Tomato plants are one of two general types, being “determinate” or “indeterminate”. Determinate means they are bush tomatoes. The plants don’t get over about three feet tall, and once the fruit starts setting on, it comes in a rush, which is what makes them great for canning. A wire tomato cage will keep the plant upright when loaded with fruit and will keep the tomatoes off the ground so they won’t rot. There are only a few determinate, or bush tomatoes: Dx 52-12, Celebrity, and Roma. DX 52-12, a canning tomato developed especially for Utah’s climatic conditions, is resistant to wilt diseases and the only tomato resistant to blossom end rot. The Celebrity tomato, recommended by USU especially for this area, is a heavy producer, and is disease resistant, too. Roma type tomatoes produce small and meaty fruits that are used for sauces and salsas. Most other tomatoes are indeterminate, which means they continue to grow taller and taller until stopped by frost. They will sprawl over the ground, or will climb up a tall sturdy support, some growing six feet and more in height. A support will save space and make the fruit easier to pick, and will also keep it off the ground so it won’t rot. Black plastic or weed fabric around the plants will also help keep the fruit from rotting. Indeterminate, or vining, tomatoes include these common tomatoes: Beefmaster, Better Boy, Big Beef, Big Daddy, Champion, Early Girl, Fourth of July, Large Red Cherry, Lemon Boy, Power Pops, Super Fantastic, Sweet One Hundred, and Whopper. Lemon Boy is a delicious, low acid tomato. If you want nice big tomatoes that weigh between a half a pound and a pound each, plant Beefmaster, Big Beef, Big Daddy, Super Fantastic, or Whopper. If you want a nice medium-sized slicing tomato with lots of flavor, plant Better Boy, Celebrity, or Champion. Those three are great canning tomatoes, too. For a four ounce, delicious tasting fruit that comes on early, plant Early Girl or Fourth of July. Cherry tomatoes are Large Red Cherry, Red Grape, Power Pops, or Sweet One Hundred. Cherry tomatoes have a very high Vitamin C content.
