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Which tomato is the best tomato for me?  What are determinate and indeterminate?   Tomatoes are classified by their growth patterns, and explaining the difference should help you to figure out which type of tomato will best fit your needs.  You may be looking for a tomato that produces a large crop at one time for canning, or one the will provide you with fresh tomatoes throughout the growing season.

Determinate:

• Smaller plants that do not need staking.
• Stem growth ends with a flower cluster at 12 to 18 inches.
• Fruit production stops when growth stops.
• Determinate plants have fruit clusters between every node, which produces a more concentrated set of fruit.
• Tomatoes on determinate plants also tend to ripen together over a shorter period of time.
• A good choice for gardeners who want one large crop of tomatoes for preserving or use at one time.

Indeterminate:

• Plants continue to bear fruit longer in long growing seasons.
• When grown as staked or caged plants; tomatoes require relatively little space, yet they are capable of producing 8 to 10 pounds or more fruit per plant.
• Indeterminate varieties continue to grow until the bitter end and need to be staked or trellised for best production and to prevent them from growing everywhere.
• They will produce fruits until frost, always leaving you some green tomatoes at the end of the season.
• A good choice for gardeners who want to pick a few eating tomatoes throughout the gardening season.