

About this selection

Growing guidance and seed listings checked on 18 September 2026. The four retailer links above lead to the named seed varieties. We do not monitor stock or show live prices.

Variety details are based on the linked Thompson & Morgan seed listings and their tomato growing guide. Container, difficulty and seasonal planning notes are our editorial interpretation of the growing advice.