Determinate and Indeterminate Tomatoes

The difference between determinate & indeterminate tomato varieties.

Choosing the correct type of tomato for your gardening needs is essential.  There are two different types of tomatoes to choose from--determinate & indeterminate.  Knowing the difference can help in your gardening journey.  In this post, I’ll also share what varieties I planted this year.

Determinate

Determinate tomatoes are also called bush tomatoes due to their appearance.  

Determinate tomatoes will grow leaves & branches up to a determined height & then will stop growing.  Once the plant has flowers at the top, it has reached its full size.

From there, the plant will develop fruit at about the same time & then will be done producing altogether.

Determinate tomatoes are perfect for canning because they produce all their tomatoes simultaneously.

Because determinate tomatoes only grow to a specific size (usually 3-4 feet), they work well in smaller gardening spaces.

Determinate tomatoes are a lot of Roma varieties.

Indeterminate

Indeterminate tomatoes are vining tomatoes.

Indeterminate tomatoes do not have a fixed height or spread. Therefore, they will continue to grow until frost kills them.

These tomato plants will produce tomatoes at different times all season long.

Indeterminate tomatoes are good for eating or canning in small batches.

Because indeterminate tomatoes continuously grow throughout the season, they require a larger gardening space & more care to train the vines.  These plants will grow to at least 6-8 feet tall.

Indeterminate tomatoes include the varieties & beefsteak-type varieties.  Surprisingly, San Marzano tomatoes are also indeterminate tomatoes.

My tomatoes

I grew three different tomato varieties this year:  Roma VF, Big Mama & SuperSauce.

Roma VF was my only determinate variety.

Although Big Mama & SuperSauce were indeterminate varieties, they are big enough for my canning needs.

Choosing the right tomatoes for your garden can make a big difference in your gardening experience.

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