Growing Tomatoes🍅

Is there anything better than stepping outside, plucking a sun-warmed tomato off the vine, and popping it straight into your mouth? If you’ve grown tomatoes before, you know—it’s hard to beat that burst of fresh, homegrown flavor.

And if you haven’t? Oh, friend… you’re in for a treat.

Over the years, I’ve experimented with seed saving, buying heirloom packets, and starting from nursery plants—but one thing remains constant: growing my own tomatoes is the best garden decision I make every year.

🍅 Do You Save Seeds or Buy Them?

I’ve done both, and honestly? There's something special about saving seeds from a tomato you’ve grown and loved. It feels like passing down a family tradition, even if it’s just from last summer’s crop.

Seed saving pros:

• You get to continue growing varieties you love.

• It's cost-effective.

• You're building resilience in plants adapted to your garden.

Buying seeds or starts:

• Offers more variety each season.

• Good for trying new hybrids or hard-to-save types.

• Less effort if you’re short on time.

Sometimes I save seeds from especially tasty or healthy-looking tomatoes, but I also love flipping through seed catalogs in winter, dreaming about what I’ll grow next.

🍅 My Favorite Tomato? The Tiny Powerhouse: Cherry Tomatoes

Out of all the types I’ve grown—beefsteaks, slicers, romas, heirlooms—my heart belongs to cherry tomatoes. They grow fast, produce loads of fruit, and are so sweet you can eat them right off the vine.

I trellis mine, which keeps the plants neat and vertical (and makes harvesting easier!). Watching those beautiful vines climb and flourish is one of the most satisfying parts of my summer.

💛 My Top Picks:

• Sun Gold: These golden-orange gems are pure candy. Sweet, fruity, and incredibly prolific.

• Sun Sugar: Slightly thicker skin than Sun Gold, but equally sweet and with better crack resistance. Great for snacking, salads, and roasting.

If I had to pick just one tomato to grow every year—it’s definitely one of these two.

🌿 Why Grow Your Own Tomatoes?

Still on the fence? Here’s why I’ll never go back to store-bought:

• Flavor: Homegrown tomatoes have flavor grocery store ones just can’t match.

• Variety: You can grow unique types you’ll never see in stores.

• Satisfaction: Watching a plant grow from seed to harvest is pure magic.

• Nutrition: Vine-ripened tomatoes have more nutrients and antioxidants.

• Abundance: One plant can give you hundreds of cherry tomatoes in a season!

📸 What’s Your Tomato Story?

I’d love to hear from you—👉 Do you save your own seeds or buy new ones every season?👉 What’s your favorite tomato variety and why?

Tag me on social @FoodForestUtah or comment below with your tomato-growing tips, triumphs, and (of course) photos. Use #MyTomatoSummer so we can grow together! 🌱🍅

Final thought? If you’re only going to grow one thing in your garden this year—make it a cherry tomato. Bonus points if it's a Sun Gold. 😉 Your tastebuds (and your garden) will thank you.