Five major fruit shapes dominate the tomato family:

* Cherry - defined by weight in the range of , ounce to 1 ounce, cherry tomatoes are produced in clusters like grapes. They tend to crack if not picked regularly. One cherry tomato plant produces lots of fruits.

* Plum and pear - these tomatoes are shaped like their names and weigh between 2 and 6 ounces. They have meaty interiors, thick fruit walls and less gel than others. Paste or Roma tomatoes with few seeds cook down to make nice tomato paste.

* Standard - these tomatoes in the 8 to 10 ounce size are great for slicing or salads.

* Beefstake - large-fruited types that can be 2 pounds or more. They usually ripen late.

When purchasing tomato plants, look for information that tells you about their ripening and production times. Some ripen early and don't produce the rest of the summer, some are called all-summer tomatoes and produce continuously and some are late to ripen. If you are really into tomatoes, planting some of each will give you variety throughout the growing season.

And don't just think tomatoes come in standard red. Tomatoes in the Tomato Growers Supply Co. catalog - toll-free (888) 478-7333 - shows them in bicolors of yellow-orange with red streaking and various shades of purple, orange, black, gold and green. Red, however, just seems to fit the old-fashioned personality of a summer-ripened tomato.

TOMATOES AT A GLANCE

COMMON NAME: Tomato

SPECIES: Lycoperscion lycopersicum, related to white potatoes, peppers, eggplants and other members of potato family.

HISTORY: It was the wild, cherry-size tomato Lycoperscion esculentum var. cerasiforme - literally, wolf peach - from which modern tomatoes are descended. The species is still found growing wild throughout the New World Tropics. Cortez and his explorers found the tomato in an Aztec market in 1520 and transported the seed to Spain. It was cultivted in Naples, Italy, around 1522. Botanically speaking, tomatoes are the fruit of a vine, just like cucumbers, squash, beans and peas. But, culinary speaking, it's a vegetable in the kitchen garden.

SIZE: Depends on variety.

VARIETIES: Too many to list.

EXPOSURE: Sun.

CULTURE: Set plants out after all danger of frost is past in warm soil. (Tomatoes can be grown from seed but should be started indoors six to eight weeks before frost.) Needs well-drained, loamy soil. Keep moist but not waterlogged. Plant so only two or three sets of true leaves are exposed.

PLANTING TIP: To get a good root system, try the horizontal or trench planting. Dig a long shallow hole and lay the tomato plant horizontally into the trench, leaving two to three sets of leaves exposed. New roots will grow along the stem buried underground, providing the plant a healthy root base.

FERTILIZER: Likes food. Be careful to not overfertilize or you will get a lush, tall, tropical plant with little, if any, fruit.

HARVEST: Let fruit ripen fully on plant; once removed, no additional sugars go into the fruit. Before frost, remove all green tomatoes and place on windowsill to ripen; placing unripe tomatoes in a closed paper bag speeds up the ripening process.

PROBLEMS: Look for varieties with labels that include the letters V,F,N or TMV, meaning they are tolerant of wilting and fungal diseases.

Sources: Virginia Cooperative Extension, National Garden Bureau

TOMATO BOOKS

* ``The Tomato Handbook'' by Firefly Books offers tips and tricks for growing tomatoes, including how to start them from seed and seed sources, information on genetic engineering, how to deal with diseases and pests, preservation techniques and even recipes. $10.95 paperback.

* ``Burpee Tomatoes'' by MacMillan Publishing covers tomato varieties, soil and heat conditions and canning methods. $16.95 paperback.

CONTAINER CULTURE

To grow tomatoes in a tub or large patio container: