Hello there. I wanted to know what the difference between determinate and indeterminate is. I have read it's the size of the plant, and then my sister said one produces fruit once and dies and the other produces fruit more than once before it dies. I hope someone here can tell me what they mean.
I've heard of it when speaking of tomatoes. Indeterminate plants: - will grow as large as you allow them to - have a number of branches - will produce fruit all season long - usually killed by frost - generally need support or structure on which to grow - tend to require pruning - also known as "vining" tomatoes Determinate: - includes the plant completing most of its growing before the fruit are set - fruit generally ripen at once over a period of a couple of weeks - after which, fruit production is limited - the plant will generally die at this point - tend to grow only a few feet tall - are best to be planted as container plants - sometimes referred to as "bush" tomatoes.
Wow Red Rose! Thank you for giving us that fine Biology lesson this AM . . . We can tell who will be graduating at the top of her class . . . My! I learn so much here!!!!
Hehe, sorry. Didn't mean to show off. Thanks for the compliments though! I guess I've become accustomed to being thorough in my classes, it's just become habit.
Hi Redrose, Thanks for your information. That explains why my two potted (determinate) tomatoes died in the fall. I was thinking to move them indoor for winter.
Gee whizz Thanks for all the great information. One is never too old to learn. I certainly learned a great deal as I did not have a clue of what those terms really meant.
