9 Prize-Winning Tomatoes to Plant in June

Tomatoes are the stars of summer gardens and farms. Large, juicy heirlooms bring an irreplaceable flavor to BLTs, cherry varieties pop with a tangy sweetness, and paste types bring a solid texture that holds up well when preserved.

But when it comes to planting, how do you choose the best variety? The following varieties are great tomatoes to plant out in June.

Cherokee Purple

A stunning deep purple heirloom, ‘Cherokee Purple’ is one of the most well-known and beloved heirlooms, especially in the South. There’s a reason people ask for it by name! The plants produce medium, round fruit with a balanced flavor and slight smokiness.

Although these plants are indeterminate, they rarely grow over six feet tall. They aren’t the most prolific producers, but they make up for it with their flavorful fruits. If you plant ‘Cherokee Purple’ in the field in June, you can expect to start harvesting in late summer.

Sun Gold

‘Sun Gold’ plants produce golden cherry tomatoes with a flavor so sweet they’re almost candy-like. The indeterminate plants pump out clusters of these sunny gems for multiple months, so you’ll have enough fruits to fill baskets or put up for the winter.

Although the fruits are delicious, they’re prone to cracking and don’t hold well in storage or transport. This perishability means they’re difficult to find in stores and a real treat on a market table and in the kitchen.

San Marzano

People sometimes think of bland flavor and texture when it comes to Roma paste tomatoes. ‘San Marzano’ proves paste varieties can be flavorful and delicious. This tomato emerged from the Italian town of San Marzano sul Sarno near Naples.

‘San Marzano’ fruits have few seeds and are larger than many other plum types, making them preferable over other varieties. Their low acidity and intense flavor mean they work well in applications like sauces, pastes, and whole canned tomatoes.

Sakura

A hybrid red cherry tomato, ‘Sakura’ stands out thanks to its prolific nature. The indeterminate plants produce long clusters that ripen from the top down and continue sending out more flowers throughout the growing season.

Since you can expect your first ripe tomato less than 60 days after transplanting, ‘Sakura’ is an excellent June tomato to plant if you live in an area with a short growing season or aren’t planting until the end of the month.

Green Zebra

‘Green Zebra’ is one variety that reminds us of the diversity present in the color and flavor of tomatoes. The round fruits are slightly larger than golf balls and have a bright yellow skin with lime green stripes. They have a bright, tangy taste that sweetens the longer they ripen.

This indeterminate variety can tolerate drought and heat better than some varieties, so it’s a good choice for the heat of summer. Planting this tomato in June allows the plants to grow throughout the summer and begin producing as the heat subsides.

Chocolate Sprinkles

If you plant ‘Chocolate Sprinkles’ in June, you’ll enjoy lots of their beautiful fruits less than two months later. The small, round tomatoes are deep red with green specks and splotches.

The plants are indeterminate, truly prolific, and resistant to both fusarium wilt and nematodes. Their fruits are also crack-resistant and hold well on the vine even after heavy rains.

Striped German

Some people like large tomatoes for slicing onto a hamburger or chopping up for a tomato salad. If that’s you, check out ‘Striped German.’ It produces large yellow and red fruit with a sweet flavor.

This open-pollinated variety is indeterminate, so it will continue to produce over multiple months. However, since the fruits are so large, expect a smaller number of tomatoes.

Magic Bullet

The flavor and color of ‘Magic Bullet’ is difficult to describe. It seems to pack a dozen varieties together, with a smattering of colors and hints of sweetness, tartness, smokiness, and more. Plus, all of these characteristics are packed into a small, plum shape. This variety’s appearance attracts people, and its flavor keeps them coming back for more.

The plants continue to produce clusters of fruit throughout the growing season. If you plant them outdoors in June, you can expect to enjoy the colorful tomatoes until the first frost arrives.

Cuor di Bue Albenga

Although plum tomatoes are often the most popular option when it comes to making sauce and paste, oxheart varieties are another option. The ‘Cuor di Bue Albenga’ is an oxheart variety that Italians also refer to as a canestrino type. It has a widened teardrop shape, deep red color, and a meaty texture.

Planting the ‘Cuor di Bue Albenga’ tomato in June works well in most areas since the plants take 85 days to start producing fruit. The vines are robust, and the plants are heavy producers. Since the fruits are larger than a standard Roma, they produce lots of fuel for sauces and other projects.

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