"Determinate varieties of tomatoes, also called "bush" tomatoes, are varieties that are bred to grow to a compact height (approx. 4 feet).
They stop growing when fruit sets on the terminal or top bud, ripen all their crop at or near the same time (usually over a 2 week period), and then die.
They may require a limited amount of caging and/or staking for support, should NOT be pruned or "suckered" as it severely reduces the crop, and will perform relatively well in a container."
I should add that Maskotka is without a doubt one of the most untidy tomato varieties ever! I believe it was bred for growing in hanging baskets, so understandably it trails and sprawls all over the place. I usually support mine with some short canes and some string.
But it's also very prolific, and produces loads of fruit.
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| There are two plants in the green plastic crate, and one in the black pot. |
There were still some fruit on the plants, but many of them were on low-hanging branches, touching the ground.
Touching the ground is not good, because it makes the fruit very vulnerable to these horrible creatures:
Well, all the remaining foliage went into the compost bin, but I still managed to gather all these:
Of course many of them are still green, although just beginning to turn, so I think they will ripen eventually, kept indoors in the warmth.
So it's "Au Revoir", to Maskotka, rather than "Goodbye", because I'm sure I will be growing this tomato again next year.
It hasn't been very prolific for us.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like a great tomato. And we get orange slugs occasionally that look just like that. This year has been so dry though that I've seen few slugs.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned the fruit on the low branches being susceptible to slugs in a post the other day but I'd never noticed any on mine, until I went outside later that same day and saw a snail suckered to one of the tomatoes. I don't have the experience of the fruit all ripening around the same time, they started turning red before we went on holiday towards the back end of July and I'm still harvesting tomatoes now as they ripen. This variety is definitely on my 'must grow' list again for next year, it's given a great crop again of very tasty tomatoes.
ReplyDeleteI might give this one a go next year as it seems to have done well for you, we are back to growing from seed next year so I will order a packet.
ReplyDeleteLooking at your pictures I can't wait to grow tomatoes! I hope my plants become as prolific as yours.
ReplyDeleteMy tomatoes are on their last legs as well, but in my case, it's blight that's doing them in. So now the race is on to pick as many "just starting to ripen" fruits as I can before the plants are kaput.
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