Telling indeterminates from determinates as seedlings

Daylilyfanatic4 · March 26, 2012

Hi, Is there anyway to tell an indeterminate tomato from a determinate on when they are seedlings? If not when and how can you tell the two apart eventually.

travis · March 26, 2012

Both indeterminate and determinate seedlings will grow into transplant size looking essentially the same. Then about after the fourth or fifth leaf frond emergence (internode), the plant will flower.

Determinate plants will continue to flower in between the next two internodes, or in between the second and third internode above each flower cluster, while indeterminates will produce three full leaf internodes before setting out another flower cluster. And that's the first opportunity you have to determine whether a tomato plant is determinate or indeterminate (at which point the plants should be in the ground, so are what I would no longer would call seedlings).

The term "determinate" however is based largely on the fact that the primary stem of the plant will terminate in a flower cluster, as will each of the side shoots of the same plant. Conversely, an indeterminate plant continues growing indefinitely (or until disease or weather takes it down) and the meristems never terminate in flower clusters.

March 26, 2012	#1
Daylilyfanatic4 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Zone 6 SE NY Posts: 64	Telling indeterminates from determinates as seedlings Hi, Is there anyway to tell an indeterminate tomato from a determinate on when they are seedlings? If not when and how can you tell the two apart eventually. __________________ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DLF

March 26, 2012	#2
travis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,984	Both indeterminate and determinate seedlings will grow into transplant size looking essentially the same. Then about after the fourth or fifth leaf frond emergence (internode), the plant will flower. Determinate plants will continue to flower in between the next two internodes, or in between the second and third internode above each flower cluster, while indeterminates will produce three full leaf internodes before setting out another flower cluster. And that's the first opportunity you have to determine whether a tomato plant is determinate or indeterminate (at which point the plants should be in the ground, so are what I would no longer would call seedlings). The term "determinate" however is based largely on the fact that the primary stem of the plant will terminate in a flower cluster, as will each of the side shoots of the same plant. Conversely, an indeterminate plant continues growing indefinitely (or until disease or weather takes it down) and the meristems never terminate in flower clusters. Last edited by travis; March 26, 2012 at 06:29 PM.