The first step to growing tomatoes is to choose which varieties to grow. I personally tackle this one based on what my family will eat. My husband's approach, on the other hand, is to select based on the variety name: "Celebrity" must be good because it's famous; "Super Fantastic", well, that about says it all. If you're like my husband, while I applaud your imagination, you're on your own! If, however, you select your tomatoes the way I do, we've put together a handy list of many of the varieties we carry and their complete descriptions.

Once you've narrowed down your tomato varieties based on their flavor, take a look at this guide outlining important growing information on each of the tomato varieties.

This is where the question of determinate vs. indeterminate tomatoes comes up. The main differences between the two are, one, that Determinate tomatoes bear their crop all at once, while indeterminate tomatoes bear fruit over the course of a season. The second major difference is that determinate varieties grow in bush form, are more dwarf and compact, and more suitable to container gardens. Indeterminate varieties are climbers, or vine tomatoes. They need more space than determinate tomatoes and require staking or support of some kind.

The next differentiation among tomato varieties is whether they are heirloom or hybrid. Heirloom varieties are, in the simplest terms, grown from seed that have been preserved for 50 years or more; many passed on within a family for generations. Hybrid varieties are varieties that have been crossed to achieve certain qualities, such as disease resistance or production.