What is the difference between a determinate tomato and an indeterminate tomato, and does it even matter to home gardeners? The answers may surprise you! We will explore all in this post on tomato types and varieties. If you stick around I’ll even share some of my favorite seed sources!

Key Takeaways

• Most tomatoes fall into two classifications: determinate or indeterminate, which refers to the growth habit or maximum height and width of a mature plant
• Determinate tomato plants tend to be smaller and bushier, and produce most of their fruit at once for a smaller but more immediate harvest
• Indeterminate tomatoes are taller, require more staking/support, and fruit over a longer period of time for a continual harvest
• You may want to grow all of one type or a mixture of both depending on your growing space and desired productivity

Oftentimes when you choose to start tomatoes from seed you will gather a variety of seed packets with beautiful imagery and surprisingly very little growing information included. Sometimes a packet won’t even mention whether a specific cultivar is determinate or indeterminate, and this can be very misleading for the home gardener, especially a beginner. I have found this phenomenon to be even worse on store-bought starts. They almost never specify the growing habit of tomato varieties for sale in hardware stores and grocery markets. A habit is the size characteristics of a plant when it’s reached maturity or, in the case of our favorite vegetables, fruiting stage.

Most tomatoes fall into the above-mentioned classifications – determinate or indeterminate – and this refers to the growth habit of the mature tomato plant. If the packet or label doesn’t indicate the type sometimes you can search the name online – such as Pink Brandywine, or Yellow Pear – and find a source which will list the habit. One clue to determining the habit of a specific variety of tomato yourself is to find the mature height of the plant which can be found on almost every label, plant tag or seed packet. The height of a mature tomato plant can range from 18″ to more than 7′ tall, and this is where we can make a distinction.

Determinate Tomatoes

The average height of a determinate or “bush” type tomato ranges from about a foot tall for dwarf varieties up to about three feet. These types are great for small-space or container gardening because they’re much more manageable than their jungle-like counterparts. They often peak in height before they need to be staked, or will only require a minimum amount of support such as your garden-variety tomato cage. They are a popular choice for backyard gardens and even patios; and with the availability of such varieties like Tasmanian Chocolate, Super Bush and Patio Choice, you’ll have no trouble finding a tomato in any shape, size or color to suit your needs.

When growing a determinate variety you DO NOT want to prune branches or trim the tops of the plants unless it is the end of the season and you are trying to force ripening of existing fruit. Determinate varieties only produce a predetermined amount of fruit (hence the name) and if you cut the top off of the plant it may prevent it from growing all the fruiting branches it needed to produce the most tomatoes.

The other important feature of a determinate type tomato is its fruiting qualities. Similar to other types of fruiting determinate plants, like bush beans, bush tomatoes will produce the majority of their crop at one time. This has many advantages and disadvantages, and the main deciding factor for home gardeners when choosing this variety is either space restrictions or intended use. Concerning the latter, if you are a gardener who wants to put up a lot of tomato products for the winter, a large harvest of determinate tomatoes will provide you with a quantity sufficient for processing all at once (for the most part.) However, if you don’t preserve food and you end up with many determinate tomato plants fruiting at once, you may end up wasting more fruit than necessary. An indeterminate variety may suit your needs better or even a mixture of both for multipurpose and continual harvest.

Indeterminate Tomatoes

Indeterminate varieties of tomato are incredibly variable in characteristics. Some may be leafier or leggier than others, but as a general rule they can reach a height of five feet or more depending on the length of your growing season. They can require vigorous staking such as cattle panels, extra-tall tomato cages, or using a method such as the Florida weave. They also can benefit from an occasional pruning and even topping of the plants. Practices vary and depend on your desired results.

Speaking to the productivity of this classification, indeterminate tomatoes tend to produce more fruit by weight per plant than determinate varieties. However this production occurs over a longer period of time, usually the duration of the growing season. Many beefsteak and cherry-type tomatoes are indeterminate, especially heirloom varieties, and this is of great benefit to the gardener who wants a few tomatoes a week for salads and sandwiches, or needs bowls of cherry tomatoes for snacking.

Semi-Determinate Tomatoes

This is kind of a bonus category as it is the least common habit of tomatoes available to the consumer market. Semi-determinate are somewhere in between determinate and indeterminate, and can possess qualities of each. If you find a variety that you’d like to try that is semi-determinate, make sure to research that specific variety or consult the supplier’s website for growing instructions.

In my garden here on the homestead I like to grow a wide variety of tomatoes for both flavor and performance. I won’t lie and say that color doesn’t play a major factor in my selections, but since I’m trying to narrow down my go-to varieties as much as possible I have been focusing more on quality than aesthetics. They are all a mixture of determinate and indeterminate types and I care for each on an individual basis. About two-thirds of my plants are paste tomatoes for processing, while the remaining third I reserve for fresh eating. Hardly any cherry tomatoes normally make it in the house and I’m totally okay with that! There’s nothing better-tasting or better for you than a fresh- vine-ripened tomato picked with your own two hands.

Shopping for tomato varieties can be really daunting but I love to recommend Tomatofest as well as SeedsNow. They are both fabulous resources for heirloom seeds and their listings contain much of the growing information we as gardeners need to be successful. I hope I’ve contributed to your library of information too! For a list of my personal favorite tomato varieties you can read my comprehensive Tomato Growing Guide.

If you have any questions about whether a particular variety is determinate or indeterminate, or you need help caring for your plants, feel free to leave a comment below! I would love to help you select the best tomato for a bountiful harvest this season.