Making sense of Days to Maturity malarky

16 years ago

Most of us know that the DTM listed on tomato varieties is touted to be maturity time from "setting out transplants" but can actually only be used as a general guide for days to maturity. IOW, whether the tomato is an early-, mid-, or late-season variety.

Last year someone posted a really neat link to the growth progress of a Big Beef tomato, and it's below.

Big Beef has a DTM listed as 73 days "from time of transplant" in at least one catalog. It's likely to be different in other catalogs.

You might be interested to know that for the website grower, it took 53 days from the appearance of the first Big Beef blossom bud to full ripe tomato and 42 days from the tiny tomato that appeared. I'd be interested to know if either of these measures (blossom bud or baby tomato to mature fruit) would be more reliable to anticipate fruit maturity, rather than days from setting out transplants.

It usually takes several weeks for a transplanted tomato plant to settle in and begin growing and producing blossoms depending on a number of factors. Fruit maturity "from the time of transplant" can only be guesswork.

These other milestones of first bud and/or tiny tomato appearance might provide more reliable maturity dates to anticipate, though they might not -- they could fluctuate, not be genetically-determined, and otherwise not be reliable because of other factors. Of course different varieties will have different time schedules.

But, just for curiosity, as the tomato season progresses, if anyone notes these milestones, it might be helpful if you'd let the rest of us know what they are in case we're growing the same variety and can compare notes.

Here is a link that might be useful: Big Beef - pictorial record of days to maturity

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

carolyn137
16 years ago
In my opinion DTM's are pure guesstimates. Weather and many other variables can and do determine DTM.

You posted a link to Paul's time sequence, which I've linked to here many times, but what you've got there is maybe a rough guideline b'c that result was from one season only, growing the way Paul grows his tomatoes, in his soil, with the weather in that season, with his source of seeds, using the amendments he did, etc. Paul used to post here, but no more as far as I've seen lately.

I've had lates mature before mids and mids mature before earlies.

If you were to look at ONE variety in the SSE Yearbook where lots of folks are listing it you'd see DTM;s all over the lot which just reflects varying geographic locations, soil, weather, way of growing tomatoes, seed source and on and on. ( smile)

I much prefer to see a spread of days, say:

Early; 55-65, roughly
Midseason; 65 to 80, roughly
Late; over 80 days

Just my opinion on this controversial subject which comes up all the time, and I guess well it should/ ( smile)

Carolyn
anney
Original Author
16 years ago
Carolyn,

I don't know "Paul" but do tell him his link is still being referred to and appreciated! I just hope he leaves it where it is.
Related Professionals
Waunakee Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Woodinville Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Bergenfield Landscape Contractors · Doctor Phillips Landscape Contractors · Hawthorne Landscape Contractors · Hayward Landscape Contractors · Newnan Landscape Contractors · Palatine Landscape Contractors · Westford Landscape Contractors · New Bern General Contractors · Dover General Contractors · Livermore General Contractors · Jackson Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · Rogers Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · Royal Oak Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures
sammyqc
16 years ago
Thanks for posting that link. Very neat. And a new project to try. I've never really taken good notes of such things before, but it's an excellent idea. What goes on in your garden will obviously be different, depending on the growing conditions, but what a great idea, to record the times from seed to transplant, to flower to early fruit to ripe fruit.
bakersville
16 years ago
anney : I saw a chart posted a while ago not sure where on the web that listed the number of days from flower to fruit for 150 varieties. The chart listed a great variety of tomato varieties, that varied in shapes, sizes, maturities and colors. If someone could find chart now that might go a long way to answering the original posters questions.
Seysonn_ 8a-NC/HZ-7
8 years ago
Days To Maturity (DTM) ( DTH = Days To Harvest ) is not the same thing as "From flower to ripe Fruit"

Tomatoes have different DTM, at different climates, also from flower to ripe fruits is not the same for all varieties in all locations. Generally it would take much longer for a big beef steak than say for a cherry. In my climate I add 15 days to all those numbers to give me a rough estimate.

There is also a DTH from sowing seeds, which , to me , is more meaningful. It can be anywhere from 90 days to 120+ days. Very similar to potatoes.

BTW: I like DTH ( Days To Harvest). What is Maturity ???. JMO

Sey