How Are Determinate & Indeterminate Tomato Plants Different?
- Aside from the many types of fruit tomato plants produce, there are differences in their growth patterns as well. Based on space considerations, the length of the growing season, and the projected yield of the crop, gardeners must decide whether to grow either the determinate or the indeterminate types. While there are no hard and fast rules, each type performs optimally if grown in areas for which it is best suited.
- Determinate tomato plants mean just what the word implies: it is possible to determine just how the plant will grow, how big it will get, where it should be planted, and how much fruit it will produce. These varieties stop growing when fruit sets on the terminal or top bud, ripen all their crop at or near the same time (usually over a two-week period), and then die. Indeterminate varieties are less predictable in their growth, growing and producing fruit until killed by frost. Their fruit production is also more random than that of determinate plants.
- Where determinate tomato plants are ideal for container gardening because they reach a certain size and stop growing, there are considerations to keep in mind. Because their roots are shallower than they would be in the garden, they need more frequent watering and fertilizing to produce a decent yield. They are, however, easy to move around, and unlike their indeterminate cousins, they generally don't need much staking or any kind of support, as they produce shorter, bushier plants.
- Indeterminate tomato plants like to spread their wings, so to speak, and with proper support, they have been known to grow as high as 12 feet tall. Many gardeners like to prune these large carefree plants to increase the yield and to keep the plants at a manageable size. This is done by removing what are called "suckers" or small shoots that grow out of the sides of the main stem near other stronger vines.
- Determinate tomato plants stop growing as soon as they start to produce blossoms, and they continue to produce fruit all through the growing season. Once the fruit has set, it ripens between 10 days to two weeks. Indeterminate tomato vines continue to grow, flower, and produce fruit all season, with a ripening rate of one to two weeks.
