02/05/2023
Know your tomatoes
Determinate vs indeterminate:
What kind of tomato should I plant?
Tomato variety questions abound and sometimes can leave one scratching their head wondering. One of the most frequently asked questions I get is ..should I grow determinate or indeterminate tomatoes?
It may sound like a copout answer but my usual response is "that depends". It depends on a variety of factors and is controlled primarily by my next question I usually ask of them and that is “ why are you growing tomatoes “ ?
Many people grow tomatoes for different reasons and this affects what you should plant. Personally I grow 2 types for two different reasons.
Determinate tomatoes set their fruit at a common time ,usually within a 16 week period. Determinate plants could yield between 12 and 20 pounds of tomatoes per plant. The plant itself is self-topping ,which means it grows to a certain height and that's it. It requires shorter stakes and therefore less management. It's fruits which are heavier in abundance in massive crops , usually have a thicker skin and are easily transported. After which, the plant is spent and dies.
Indeterminate tomatoes will continue to produce as long as it is warm enough. Indeterminate plants are not self topping and the vines can get extremely long, which require more management. Indeterminate tomatoes usually have a thinner skin which means transportation is limited and/or requires special packing. They will produce more pounds per plant in growing year than their determinate cousin but over a longer period , usually around 20 to 40 pounds per plant.
For those who know me, they know I am more than primarily a garlic farmer. Usually from the months of late June / July through mid October my garlic fields would be empty. When it comes to tomatoes, it allows me to plant a determinate plant in my garlic fields, and not affect my garlic planting cycle.
Since I use fresh manure when planting garlic, I have a lot of available nutrition that is just starting to pop out in summertime as well. Did you come in through somebody to do the math?
They have a shorter production run which allows me to still achieve a usable crop before I turn the soil to replant garlic for the next year. Then when you think about it, I’m actually growing outdoors 365 days a year 😀😀😀
Hey Charlie Sheen that’s
Speaking of year-round growth
In our polytunnels, I prefer the indeterminate tomatoes because I find them more productive and the framing for the greenhouse is like a built-in automatic trellis system. All I need to do is to attach lines to the roof supports to tie up the tomatoes. The lengths of the vine mean that the plants are less dense (leaf wise) and I have less issues with leaf mold and mildew. Since my greenhouse tomatoes stay local ,I do not have transportation issues.
If you are not putting in a fall crop ,the indeterminate tomato may be the best choice because it allows you to continue to harvest throughout the year.
If you want to do little to no management, your determinate variety may be the best. Many indoor greenhouses however often grow determinate varieties because they can control production rates better. This of course means that you're constantly replanting.
Overall when most people ask me what tomato they should plant ,my usual response is... "the tasty kind ".
