Planting and Care
Most cherry tomatoes are
indeterminate
and have a large, sprawling growth habit that requires pruning and support. When space is limited, many gardeners choose determinate varieties as they grow in a more compact, bush-like shape.
Which is better determinate or indeterminate tomatoes?
The selection of tomato will also depend upon the use you have for the fruit. If you will be canning, a determinate type, which ripens all around the same time, is useful. If you want fruit throughout the growing season, then
an indeterminate tomato is best
.
What is the difference between a determinate and indeterminate tomato?
Tomato plants generally fall into two categories: determinate and indeterminate. Determinate (bush) tomato plants are bred to stop growing usually somewhere around 3′-4′ feet tall. … Indeterminate tomatoes
continue to grow for what seems like indefinitely
. Depending on the variety, they can grow from 6′-20′ tall.
Are beefsteak tomatoes determinate or indeterminate?
Beefsteak tomatoes are
primarily indeterminate
, which means you may remove the auxiliary shoots to promote better branching.
Are determinate tomatoes better?
In any climate, determinate tomatoes are
great for preserving
because they ripen their crop all at once, usually within a three-week period. The plants can then be pulled and composted, making room for a fall crop of leafy greens.
How long will indeterminate tomatoes produce?
Indeterminate Tomatoes
Once fruit has set, these plants continue to produce until the first frost. Indeterminate plants produce more — and often larger — tomatoes than determinate varieties, but fruit production is spread out over a
two- to three-month period
.
What is a good determinate tomato?
Glacier tomatoes
are one of the best determinate tomatoes, because, unlike most other varieties, they will ripen throughout the season. The fruit is a reddish-orange color and has quite an acidic flavor. They are good for cooking and will add fabulous flavor to stews.
Is Early Girl determinate or indeterminate?
Use it to jump start your harvest. Early Girl bears lots of fruit for early harvest, but because
the vines are indeterminate
, they continue producing through summer. In our Alabama test garden, where conditions are ideal and the growing season is long, we harvest an average of 300 tomatoes from each Early Girl plant!
How tall do determinate cherry tomatoes grow?
Determinate tomatoes are shorter than indeterminate because their apical meristem is a flowering bud. Determinate tomatoes generally remain
5 feet tall and under
.
Should I prune indeterminate tomatoes?
Indeterminate tomato plants continue to grow, producing new stems and fruit through the end of the season. Indeterminate tomato plants are the only ones that
need regular pruning
. … If you prune off all of the suckers, you will have a strong, vigorous plant with fewer but larger fruit, reveals Fine Gardening Magazine.
Do beefsteak tomatoes need pruning?
Beefsteak tomato plants are “indeterminate,” which means they
require staking and pruning to grow properly
. By contrast, many cherry and grape tomato plants are determinate and grow shorter, more like bushes, and do not require staking and pruning.
Is Big Boy tomato determinate or indeterminate?
Big Boy, with sweet, fragrant, red, smooth-skinned fruit that can weigh a pound or more, is one of the most popular tomatoes. Experts often list it amongst their top five all-time favorites. The
plant form is indeterminate
, but it is bush-like in habit, a strong grower and blessed with good disease resistance.
Can indeterminate tomatoes be grown in containers?
In general, determinate tomatoes tend to do better in pots, so look for those. It’s also possible to grow indeterminate tomatoes in containers, of course, as
long as you provide enough support and soil volume
.
Do tomatoes bloom more than once?
Determinate tomato plants are “programmed” to grow,
bloom and fruit just once during a growing season
, says The Old Farmer’s Almanac. … Gardeners who are looking for a large crop of tomatoes all at once, for perhaps canning, often prefer to grow determinate tomato plants.
Is there a determinate cherry tomato?
Cherry tomatoes can be determinate or indeterminate plants
. This means they can grow to be bush tomatoes or long vines. Within both types, there are many varieties of tomatoes you can grow that come in different colors, shapes, and sizes.
Can you keep a tomato plant alive all year?
You can grow tomatoes indoors to keep them alive all year
, but indoor tomatoes tend to be smaller than outdoor plants in the summer as well as producing less of a harvest. You can move plants from outside to the indoors for the winter, but they will eventually stop producing fruit.
