Tomato Starters 101: Varieties, Care, and Growing Tips

February 27, 2026

This season, MicroStarts is proud to offer a selection of vegetable starters, beginning with tomatoes! If you've ever wanted to grow your own but weren't sure where to begin, this article is for you. We'll cover why vegetable starters are the smartest way to get your garden off to a strong start, introduce our handpicked variety selection, and share some tips for success.

What Are Vegetable Starters?

Most popular backyard vegetables - including tomatoes - can be grown from seed, unlike fruit trees, which typically require grafting or clonal propagation. However, growing seeds into healthy, food-producing plants isn't always straightforward, and tomatoes are a great example of why.

Tomato starter plants in pots on a windowsill. — **Tomato starter plants growing on a windowsill.**

Most planting guides will tell you to put tomatoes in the ground shortly after your region's last frost. The catch is that tomatoes also need a long enough growing season for their fruit to fully ripen, and those two requirements can be hard to reconcile in colder climates. Frosts can occur in Upstate New York and Minnesota through late May, and in high mountain valleys of the Rocky Mountains as late as June. If you wait until after the last frost to start your plants, they simply won't have enough time to produce.

This is where starter plants (also called seedlings or transplants) come in. Many gardeners, especially in colder regions, start tomatoes indoors or in a greenhouse 6-8 weeks before the last expected frost. This gives the plants time to develop strong root systems and get a significant head start, so they're well on their way to fruiting by the time they go into the ground.

Since most of the United States is still a few weeks away from its last frost, MicroStarts is currently offering tomato plants for pre-order. Shipping windows are staggered to match different planting times, including late March, early April, late April, early May, and late May, so you can choose the timing that works best for your region.

What Tomatoes Should I Plant?

**Heirloom slicer tomatoes on the vine.**

The most obvious answer: plant what you love to eat! Tomatoes come in a wide range of types, from sweet, snackable cherry tomatoes and rich saucing varieties to large, meaty beefsteaks perfect for salads and sandwiches.

That said, it's also worth matching your variety to your local growing season. Some tomatoes are ready to harvest in as few as 50-60 days, while others may need 90 days or more. For gardeners in California, Texas, or other warm southern regions, this usually isn't a concern, but for those in northern states with shorter summers, choosing a variety that fits your window can make or break your harvest.

It’s also helpful to consider growth habit when choosing varieties. Tomatoes are generally classified as determinate or indeterminate:

Determinate varieties grow to a set size, produce most of their fruit over a short period, and then taper off. These are great if you want a large harvest all at once for canning, sauces, or sharing with friends. Many mid-sized and some cherry tomatoes fall into this category.
Indeterminate varieties continue to grow and produce fruit throughout the season until frost. They often get taller and need more staking or support, but they reward gardeners with a steady supply of fresh tomatoes over a longer period. Most large heirlooms and many cherry tomatoes are indeterminate.

In general, larger tomatoes, heirlooms, and indeterminate varieties take longer to ripen than smaller, hybrid, or determinate types. Before choosing a variety, check the expected harvest time to make sure it fits your growing season and regional climate.

Our Tomato Varieties

When putting together our selection, the MicroStarts team wanted a mix of sizes, colors, and flavors that would appeal to a wide range of growers and palates. We've landed on a lineup of mostly heirloom varieties spanning succulent beefsteaks, versatile sauce tomatoes, and a rainbow of cherry types. Compare our varieties at-a-glance below, with a deeper dive on each below.

Variety	Mature Size	Harvest Dates	USDA Hardiness Zone	Fruit Description
Red Beefsteak	Indeterminate (no maximum height)	70-90 days after planting	3-9	Rich, deep red skin and a broad, slightly flattened round shape. Sweet, juicy, and mildly tangy
Patty's Yellow Striped Beefsteak	Indeterminate (no maximum height)	70-90 days after planting	3-11	Golden yellow skin with red stripes. Sweet, mild flavor with low acidity
Valencia	Indeterminate (no maximum height)	70-90 days after planting	3-11	Bright orange skin with sweet. Mild flavor
Pink Berkeley Tie-Dye	Indeterminate (no maximum height)	70-90 days after planting	3-11	Large with blend of red, orange, green, and pink on their skin (creating a ‘tie-dye’ effect). Juicy with mild, low-acid flavor
Green Zebra	Indeterminate (no maximum height)	70-90 days after planting	3-10	Small- to mid-sized with prominent green and greenish-yellow stripes. Snappy, moderately sweet, and lightly citrusy
Inca Jewels Container Roma Tomatoes	Determinate (3-3.5 foot maximum height)	70-90 days after planting	5-10	Oblong red to orange jewel-toned fruits. Sweet with fewer seeds than similar tomatoes
Sungold	Indeterminate (no maximum height)	60-70 days after planting	3-11	Round with glossy, golden-orange skin. Sweet, intensely fruity flavor
Yellow Pear	Indeterminate (no maximum height)	65-75 days after planting	3-11	Small, bright yellow, and pear-shaped. Mild, sweet flavor
Black Cherry	Indeterminate (no maximum height)	70-80 days after planting	3-11	Small, round fruits with deep brown to nearly black skin. Rich, sweet, complex flavor
Sweetheart Cherry	Indeterminate (no maximum height)	65-75 days after planting	3-11	Bright red with heart-shaped silhouette. Tender and juicy with low acidity