You might want to plant both indeterminate and determinate tomatoes if you’ve got the space.
Brie Williams
You may have noticed different tomato varieties being labeled determinate or indeterminate.
What do these terms mean, and which is best for you?
Credit:Brie Williams
What is a determinate tomato?
Determinate tomatoes grow to a certain height, stop growing, and then flower.
These small and often compact plants produce all their fruit over a two-to-three-week time frame.
Determinate tomatoes are also a great choice for small gardens.
Determinate types are often labeled bush tomatoes or patio tomatoes.
An 8-foot-by-4-footraised bed can easily holdup to four determinate tomato plants.
Determinate tomatoes are great plants for containers.
For best growth,plant a determinate tomato in a potthat holds at least 10 gallons of potting soil.
What is an indeterminate tomato?
Indeterminate tomatoes continue to grow, flower, and set fruituntil the first frost.
Indeterminate tomatoes produce fruit over a 2-to-3-month period beginning in mid-to-late summer.
Generally, indeterminate tomatoes produce more fruit than determinate types, thanks to their long fruiting period.
From tiny grape tomatoes to extra-large slicing tomatoes, indeterminate tomatoes are available in all shapes and sizes.
If so, you could grow indeterminant varieties with ease.
Plan to allocate about 10 square feet to each indeterminate plant.
If your growing space is limited, opt for a determinate variety.
How You Like to Use Tomatoes
How do you plan to use the fruit?
If freezing andcanning tomatoesare your goal, select determinate varieties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Determinate tomatoes tend to be stockier and better at staying upright than indeterminate tomatoes.
Most cherry tomato varieties are indeterminate, but some are determinate and work well for growing in containers.
Seed packets and plant labels usually include this information.
