CATEGORIES OF TOMATOES:
There are many ways to classify and categorize plants, and tomatoes are no exception. Some of the ways we separate categories of tomatoes include “type” (roma/sauce, cherry, beefsteak…) “indeterminate” vs. “determinate” (ongoing fruit set vs. single fruit set) and “open pollinated” vs. “hybrid” vs. “heirloom” (Refers to history and method of cultivation/breeding).
All of these categories can be overwhelming, but a basic understanding of these differences can help us choose the right tomatoes for our needs and tastes. And if it all feels like too much, your local nursery can generally help demystify the situation.
"Open Pollinated" vs. “Heirloom” vs. "Hybrid":
“Open pollinated” tomatoes (and other vegetables) are varieties whose seeds can be saved and planted the following year, yielding the same variety again. These are varieties that have evolved over time, and have been selected, and improved upon by the decisions of seed savers all over the world. If you want to save your own seeds, it is important that you plant open pollinated varieties.
“Heirloom” is a term which foodie culture has embraced with zeal. Every consumer wants heirloom tomatoes and every restaurant touts them on their menu. There is disagreement as to what exactly constitutes an heirloom variety but in general they are old open-pollinated varieties that were grown before world war II. Or as Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary states “a horticultural variety that has survived for several generations usually due to the efforts of private individuals” In general heirlooms are touted for their superior and complex flavors and equally for their fragility and perishability. For this reason they are best eaten straight from the garden
An Interesting article about heirlooms from Burpee Seeds: http://www.burpee.com/heirloom-seeds-and-plants/what-is-an-heirloom-article10162.html
“Hybrid” tomato varieties stand in contrast to open pollinated tomatoes. They are generally newer varieties that have been carefully bred by selective crossing of different varieties to achieve a desired quality be it flavor, storability, disease resistance, or higher yield. Think of a mule which is the offspring of a horse and a donkey. Despite the favorable qualities of the mule, they are infertile and cannot breed with other mules. They can only be created as the offspring of horse and donkey. The same holds true for tomatoes, and unlike open-pollinated varieties the seeds of hybrids cannot be saved and replanted. Hybrid tomatoes are always notated with “F1” following the variety name i.e. “Sungold F1”
“Determinate” vs. “Indeterminate”
“Determinate” tomatoes are varieties that grow and ripen one set of fruit, often over a 2-4 week period. These plants tend to be more compact in size and more bush-like in form. For this reason they require less in the way of support. They also should be pruned less aggressively, if at all, since they have a limited potential to set fruit. Most roma/paste tomatoes are determinate varieties as well as many standard red “slicer” varieties.
“Indeterminate” tomatoes ripen their fruits continuously and can typically produce many more fruits than their determinate counterparts. They also tend to be more vigorous and vining in their growth requiring more support and more pruning. Most heirloom and “cherry” varieties are indeterminate. Their fruiting period in our climate is generally limited only by our weather, ending in the fall when precipitation and cooler temperatures compromise their fragile fruits.
“Types” of tomatoes
“Cherry:” Indeterminate plants that are generally the earliest to produce and yield many small fruits ranging in size from currant up to ping pong ball size and spanning many colors. These are among the most reliable producers in our climate.