Indeterminate Tomato Cultivars

Hybrid Reds

• Hundreds of tomato cultivars are available for growing in a home garden, each with its own characteristics and fruit type. Many of the modern indeterminate varieties are the result of hybridizing to develop strong, disease-resistant plants that produce abundant fruits. Examples include "Early Girl," which produces sweet red fruits in about 60 days after planting and has unusually early harvest, and "Better Boy," which has an exceptionally large number of tomatoes, with the first ready to pick in about 75 days. Like most tomato varieties, both cultivars prefer full sun, but they need at least 6 hours of direct sun daily.

Heirlooms

• A number of indeterminate tomato varieties are called heirlooms because they're old-fashioned types handed down for generations. Although they may yield fewer tomatoes than hybrids, their fruits often have exceptional flavor and interesting features. Examples include "Beefsteak," also called "Red Ponderosa" or "Crimson Cushion," which has huge, flavorful fruits that can weigh more than a pound each and are ready in about 85 days. This plant is quite tall, needs a strong stake, and can be top-pruned in late summer when production slows. Another heirloom called "Brandywine" originated in the 19th century and has extra-flavorful, low-acid, pinkish-red fruits that are ready in about 78 days.

Unusual Colors

• Some indeterminate plants produce fruits in unusual colors other than red. "Black Krim" is an example of this type, producing purple-to-black, 12-ounce tomatoes that are red inside, while "Mr. Stripey" has large fruits that can exceed 1 pound and displays red-and-yellow stripes inside and out. Several indeterminate varieties have yellow fruits, including the cultivar called "Sunny Boy," whose tomatoes take about 75 days to mature and have bright, clear yellow skin and flesh.

Cherry Tomatoes

• Several indeterminate cultivars produce small fruits called cherry tomatoes that weigh only 1 or 2 ounces. The variety called "Red Lightning" is an example of this type, with small, round fruits brightly striped in red and yellow that mature in about 80 days, while "Italian Ice" has pure white, especially sweet cherry tomatoes that are ready for picking in 65 days. The cultivar "Mountain Magic" produces 2-to-3-ounce red tomatoes in 70 to 80 days and is exceptionally disease-resistant.