To-MAY-to, To-MAH-to, let's figure the whole thing out

Do you know what to look for and how to read the tags
on those baby tomato plants?

To the new gardener, tomato tags can read like hieroglyphics. 

MAT,  Beefsteak, VFN,  'DET' and OP or F1.

Photo by www.mimikirchner.com

 Let's take a look at this tag and see if we have all the information we need 

to make an informed decision.

First on the label is VF. 

 V stands for Verticillium Wilt, a fungal disease that causes wilting and leads to poor quality fruit, if the plant survives. Another fungal disease is Fusarium Wilt, or  F, producing similar results. 

Alternately, you'll often see VFN.  

Root-knot nematode resistance is signified by N. 

Root-knot nematodes are microscopic roundworms that attack the roots and 

decrease nutrient and water uptake.

This label doesn't tell us that the tomato featured is a hybrid, but we can deduce that 

it is, as F1 hybrids advertise and highlight disease resistant characteristics.

Hybrid types, such as Early Girl, are labeled as F1, meaning this seed/plant is from the 

first filial generation of offspring of distinctly different parental types.

Not to be confused with GMO, F1 is simply hybridization of two tomato varieties

with the desired outcome of the best traits of both plants, such as disease resistance. 

 Open-pollinated or heirloom, two ways to express the same meaning,

 indicates that the seed has been passed on from generation to generation, 

and the usually accepted definition is anything prior to 1950 qualifies as heirloom.

Disease resistance is not listed, as with OP varieties, you take what you get,

usually excellent flavor but not disease resistance.

 You can read about amping up disease resistance in heirloom tomatoes

HERE 

If you're saving seeds, OP is what you're looking for, as they'll produce plants

identical to the parent plant.  This is not true with hybrids, which require

purchased seeds every year, as the seeds will not throw genetic duplicates of the parent plant.

A collection of heirloom tomatoes from Gracie's Plant Works test gardens

 Second on the label is usage recommendations.

Roma tomatoes, often also referred to as paste tomatoes,  are elongated, with 

thick flesh and few seeds. Not great for the table, romas are perfect for canning or drying, 

as they are less juicy than regular tomatoes.

Popular Roma/Paste types are Amish Paste, La Roma, Oroma, and the most famous

of all:  San Marzano.

Third is MAT, or days to maturity.

EXTRA LARGE BEEFSTEAK

Weighing easily over one pound each, beefsteak tomatoes are delicious, 

but late.  Often varieties are listed as 80-90 days, they are not the best choice for

northern gardeners who do not grow in high tunnels, hoop houses, or greenhouses.

This number is days from TRANSPLANT in the garden, not from the planting

of the seed.  Keep in mind that a 90 day tomato in Atlanta is probably not a problem, 

but here, you may only get one or two before frost.
Remember also that weather plays a role, and tomatoes won't ripen in cool weather,
meaning a cool summer may extend the date in your garden.

This Roma tomato would be a good choice for northern gardeners.

A maturity of 76 days allows us to expect a reasonable harvest 

within that time frame in our neck of the woods.

Finally, this tag lists how to plant.

This tag is telling us to plant the tomatoes 2-3 feet apart from one another

and to leave 3-4 feet between rows.

What doesn't this label tell us?

We're missing information on the growth habit of the plant. 

 Tomatoes all look tiny and cute when they're in a little pot, but some can actually take over your

garden and crowd out the other vegetables if you select the wrong type for your space.

Tomatoes have three types of growth habit:

Tomatoes are either determinate, semi-determinate, or indeterminate.

These are often abbreviated as DET, S-DET, and IND.

Indeterminate vs. Determinate

This is a Patio tomato, perfect for growing in containers

because it's a DETERMINATE plant.
All in all, determinate tomatoes are quite manageable, and
are perfectly suited for canning and preserving, as they typically
set fruit and ripen within a short period.

Indeterminate types require staking and can grow very large.
This is the best choice for a steady harvest of  tomatoes all summer and fall.
This is an indeterminate tomato with my mother-in-law, Barb, for scale.
Indeterminate tomatoes will continue to grow and bear fruit until a killing frost,
as all tomatoes are perennials where they are native.
This is not atypical.
12' tall tomato plants are not unusual at all in the greenhouse.

By the way, most roma-type tomatoes, and thus the plant featured in our sample tag, are semi-determinate, meaning they require some staking, but won't be out-of-control large. 

For more info on selecting the best tomato for your garden,
click HERE

Happy Gardening,
Kathy and Patty