Anyone new to growing their own tomatoes can be forgiven for not being familiar with the terms, ‘determinate’ or ‘indeterminate’ tomatoes. It’s not something you might come across very often as many amateur growers are mainly interested in the quality and quantity of the fruits themselves. The straight-forward answer to the question, “What are determinate tomatoes?” is they are bush type plants. Determinate tomatoes or more precisely, determinate tomato plants, are restricted to their particular growth habit.
Determinate tomatoes have a loyal following of growers who support the fact that these plants need very little aftercare. They can be grown outdoors or under cover but are best suited for growing outdoors, which makes them a firm favourite with gardeners all over the country. Determinate tomatoes will grow well in a range of climate conditions and thrive in both long and short summer seasons. There are so many positive reasons for growing determinate tomatoes, not least, you can almost always expect a good crop of quality tomatoes within a relatively short timeframe.
If you like the idea that you can just plant out your tomato plants on your allotment or in your vegetable patch and just water them now and then, that’s a good enough reason on its own. No staking is required, although you might want to add a support to the main stem before the side shoots begin to break out. They will only reach a height of around 90cm – 120cm so are unlikely to be blown over by winds. Dwarf varieties will only grow to about 30cm high, which makes them ideal for growing in pots, small tubs, growing bags or even hanging baskets
There is no need to pinch out or trim any shoots, side or otherwise, as determinate tomato plants will produce flowers and fruits freely on all of their side shoots. You can expect an early harvest of sweet, cherry or plum tomatoes just in time to compliment those cherished summer salads. Very often, the whole crop will be ready for harvesting over a 3 week period before the possibility of autumn mildew sets in. Due to the overall size of determinate tomato plants, they are perfect for growing in smaller gardens or in restricted places.
Determinate tomatoes, are relatively easy to grow from seeds. To grow tomatoes from seed, simply start the tomato seeds indoors about 6-8 weeks before the last frost date in your area, then transplant them into the garden once the risk of frost has passed. Be sure to provide the plants with plenty of sunlight, water, and well-draining soil, and they should thrive and produce a bountiful harvest of juicy, delicious tomatoes.
Baby Boomer is an perfect for smaller gardens in pots and tubs.....
Growth Habit - Dwarf, for Pots.
Average Packet Contents : 10 seeds
A sweet baby plum, blight resistant bush variety for pots and tubs.....
Growth Habit - Large Bush
Average Packet Contents : 10 seeds
Cherry Falls are great tasting and perfect for hanging baskets.....
Average Packet Contents : 10 seeds
Lizzano produces masses of fruits.....
Growth Habit - Semi Bush.
Average Packet Contents : 10 seeds
Losetto was selected as one of the best for growing outdoors.....
Growth Habit - Large Bush.
Average Packet Contents : 10 seeds
Micro Tom is a revolutionary micro variety....
Growth Habit - Dwarf, for Pots.
Average Packet Contents : 10 seeds
A sweet cherry, blight resistant bush variety for pots and tubs.....
Growth Habit - Large Bush
Average Packet Contents : 10 seeds
Peardrops is a yellow fruited trailing variety for hanging baskets.....
Growth Habit - Trailing.
Average Packet Contents : 10 seeds
Well Known and popular variety for Hanging Baskets.....
Average Packet Contents : 10 seeds
Tumbling Tom Red gives amazing performance with stems.....
Growth Habit - Trailing.
Average Packet Contents : 12 seeds
Tumbling Tom Yellow is an early, prolific producer of sweet.....
Growth Habit - Trailing.
Average Packet Contents : 12 seeds
For most growers, there are no disadvantages, as the determinate tomato ticks all the boxes. However, as bush type tomato plants are generally quite small in comparison to cordon grown types, the size of the harvest will also be less than those of indeterminate tomatoes. Also, once the flowering and fruiting process has begun, the plant will stop growing. This can actually be deemed an advantage because the growing space can then be cleared to make way for other crops.
If the plants produce a large amount of side shoots then the weight from the emerging crop of fruits could make the plants collapse, with fruits coming into contact with the ground. In this case it would be wise to provide support where required or place straw or matting below the plants to protect the fruits. Other than that, ground or soil preparation, feeding and watering requirements are the same as any other type of tomatoes.
What's your favourite determinate tomato to grow, and why? Leave a comment below and let everyone know....
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