Tomatoes Solanum lycopersicum

Tomatoes: A Field Guide

For the gardener, and anyone who loves a fresh Caprese salad, tomatoes are what winter dreams are made of.

With over 7,500 varieties, tomatoes fall into cherry, plum, and standard round. They grow in two ways: determinate and indeterminate. Determinate plants produce all their fruit at once and stop growing at a certain size. Never prune them. Indeterminate plants grow and produce all season long. Typically they need some sort of staking support. With tomato plants, timing is everything, so research your tomato growing season. If your plant still has fruit at first frost, pull it and hang it upside down in your garage. Pick the tomatoes as they ripen while saying your final farewell to a tasty season.