The Word on Tomatoes: Determinate vs. Indeterminate
Interested in growing tomatoes? With the wide variety of tomatoes available, it can be overwhelming to choose. Do you want beefsteak, cherry, Roma, or an heirloom tomato? Better yet, do you want determinate or indeterminate tomatoes—or both?
What Do Determinate & Indeterminate Mean?
Determinate tomatoes grow to a specified height and then set their flowers and form most of their fruit within a relatively short period of time.
Indeterminate tomatoes continue to grow, flower, and produce fruit throughout the growing season.
Characteristics of Determinate Tomatoes
• Smaller plants that can be a good choice for containers
• Fruit tends to ripen within a shorter period of time
• Produces a large crop at once, making them ideal for canning and preserving
• Plants have a more compact, bush-like growth habit
• Typically require less staking or caging due to their smaller size
Characteristics of Indeterminate Tomatoes
• Larger plants that continue to grow throughout the season
• Continually set new fruit, providing tomatoes over a longer period of time
• Require strong staking, caging, or other support due to their size
• Often better suited for in-ground planting or larger vegetable beds where they have plenty of room to grow
Which Is Best for You?
If you’re planting in a limited space, you may want to choose determinate varieties. If you have plenty of room and want tomatoes ripening throughout the growing season, indeterminate varieties may be the better choice.
Ideally, you can plant a little of both so you can enjoy the benefits of each—and plenty of homegrown tomatoes!
How Do You Know Which Type You’re Buying?
Look on the seed packet or plant tag for the word “determinate” or “DET” and “indeterminate” or “IND.” Not every plant tag will include this information, but a quick search of the tomato variety can usually tell you which type it is.
Remember—no matter which tomato varieties you choose to plant, nothing tastes better than a homegrown tomato!