'Gardener's Delight': This open-pollinated, red cherry tomato took 21 weeks from seed to harvest and had both the longest fruiting period (22 weeks) and the best yields by weight for its category. Individual fruit averaged 21.6g each. The plants were the tallest (2.42m) and most vigorous. Organic seeds are available from Kings Seeds. Overall rating: 8/10.

'Sweet 100': When beginner gardeners ask me for tomato variety recommendations, I always suggest they start with ‘Sweet 100‘ – and my experience growing this popular hybrid was confirmed by the trial at the Botanic Gardens. I‘ve never had a crop failure with this vigorous, easy-care, prolific cropper. In fact, the only niggle I have with ‘Sweet 100‘ is that if you plant grafted plants, you‘ll never be able to keep up with picking and eating them all! In the Botanic Gardens‘ trial, ‘Sweet 100‘ came second only to 'Gardener's Delight' for yield (not surprising given that its fruit are about half the size), but it had a slightly higher Brix level, which means it tastes sweeter. It took 21 weeks to harvest and continued cropping for 19 weeks on plants up to 2.43m high. ‘Sweet 100' is widely available as either seed or potted plants. Highly recommended for sweet red fruit – and oodles of them. Overall rating: 8/10.

'Sungold': Fancy something other than red cherry tomatoes? This F1 hybrid had a respectable haul of small (10.3g) golden fruit over a very long period of 21 weeks. It took the 1.85m tall plants 20 weeks from seed to harvest. A worthy hybrid if you fancy golden-orange cherry tomatoes. Overall rating: 7/10.

'Early Money': Of the medium-fruited varieties, ‘Early Money’ had the highest yield by weight, plus (along with ‘Juliet’) had slightly higher Brix levels, indicating higher sugar levels. This F1 hybrid took 22 weeks to harvest and cropped for 18 weeks, with meaty fruit weighing 124.9g on average, on plants 2.1m tall. Sweet to eat. Overall rating: 8/10.

'Golden Nugget': Not worth the effort. This open pollinated golden cherry tomato was quick to crop, taking only 19 weeks, but didn't last the distance, fruiting for only 12 weeks. (Compare that to the 22 weeks of ‘Gardener's Delight'.) Individual fruit weighed an average of 11.4g each. Overall rating: 3/10.

'Sweet Gold': Managing only a 50 per cent pass mark, this F1 hybrid golden cherry tomato took 19 weeks to harvest and continued cropping for 19 weeks, with fruit averaging 13.6g each. The plants grew 2.25m high. An average crop from this F1 hybrid cherry tomato. Overall rating: 5/10.

'Chef's Choice Orange': Of the five medium-fruited varieties in the trial, this had the largest and heaviest fruit, weighing in at 131g each on average. (And, as a bonus, studies by the New Zealand Heritage Food Crops Research Trust have shown that orange tomatoes are richer in health-giving lycopene too.) This hybrid variety took 22 weeks to harvest and the 2.03m tall plants fruited well for 19 weeks. Overall rating: 8/10.

'Juliet': The tallest and most vigorous of the medium-sized tomatoes, ‘Juliet’ grew to 2.13m. This F1 hybrid took 20 weeks to harvest but once she started cropping, there was no stopping her, with a very long fruiting period of 21 weeks. The fruit weighed 28.9g on average and recorded high Brix levels. Overall rating: 8/10.

'Money Maker': An old-time F1 hybrid. The plants were shorter than most of their compatriots, growing only to 1.73m high, and took longer to crop (22 weeks). Fruit was picked for 19 weeks and weighed 59.5g on average. This popular old-timer is no longer the best in its category. Overall rating: 6/10.

'Roma': This Mediterranean paste tomato struggles down under. I don‘t know anyone, including commercial growers with all the tricks of the trade at their disposal, who rates it here. Though long fruiting (21 weeks) in this trial, it was neither high yielding nor prolific, with fruit averaging 62.7g on short (1.57m) plants. This traditional saucing tomato is best left to the Italians! Overall rating: 4/10.

'Country Taste': With large red fruit, this F1 hybrid produced the highest yield by weight, with individual fruit averaging 158.2g. The plants grew to 2.2m tall and cropped for 19 weeks. It fell just shy of the 8/10 rating it needed to make the cut as a star performer in Auckland. Overall rating: 7/10.

'Beef Maestro': An F1 hybrid with large fruit weighing 111g on average. Slow off the mark (it took 23 weeks from seed for the first fruit to ripen), the plants grew 1.88m tall and cropped for 19 weeks. A middle-of-the-road tomato. An average performer in the large-fruited category. Overall rating: 5/10.

'Marriage Big Brandy': Although this chubby variety had the heaviest individual fruit of any variety in the trial, it soon ran out of a puff, with a pathetically short fruiting period of just nine weeks. And given that this tall (2.1m), large-fruited (168.2g) hybrid with heirloom genes took 23 weeks to harvest, it simply wasn‘t worth the wait. An inconsistently big and beautiful tomato that's sadly fleeting in fruit. Overall rating: 4/10.

Are you keen to grow your own tomatoes at home? Expert gardeners tell us what varieties they grow themselves at home.

​JACK HOBBS, AUCKLAND BOTANIC GARDENS MANAGER

Hobbs' favourite tomato is the meaty red 'Country Taste'. "It's an F1 hybrid," he says. "People can say what they like about heirloom tomatoes but they don't perform like F1s and I have grown lots of both."

This indeterminate, or vine, tomato will easily reach 1.8m, so Hobbs suggests growing it up against a fence. Most years it receives no special treatment in his garden other than a regular liquid feed, although he does use copper spray to prevent fungal infections in especially hot summers. "And 'Country Taste' always produces lots of fleshy, large, delicious fruit."

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Four expert gardeners reveal their favourite tomato variety to grow at home.

ROBERT GUYTON, SOUTHLAND FOOD FOREST GARDENER

Surprisingly, Guyton – usually a passionate advocate for heirloom varieties, the more obscure the better – picks a hybrid as his favourite – the cherry 'Sweet 100'. "They are pure summer wonderfulness," he says. "Very sweet, easy to eat, no mess and they stay on the bush a long time."

Plus they ripen quickly, which is useful in Southland's short summer, he says, and the ones in his tunnelhouse keep fruiting long after all his other tomatoes have bitten the dust.

Robert also expresses a fondness for the glamorous 'Ilse of Capri', a ribbed beauty queen of a tom. "Simply because I like the tactile pleasure of picking up a fluted tomato."

We asked expert Kiwi gardeners for their tomato preferences.

GERARD MARTIN, OWNER OF KINGS SEEDS, KATIKATI

Martin says he likes tart tomatoes with lots of bite. 'Black Cherry' is a favourite, he says. "It's prolific, with a great taste and a long season."



But he also rates the medium sized 'Diplom', an F1 hybrid that was, unusually, bred for maximum taste (hybrids are often bred for yield or disease resistance).

Martin also confesses to a fondness for big, meaty toms with heaps of flavour like 'Black Krim' and 'Black from Tula': "They can be ugly but they taste so good."

RUUD KLEINPASTE, CHRISTCHURCH BUGMAN

With no hesitation, Kleinpaste picked the attractively striped heirloom 'Tigerella'.



"It's consistent tasting. It's not too big and not too small – the perfect size for lunch boxes. You can use it fresh in sandwiches and salads but you can also use it cooked in sauces. Plus it's great looking."