10 field tomatoes worth trialing in a tunnel
Check for: ✓ Disease resistance ✓ Growth habit ✓ Flavor

Nearly every field tomato will grow under a high tunnel, though some clearly outperform others, mostly thanks to their disease package and plant habit. The 10 picks below combine good yields and flavor with the toughness to handle typical tunnel conditions and hoophouse diseases. Size up your own structure first, pick varieties that fit it, and test them on a small scale before committing whole beds.

Short answer: yes. A high tunnel can host any greenhouse tomato and any field tomato as well. Field types are attractive because the seed is cheaper and some set their first ripe fruit earlier than tunnel types, which can make them a smart choice when you want a quick, low-cost turnaround.

But, the answer is a qualified yes. Before planting field varieties in your tunnel, check them for the traits below, trial a few, run the numbers and keep records until you find what works for you.

What to look for

 ✓  CHECK DISEASE AT THE DOOR

Tunnels usually have fewer environmental problems than the field, but problems can still come up, and some field varieties handle them clearly better than others.

• Resistance to leaf diseases. Leaf diseases are the most common tomato problem. Learn which ones are the biggest threat where and how you grow, and look for resistance to those first when picking varieties.
• Resistance to soilborne pests and diseases. Since greenhouse tomatoes are typically grafted onto resistant rootstock, breeders seldom build soilborne resistance into greenhouse varieties. Even so, nematodes (N), Fusarium (F), Verticillium (V) and corky root rot (CRR) tend to build up when tomatoes are planted in the same soil season after season. If your tunnel has soilborne trouble, here are two ways to cope while you bring it under control:
• Choose resistant varieties from our field tomatoes.
• Graft your favorites onto a proven rootstock such as 'Maxifort' or 'Estamino'.

For a fuller picture of diseases to watch for, read Common tomato pests, diseases and physiological problems…

Setting out a high tunnel trial

 ✓  CHECK THE VARIETY'S PLANT HABIT

Besides disease resistance, consider plant habit; the two are linked. Field varieties tend to be very vigorous, and extremely vigorous plants aren't recommended for protected growing. They get crowded, which makes leaf disease worse, and they need much more pruning and trellising and can be hard to harvest. Cherry tomatoes are often rangy, for example, which is why only a few do well under cover. Greenhouse varieties, by contrast, are bred for a tidier habit that's easier to train, so more plants fit in the same space.

 ✓  HOW DOES THE VARIETY GROW AND PERFORM OUTDOORS?

Learn how a variety behaves in the field before you plant a lot of it under cover.

 ✓  WHICH GRAFTING COMBINATION SUITS THIS VARIETY BEST?

If you graft, test how a given variety does on a given rootstock before planting that pairing in a tunnel. Some varieties get unruly when grafted, especially onto a more vegetative rootstock.

See our webinar resources to review tomato grafting basics…

10 from the Field for the Tunnel

From experience, these are the field tomatoes that tend to do better than average in a high tunnel.

1 • 'Big Beef' and 'Big Beef Plus'

INDETERMINATE

Famous for its yields and with flavor better than most hybrid beefsteaks, 'Big Beef's vigorous growth helps it cope with tunnel swings in heat and humidity. It is among the few tomatoes in our lineup resistant to gray leaf spot (GLS), and it is also highly resistant (HR) to Fusarium (F). An All-America Selections winner in 1994.

2 • 'Estiva'

There's also 'Big Beef Plus', which improves on flavor, color and adaptability and adds a broader disease package, with high resistance (HR) to Alternaria stem canker (AS), Fusarium wilt (F) races 1 and 2, Fusarium crown and root rot (FOR), gray leaf spot (GLS), tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) and Verticillium wilt (V), and intermediate resistance (IR) to tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) and nematodes (N).

It bears attractive red fruit in a handy 6–7 oz size and keeps producing in hot weather. 'Estiva' behaves a lot like 'Big Beef' with slightly smaller fruit. It has the vigor of 'Early Girl' and sets heavily on a plant with less foliage, which suits tunnel growing well. It has high resistance (HR) to Fusarium wilt (F) races 1 and 2, tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and Verticillium wilt (V).

