Determinate or Indeterminate

Tomatoes can be determinate or indeterminate.

All but one of the Henry Street Farm tomato varieties are indeterminate. The exception is Defiant, which is determinate. Indeterminate tomatoes (Sun Gold, Carbon, Sun Peach, Granadero, Striped German) will just grow and grow as long as they have sun, water and food. You will need to trim off the lower leaves, and perhaps thin out some from the higher part of the plant. You'll also want to pinch off many of the suckers, the small branches that try and grow from the crook of the plant right above a leaf stem, especially the ones lower down in the plant. For the others, use your judgment - do you have enough support and space for the branches? Our Sun Gold tomatoes are the best producers: some will be ripe in early July, and they'll keep producing into October, if all goes well. We have a few more Sun Gold tomato plants for sale. Or, you can get one for free if you are new to our Kids Grow Food program, or need a replacement for a leafy green plant that is nearing the end of its life cycle for this season.

The determinate tomatoes ripen all at once, within a couple week period. We are already seeing some nice green tomatoes on our Defiant plants: