Tomatoes for Old East Dallas

Here are tomato varieties that do especially well in Dallas / North Texas — a region that’s warm to hot, humid in summer, and has a short window to set fruit before intense heat makes pollination hard:

🍅 Heat-Tolerant & Reliable Varieties (Great for Dallas)

These are generally good bets for spring and fall plantings in Dallas:

🌞 Hybrid & Heat-Tolerant

• Celebrity – A classic Texas favorite; medium fruit, disease resistant (VFNT), good early production.

• Early Girl – Ripens very early (about 50–60 days), great for beating the heat.

• Tomato 444 (BHN 444) – A Texas Superstar with excellent flavor and disease resistance.

• Heatmaster / Solar Fire / Sunmaster – Varieties bred specifically to set fruit even when temperatures stay high.

• Super Sweet 100 VF – Cherry tomato that produces fruit all season long and generally holds up to heat better than larger slicers.

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🍅 Other Good Choices (Local Picks & VFN-Rated)

• Porter’s Pride / Porter Improved – Smaller fruits with good heat tolerance.

• Cherry Grande, Small Fry – Small tomatoes tend to perform better through hotter weather.

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🍅 Flavorful Heirlooms Worth Trying (with Care)

Heirlooms often taste great but need timely planting and good care in North Texas heat:

• Sungold – Extremely sweet cherry tomato that many North Texas gardeners love.

• Juliet – Small plum tomato with good cracking resistance.

• Brandywine / Cherokee Purple / Black Krim – Larger heirlooms; can be more finicky in the heat but rewarding if timed well.

🌱 Best Practices for Dallas Tomato Success

📆 Planting Times

• Spring: Transplants go in late February through mid-March, right after frost risk ends so plants can fruit before midsummer heat.

• Fall: Plant mid-July for a crop that produces as temperatures ease later in the season.

🌡️ Heat Considerations

• Tomatoes struggle to set fruit when temperatures are above ~90°F (32°C), so early and later (fall) plantings are key.

• Use shade cloth on the hottest afternoons and mulch to retain soil moisture.

🌿 Disease Resistance

• Choose varieties with VFNT or similar resistance codes; this helps with common soil diseases in warm, humid conditions.

📊 Quick Variety Cheat Sheet