Many favorite heirloom tomatoes are indeterminate varieties. When shopping for your tomato plants, you will be looking for “indeterminate” on the label, or the abbreviation “IND” (or, less commonly, “INDET”). You can find both determinate and indeterminate beefsteak or Roma or cherry tomatoes, for example.
Is my tomato plant determinate or indeterminate?
The determinate tomato plant is often grown in a cage or even without support, as it has a more compact shape. The determinate tomato varieties also produce most of their fruit on the terminal end. The indeterminate tomato varieties have much longer stem growth, which continues to grow until cold weather arrives.