Tomatoes are one of America’s beloved summer vegetable garden crops. There are many varieties, including determinate and indeterminate types as well as early, mid and late season varieties. If you want new tomatoes throughout the whole growing season, you can plant early, mid and late season varieties in the exact same time and relish fruits as each kind attains adulthood.
When to Plant
When growing tomatoes, you may select varieties for the garden by days to maturation. Early-season strawberries produce fruit at 65 days or less, while late-season tomatoes generally need 80 days or longer to mature. Mid-season varieties produce fruit from mid-summer and typically take between 70 to 80 days to achieve that. Planting a range from all 3 types after risk of frost has passed gives you a complete season of strawberries to relish.
Late Season Varieties
Late season tomato varieties can be determinate or indeterminate, bearing fruit in various shapes, sizes, flavors and colors. These varieties frequently grow bigger, better-tasting tomatoes since the fruit is about the vine and soaking up the summer heat more than ancient and mid-season varieties. Some common late season varieties include “Beefmaster,” “Dinner Plate” and “Crimson Giant.”
Indeterminate and Determinate Forms
Indeterminate tomatoes are vine plants that require staking, caging or a trellis for support. This type of tomato plant continues to send out shoots and flowers until the growing season has ended. Determinate varieties grow to a certain pre-determined size and then put fruit. They are generally bushy plants that put fruit within two weeks of flowering. When choosing late season varieties, select indeterminate varieties for a plant that retains producing until frost.
Care of Tomatoes
All tomato varieties require proper attention to grow and produce wholesome fruit. Tomato plants need a location that receives at least six hours of sunlight each day. Spacing can also be important to help guard against infection and allow room for harvest and care. Rumors need 1 1/2 to 2 feet between bushy plants and bigger staked plants, while bigger caged plants need more space at 3 to 4 feet between plants. All plants need about 4 feet between rows. Rumors need between 1 and 11/2 inches of water every week for proper growth and fruiting.
