What is the difference between "determinate", intermediate and "indeterminate" tomatoes?

Determinate varieties of tomatoes, also called "bush" tomatoes, are varieties that are bred to grow to a compact height (approx. 4 feet). tdk dpt tumbuh tinggi karena btg pokoknya

diakhiri dg rangkaian bunga. Waktu panen buah biasanya lebih singkat dibanding golongan intermediate. They stop growing when fruit sets on the terminal or top bud, ripen all their crop at or near the same time (usually over a 2 week period), and then die. They may require a limited amount of caging and/or staking for support, should NOT be pruned or "suckered" as it severely reduces the crop, and will perform relatively well in a container (minimum size of 5-6 gallon). Examples are: Rutgers, Roma, Celebrity (called a semi-determinate by some), and Marglobe. Indeterminate varieties of tomatoes are also called "vining" tomatoes. They will grow and produce fruit until killed by frost and can reach heights of up to 10 feet although 6 feet is considered the norm. They will bloom, set new fruit and ripen fruit all at the same time throughout the growing season. oleh umurnya yg hanya 4 bulan. They require substantial caging and/or staking for support and pruning and the removal of suckers is practiced by many but is not mandatory. The need for it and advisability of doing it varies from region to region. Experiment and see which works best for you. Because of the need for substantial support and the size of the plants, indeterminate varieties are not usually recommended as container plants. Examples are: Big Boy, Beef Master, most "cherry" types, Early Girl, most heirloom varieties, etc. Intermediate persilangan antara golongan determinate dengan indeterminate (varietas hibrida yang mempunyai sifat antara ke 2 golongan) sebenarnya dapat tumbuh sangat tinggi apabila tdk dibatasi

How do I start tomatoes from seed?

#1 Get Fresh Seeds For the best chances of success, acquire your seeds from reputable commercial sources. As tomato seeds age, their germination rate decreases. It is best to use seed that is less than 4 years old; however, seed that is much older can usually be germinated if has been stored in cool and dry conditions. #2 Get a Seed Starting Mix Garden soil is not a good choice, as it compacts too easily and can harbor organisms that cause diseases. A commercially prepared seed starting mix, usually a combination of peat moss, vermiculite and perlite, is recommended. Avoid mixes that have a high fertilizer content, as this causes more problems than good. Commonly used and recommended mixes are Jiffy Mix, ProMix, MetroMix and Fafard. Many other brands, or even homemade mixes, can be used. Combine the seed starting mix thoroughly with warm water to bring it to a useable state. This may take quite a lot of mixing, as completely dry mixes can be difficult to wet. Sometimes it's best to let the moistened mix sit overnight to be sure that it is evenly wet. The final mix should be damp like a wrung-out sponge, not soaked or soggy.

#3 Select Some Containers Tomato seeds will germinate in anything as long as the seeds get moisture and warmth. After germination and initial growth, the seedlings need to be potted up to larger containers. Containers must be able to drain excess water. If using old or previously used containers, its best to sterilize them with a 10% bleach solution. Your choice of containers for potting up depends on the number of plants you desire. Professional nurseries use growing "flats" with various-sized plastic cell inserts. Many sizes and kinds of flats are commercially available to the home grower, but they are not essential. Many home growers use styrofoam or plastic drinking cups with holes poked in the bottom. Just about anything will work as long as excess water can drain. Determine When to Start Many novices fail at starting tomatoes simply because they start too early. Given the proper care, full-sized tomato transplants can be grown in 6 to 8 weeks. Before planting seeds, you must determine when your plants can be safely placed into the garden. Planting outdoors is best done about 1 or 2 weeks after the average last frost date for your area. Ask friends or use web resources to find your average last frost date, then do the math to calculate your seed starting date. Plant Your Seeds Fill a small container with damp seed starting mix. Plant your seeds about 1/8 inch (3 mm) deep. Firm the mix lightly to ensure that the seed is in direct contact with the moist mix. The seed needs to absorb moisture during the germination process. You can plant lots of seeds close together because the resulting seedlings will be moved to larger containers after germination (when the first true leaves appear). It is a good idea to provide some sort of covering over your germination containers to preserve moisture. You can place the container in a plastic bag or cover it with a sheet of plastic. Allow for some air to circulate but don't let the mix dry out. Dry seeds will not germinate.

Patiently Wait for Germination Place the germination container in a warm location out of direct sunlight. Light is not needed during the germination process, but will not be harmful as long as high temperatures are avoided. Tomato seeds usually germinate within 5 to 10 days when kept in the optimum temperature range of 70 to 80F (21 to 27C). Germination is delayed by lower temperatures and accelerated by higher temperatures. Temperatures below 50F (10C) or above 95F (35C) are detrimental to germination. Keep a close eye on the first seedlings, as they need to be moved into bright light as soon as they emerge from the soil. They will explosively reach for light, and if the light is not adequate, you will get 3-inch-long (8 cm long) stems shortly after germination - this is very undesirable. If this occurs, you could try to transplant to a deeper container, or you may want to start over. Put the Seedlings under Light Very strong light is needed to support tomato growth. A heated greenhouse is the ultimate location to continue growing your seedlings. A second choice would be a cold frame (possibly with supplemental heat for cool nights). Many home growers use inexpensive fluorescent shop lights. A south-facing windowsill can work but usually presents more problems than the fluorescent shop light setup. If fluorescent shop lights are used, the leaves of the plants must be within inches of the bulbs. Use your own creativity to make a setup that gets the plants directly under the bulbs. The lights should remain on for 16 to 18 hours per day. Monitor the Plants as They Grow On Tomato seedlings grow best at a temperature of about 65F (18C) with some air circulation and lots of light. When watering, most growers soak the mix and then let it get nearly dry before providing more water.

When the plants develop their first true leaves, they should be transplanted into larger individual containers. The plants actually benefit from this re-potting step, as it helps them develop a strong root system. The plants may be set deeply into their new containers to shorten the height of the seedling. Most commercial seed starting mixtures have a small amount of fertilizer that will support small seedlings for some time. Depending on the components of your starting mix, you may need to begin fertilizing. If you do fertilize, do it very, very sparingly with a weak dilution. Depending on the size of your containers and your growing conditions, you may need to pot up a second or third time to prevent your plants from becoming rootbound. The plants require good lighting to continue to grow well. Place the plants where they get plenty of sunlight, and if that is not possible or adequate, use fluorescent fixtures, or specialized high-intensity grow lamps, or use a combination of natural and artificial lighting. Keeping large tomato plants indoors, under artifical lighting, can be quite difficult. To avoid problems, don't start too early. The best solution to the lighting dilemma is to plan your seed starting date so that the transplants reach a reasonable size along with the arrival of suitable outdoor temperatures. Harden Off your Transplants Introduce the plants to outdoor conditions slowly. This is called "hardening off". If it is not done slowly your plants may be shocked and their growth may temporarily cease. The longer the plants remains indoors, the harder it will be to acclimate them to the outdoors. Avoid full sun and wind when you first move them outside. Cold frames can be used to harden off the plants. The covers can remain in place on inclement days and removed on moderate days. Temporary structures can be built from plastic sheeting. Buildings and fences can be used to provide sun and wind protection while the plants adapt to outside conditions. If really cold weather is forecast <40F (4C), it is best to bring the plants back inside. Freezing temperatures will destroy your plants (and it happens fast).

After the transplants are hardened off, they can be planted to their final outdoor growing locations either in the garden or in large growing containers. Most agree that any early blossoms should be plucked off prior to transplanting. Others leave the early blossoms in place, especially if the transplant is strong, healthy, and not rootbound. Common Problems Leggy Seedlings The plants can become "leggy," the stems being elongated and limp, and the foliage sparse. Leggy seedlings usually occur due to insufficient lighting, too much heat, or too much fertilizer. Suggested remedies, short of starting over, are to repot the plants deeper as described earlier in Step #8, and to use a fan to improve air circulation and keep temperatures moderated, resulting in stockier and stronger plants. Damping Off Characterized by lack of germination (pre-emergent) or causes narrowing of the newly emerged stems at the soil line and the tiny seedlings then flop over and die (post-emergent). Various fungi are responsible for the condition and they are found in high concentrations in any mix with real soil. That's why it's best to use the artificial seed starting mixes mentioned in step #2. Also, it's very important to be sure that plastic domes or baggies on your containers are not airtight. If these precautions are observed, it is unlikely that you will experience damping off. Slow Growth When seedlings refuse to grow it is usually because the temperature is too low or the nutrient level is insufficient. Stuck Leaves Sometimes the cotyledons (the first leaves formed from the seed) have trouble getting loose from the seed coating. Be patient, as the leaves will usually escape. You could wet the seed coating, or you could try to carefully pinch off the seed coat, but if you pinch off the cotyledons, the seedling will likely die. A simple way to wet the seedlings is with a spray bottle of water set to mist. A small drop of saliva is also very effective at loosening seedcoats.

Over-watering Many growers fail with tomato plants because they over-water. Soggy soil will cause seed to rot. Once the seedlings are growing, they should be watered thoroughly then left un-watered until they are almost ready to wilt. Over-fertilizing Overfertilizing can cause seedlings to die, to stop growing, or to grow rapidly into spindly plants. One or at most 2 applications of very dilute fertilizer are adequate to get a seedling through to transplant size.

To prune or not to prune

That is the question...First off, know your variety! Never prune a 'determinate' type tomato, or you will lose production! Indeterminate varieties vary in their response to pruning, some reportedly have increased yields when the young plant is pruned back to three or four vines. Experiment with your favorite varieties to see how they respond. Also,removing new flowers and immature fruit near the end of the growing season can help speed ripening of mature fruit. Is pruning necessary at all? No. Tomatoes will do just fine left to sprawl, though fruits that touch the ground are far more likely to be lost to insects, disease or rot. But if you have the memory of your ancestors' glorious 7-foot-tall staked tomato plants and want to grow them that way, you'll need to prune a bit. By pruning, I mean removing the excess vines, which form where a leaf meets the main stem. A simple pinch does the job, but if you use pruners be sure to disinfect them with bleach to prevent spread of disease. When plants are large enough to begin staking, you'll want to remove all but 2-3 vines, and tie them to the stake, with supports about every 10 inches. You'll likely need to remove some top growth later, to keep the overall weight down. On some varieties, pruning and staking will result in larger, cleaner fruit, but yields will be lower, and subject to sunscald due to losing the protection from the foliage.

A good compromise is growing in cages. The fruit stays clean, no pruning is necessary, and yields are large. Building or buying tomato cages is a bit of an outlay initially, but well-made cages will last many years. Another solution is growing on wooden ladders or trellises, some time is required each week to work the vines between the supports.

Why are the blooms on my tomato plant dying and falling off?
"Blossom-Drop" is a condition suffered by tomatoes, peppers, snap beans, and some other fruiting vegetables where the plant blooms but fails to set fruit, the blooms die and fall off. It may be caused by the use of excess nitrogen fertilizers or dry windy conditions, but the most common cause is temperature extremes. Tomatoes, peppers and beans are especially picky about the air temps when it comes time to set fruit. If the night temps fall below 55 or rise above 75 or if the day temps are above 90, the pollen becomes tacky and non-viable. Pollination cannot occur. If the bloom isn't pollinated, the bloom dies and falls off. Control: Water the plants deeply once a week, mulch heavily to maintain constant soil moisture levels, establish windbreaks as needed, avoid using excessive amounts of nitrogen fertilizers, and wait for temperatures to moderate and stabilize. Earlier timed planting can help attain fruit set prior to the on-set of high temps, and the use of protection can compensate for cool nights. Some recommend attempting hand-pollination with an artist brush or a gentle shaking of the plant/cage/support prior to the hottest part of the day will also help. Fruit set will resume when temperatures moderate. Hormone sprays, such as "Blossom Set", may prevent some blossom drop due to LOW temperatures. However, the resulting fruit are often misshapen. But studies prove that hormone sprays do not prevent blossom drop due to HIGH temperatures.

Credits:This FAQ is a collaborative effort of Gardenweb members. Specifically, Carolyn137, chemocurl, Earl, funky_demon, Fusion_Power, gardengalrn, Gimme3Steps, greggf, hermantomato, John_Colorado, korney19, Linda_Xn_10_CA, LizzieA, mindsmile, mnewsom30, naturelle, NCTomatoman, Paul2101, reginak, Sally_84, sarah_may, tmflyfish, vaped, zabby17 image by : Paul2101

Jenis-jenis Tomat berdasarkan kebiasaan tumbuh (growing habit). Umumnya ada tiga jenis tomat, yaitu Indeterminate (Cordon), Determinate (Bush) dan Dwarf Bush (Hanging basket) masing-masing memiliki pola pertumbuhan yang berbeda dan dapat disesuaikan dengan kebutuhan. Indeterminate (Cordon) Tomato Varieties. Tomat jenis ini akan tumbuh tinggi, jadi akan memerlukan tiang tambahan supaya tidak rubuh, karena tidak mampu menahan beratnya. Tomat jenis ini bisa mencapai 2,5 meter bahkan ada yang khusus dikembangkan bisa mencapai 7 meter.

images from growveg.com Tunas-tunas di ketiak daun bisa dijarangkan supaya tanaman tidak terlalu besar dan menyemak. Kalau tanam di pot lebih baik tunasnya di jarangkan agar tidak terlalu besar dan rawan terkena penyakit karena kelembapan yang tinggi terutama jika ditanam berdekatan. Ciri khas tanaman indeterminate biasanya setiap tiga daun ada satu bunga. Jadi tunas bisa di jarangkan sesuai dengan kebutuhan. Cordon/Indeterminate tomato varieties biasanya memiliki buah yang matang tidak pada saat yang bersamaan, melainkan bertahap sehingga masa panen lebih panjang. Jenis tomat ini cocok untuk di kebun rumah karena suply tomat akan tercukupi dalam waktu lama dengan sekali tanam. Tomat ini bisa tumbuh sangat besar dan lebih berumur panjang dibanding type tomat lain. Jadi persiapkan tiang yang lebih tinggi.

Determinate (Bush) Tomato Varieties.

Tomat jenis berbeda dengan jenis Indeterminate karena secara umum tidak terlalu membutuhkan tiang dan kita tidak harus menjarangkan tunas sehingga membutuhkan lebih sedikit perawatan. Tapi kalau menurutku tetap membutuhkan tiang karena buahnya lumayan banyak dan kalau gak ditiangin akan tergeletak di tanah jadi lebih gampang terkena hama. Jadi siapkan tiang tapi tidak perlu terlalu panjang, karena tumbuhnya tidak terlalu tinggi.

Salah satu kehebatan jenis ini buahnya pada satu pohon, matang hampir secara bersamaan dan tidak terlalu tinggi, tingginya semeter. Jadi kalau nanam secara komersil cocok karena bisa panen habis dalam 2 atau tiga kali dengan selang waktu berdekatan. Jenis ini juga cocok di tanam di pot karena tanaman tidak terlalu besar dan tidak terlalu tinggi tapi buahnya banyak (gunakan pot yang besar)

Sebenarnya ada juga tomat jenis lain di pasaran yaitu semi determinate. Tomat ini lebih besar dari tomat determinate sehingga membutuhkan tiang, tapi lebih kecil dari interdeminiate dan buahnya matang secara bersamaan. Tomat semi determinate biasanya tomat hybrid. Dwarf Bush (Hanging Basket) Tomato Varieties. Tomat ini lebih kecil dari tomat determinate. Jenis ini di kembangkan untuk ditanam di pot. Biasanya di tanam di pot hias atau pot gantung.

Jadi kalau beli bibit tomat baca kemasannya agar tahu jenisnya .Ukuran potnya bisa disesuaikan dengan jenis tomatnya. Kalau tomat jenis intermediate harus yang besar minimal ukuran ember besar karena tanamannya tumbuh tinggi jadi harus ada ruang untuk akarnya dan tempat menancapkan tiang agar stabil.