Seed catalogues, or any of the companies on-line catalogues will have them broken down in categories of deter. and indeter.

If you're going to buy transplants this late in the season, they'll have that information listed on the plant tag.

"...this late in the season..."?????

Maybe where you are Ribbit, but we still have six weeks to go until safe tomato planting time!!!

:-(

I am having a hard time holding back putting in my tomatoes...whether is sunny and highs are in the 80's right now...lows in the 50's. But, there is a chance that the mercury dips and then I lose them all.

3 more weeks to wait for me!

If your seed catalogue or tag doesn't list det or indet, purchase elsewhere.

Dan

paully1,

The OP's in zone 8. It's late for them to start seeds now.

JCCole,

Try this:

http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Category:Tomato_Variety_List

It should tell you what you need, I think.

Susan

Thanks Susancol,

It looks like that link is going to tell me which one of my plants grown from seed are determinate and indeterminate. Most of the seeds I bought at retail stores and they don't tell me everything I needed to know.

Happy Gardening!

Ok, so call me stupy - what do determinate and indeterminate tomatos mean?? I have celebrity, roma and cherry tomatos going right now - what does this mean????? thanks

From the FAQ on GW.

"Determinate varieties of tomatoes, also called "bush" tomatoes, are varieties that are bred to grow to a compact height (approx. 4 feet).

They stop growing when fruit sets on the terminal or top bud, ripen all their crop at or near the same time (usually over a 2 week period), and then die.

They may require a limited amount of caging and/or staking for support, should NOT be pruned or "suckered" as it severely reduces the crop, and will perform relatively well in a container (minimum size of 5-6 gallon). Examples are: Rutgers, Roma, Celebrity (called a semi-determinate by some), and Marglobe.

Indeterminate varieties of tomatoes are also called "vining" tomatoes. They will grow and produce fruit until killed by frost and can reach heights of up to 10 feet although 6 feet is considered the norm. They will bloom, set new fruit and ripen fruit all at the same time throughout the growing season.

They require substantial caging and/or staking for support and pruning and the removal of suckers is practiced by many but is not mandatory. The need for it and advisability of doing it varies from region to region. Experiment and see which works best for you. Because of the need for substantial support and the size of the plants, indeterminate varieties are not usually recommended as container plants. "

Momstar; Thank you so much for explaining that to me.
Susancol; thanks for your website info. Tamij