See what else makes 'Estiva' one of our 10 underrated tomatoes…

3 • 'Damsel'

From an independent breeder, 'Damsel' is a favorite organic pink for tunnel production, highly resistant (HR) to late blight (LB), nematodes (N) and Verticillium wilt (V), along with excellent heirloom-style flavor.

DETERMINATE

4 • 'BHN 589'

For many growers, 'BHN 589' is a go-to determinate for hoophouse growing, highly resistant (HR) to Fusarium wilt (F) races 1 and 2, tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and Verticillium wilt (V), and yields plenty of high-quality fruit. The flavor can be excellent too, which is worth saying given the unappealing name and the bland reputation of determinates.

See why 'BHN 589' is also one of our 10 underrated tomatoes…

5 • 'BHN 871'

Orange through and through, 'BHN 871' comes in early and yields well, bearing slightly flattened 10–12 oz rounds with good taste. Highly resistant to Fusarium wilt (F) races 1 and 2, Fusarium crown and root rot (FOR), tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and Verticillium wilt (V).

SMALL-FRUITED

6 • 'Sunpeach'

This pink cherry is highly resistant to tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) and leaf mold (LM). 'Sunpeach' has the mild, low-acid taste typical of pink tomatoes and fills out a mixed cherry pack nicely. Many on the Hensley’s team put it among their five favorite-tasting tomatoes. It also yields heavily, with fruit larger than the average cherry, which growers like because quarts fill faster, and it resists cracking well.

See why 'Sunpeach' is also one of our 10 underrated tomatoes…

7 • 'Mountain Magic'

A well-rounded choice that pairs a strong disease package with bright, sweet fruit. Highly resistant (HR) to Fusarium wilt races 1, 2 and 3, late blight (LB) and Verticillium wilt, with intermediate resistance to early blight (EB). Add strong yield potential, good crack resistance and a cocktail size that can be sold on the truss or in punnets with sweet 'Clementine'. 'Mountain Magic' is easy to grow and beats most determinate cherries for flavor and texture.

SPECIALTY

8 • 'Lemon Boy Plus'

A recent addition to our list, 'Lemon Boy Plus' builds on the familiar 'Lemon Boy' with added disease resistance, including high resistance (HR) to Alternaria stem canker (AS), Fusarium crown and root rot (FOR), Fusarium wilt (F) races 1–3, gray leaf spot (GLS), tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) and Verticillium wilt (V), with intermediate resistance (IR) to leaf mold (LM) and nematodes (N). Expect big yields of uniform, top-quality yellow beefsteaks of 7–8 oz with a tangy-sweet bite. Because it adapts so widely, 'Lemon Boy Plus' does well in greenhouse, tunnel or field.

PASTE/ROMA

9 • 'Pozzano'

A long-season performer for field or greenhouse that gives early, generous harvests either way. 'Pozzano' has high resistance (HR) to Fusarium wilt (F) races 1 and 2, tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) and Verticillium wilt (V). Expect early, heavy yields and meaty yet juicy fruit with classic Italian character in the kitchen.

10 • 'Granadero'

10 • 'Granadero': A very productive organic Roma plum tomato, 'Granadero' is one of the few varieties with powdery mildew (PM) resistance. It also has HR to Fusarium wilt (F) races 1 and 2, tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) and Verticillium wilt (V), with intermediate resistance (IR) to tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) and nematodes (N), and low susceptibility to blossom end rot (BER). The thick-walled fruit is very uniform, tastes great and is ideal for sauce, salsa, soup and paste.

High tunnels and hoophouses shelter crops and hold in warmth, so you can pick good fruit earlier in the season and keep picking later. Tunnel conditions and disease pressure can make tomatoes more challenging, though. Every variety listed here is a strong choice for its disease resistance and growth habit as well as its yield, appearance and flavor. Give them a try, and contact us if you want help choosing varieties for your region and growing methods.

See all our tomatoes…