Last Updated on January 12, 2024 by the Dobies Horticultural Team

What does Cordon Tomato mean? Well, you’re in the right place to find out! Below we explain some of the terminology surrounding totally tasty tomatoes.

Firstly, there is nothing more satisfying than growing your own tomato plants. From smaller cherry tomatoes all the way up to beefsteak tomatoes and everything in between! But what’s the difference?

Tomatoes are an extremely versatile fruit that can be used in many different dishes so having a couple of plants in your garden can be extremely beneficial. Some varieties of tomatoes will happily grow in window sills or even hanging baskets. From planting tomato seeds, to fully-fledged potted varieties the opportunities for beautifully delicious tomatoes to be homegrown are endless.

Let’s get into what makes the different varieties of tomatoes unique and some helpful tomato growing tips too!

Cordon or Bush?

Cordon (Indeterminate)

Varieties that are also known as vine tomatoes. They need their side shoots pinching out and training during the growing season to get the best results.

Bush (Determinate)

Tomatoes that are left unpinched and only require loosely tying to canes to prevent sagging. They are also great for smaller spaces and pots.

What is Blight?

Blight Resistant

Blight is a fungal disease that likes warm wet weather, its spores are carried on the wind and it causes plants to quickly rot and die. Blight- resistant plants are a defence against crop loss.

Fruit Size

The Classic Cherry

Cherry tomatoes are the sweetest and smallest which is what makes them so perfect for all of those beautiful summer salads and healthy snacks! 

Some of our varieties truly look and taste incredible too!

Veranda Red

British Bred, ripening mid-July to create delicious, sweet tomatoes. Perfect for growing in small pots, baskets & containers. This plant epitomises growing tomatoes in pots.

Hundreds & Thousands

Perfect for hanging baskets, window boxes & raised patio containers. This easy to grow, vigorous plant really lives up to its name. They produce hundreds of sweet & Juicy bite-sized tomatoes all throughout summer!

Sweet & Sturdy

A true marvel, this plant grows 2 different tomatoes, both equally fantastic in their own ways. One being a red variety and the other a bright orange. These 2 varieties will grow harmoniously together on a patio all summer long.

Plum

Plum tomatoes are naturally oval shaped, firm fleshed and hardly bare any seeds. This makes them perfect for making delicious tomato sauces and soups!.

With their peculiar shape, these tomatoes don’t just taste great they look fantastic on the vine too!

Artisan Pink Tiger

With its heritage firmly in the golden coast of America, sunny California, this tomato is a superstar. As Rob Smith mentions on his travels around their native home “They were sold in small punnets, with the local kids eating them like fruit!” Who wouldn’t want these striking tomatoes growing in their garden? Classically fire truck red with deep gold lines coursing through them. Truly amazing to look at and grow.

Artisan Indigo Pear Drops

On the other end of the colour spectrum from the Pink Tiger, the Indigo Pear drops look as if the colours have been inverted! Typically a rich yellow colour with dark indigo/ purple accents. With 600 to 1,000 fruits to just 1 plant (in ideal growing conditions) this tomato plant is a must-have. 

You might be thinking ‘why purple?’ Well, the colours are attributed to the high level of anthocyanin content. Very important for our daily health!

F1 Santorange

Exceptionally tasty and just as eye-catching. This cocktail plum variety will certainly add amazing amounts of flavour to any dish you use it in.

Medium/ Standard

What’s classed as a standard tomato? Well, these are your typical tomatoes found in the supermarket. Roughly 5cm in diameter, thick and full of taste. However, these tomatoes don’t have to be bog-standard.

Crimson Crush

The original blight resistant tomato. Crimson Crush has the best tolerance to late blight disease we have ever seen!

Beefsteak

These tomatoes are the big guys of the tomato world. Perfect for grilling, stuffing and slicing for thick, full to the brim burgers. Not to mention their unusual textures and shapes!

Pineapple

One of the oldest varieties of bicoloured beefsteak tomatoes. Originating in Kentucky, USA, these tomatoes produce large ribbed fruit with a kaleidoscope swirl of red, orange and pink!

Turbo Grafted Plants

Our grafting process is something we’re extremely proud of, and with a dedicated team combined with the best possible techniques, we provide the plants that produce up to 75% more fruit! Not only that but they will produce crops earlier and over a longer period of time. We hand graft our entire grafted range which takes a team of 7 individually, highly skilled people to complete the grafted process. Producing 180 every hour!