Question: I see the terms "determinate" and "indeterminate" in tomato variety descriptions. What do these terms mean?

Answer: Determinate describes a plantOs growth habit in which stems stop growing at a certain height and produce a flower cluster at the tip. Determinate tomatoes, for example, are relatively short-vined, early_fruiting, and have concentrated fruit set. These are the types you should grow if you want to harvest your main crop all at once for canning, drying, or freezing. Indeterminate describes a plant growth habit in which stems keep growing in length indefinitely. For example, indeterminate tomatoes are tall, later_fruiting, and require staking for improved yield. These are the types you should grow if you want to harvest fresh tomatoes over a long season.