Tomatoes are one of the easiest plants to grow and every garden, no matter the size, has room for at least one tomato plant.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Tomato plants are sensitive to frost, so once the danger of a cold snap has passed it’s all systems go.
When choosing which variety of tomato to grow, one thing you need to know is if the plant is determinate or indeterminate.
Determinate tomatoes are often called “bush” tomatoes and these plants grow to a set height, usually about 1-1.5 metres. These plants set fruit on the top buds, which halts growth upwards.
The determinate tomato varieties tend to mature most of their fruit at about the same time, give or take a few weeks, and because of this they will need to be supported with stakes.
Determinate varieties are perfect for growing in pots. Pruning should be minimal if done at all, because it reduces the size of your crop.
Examples of determinate varieties include:
Burnley Gem – grows to one metre and produces early, roundish fruit. This plant does well in hot areas.
Roma – bushy plant to one metre. Mid-season production of almost egg shaped fruit.
KY1 – early to mid- season fruit. Again, a growth to about one metre. Good sauce-making variety.
Indeterminate tomato varieties grow and keep producing fruit until the plant dies. In our region, this would be because of the cold weather.
Indeterminate varieties can be called “vining” types. These plants keep growing and, in a good season, can reach more than three metres. Fruit is set and ripens throughout the growing season. Indeterminate plants need a fair amount of caging or staking and pruning is beneficial, though there are many gardeners who don’t prune their plants and all.
Examples of indeterminate varieties include:
Apollo – an early producing hybrid. Grows to more than two metres and produces round/globular fruits.
Beefsteak – mid-season. This variety only grows to about 1.5 metres, but the fruit are large, juicy and great eaten straight from the plant.
Oxheart – mid to late season production of fruit. Produces solid, heart-shaped tomatoes.
Unless you want to make lots of sauce, choose varieties that mature at different times and stagger your plantings.
Growing great tomatoes takes a fair bit of work, but the taste does make it all worthwhile.
DIARY
Need to know how and what to prune in spring?
Enrol in Wodonga TAFE’s spring pruning workshop.
It’s on from 9am-noon on Saturday, October 22. Cost: $50. For more details, phone 1300 698 233.
