Determinate vs Semi-determinate

[simmran1]

Glacier tomato-

“60-70 days, semi-det., potato leaf, you can count on Glacier to usher in the tomato season, very early variety produces attractive small red fruit, surprisingly sweet for an ultra early type, short season, produces all season long, heirloom, CV Up2”

This is a copy/paste from SSE yearbook online. A ‘semi-det’. variation listing.
For me Glacier plants produce ripe tomatoes and continue until the plant loses optimum growing temperature (frost) and we have to pull the vines. Isn’t at least a semi-determinate growth habit?

I have grown strict determinates where the plant stops growing and producing.
If you google glacier tomato seeds, it’s listed as determinate, but to me it’s a juicy, flavorful smallish red garden treat that lasts until the end of the season. ?

[delltraveller]

Determinate, semi-determinate and indeterminate really only have to do with where the flowers are located on a plant, I think, not plant size or production period. A determinate has vines that terminate in a flower cluster and doesn't produce more vegetative shoots. A semi-determinate has some flower clusters on the sides of the stem but eventually terminates in a flower cluster. An indeterminate has flower clusters on the side of the stem and keeps producing vegetative shoots.

So, many determinate plants TEND to be smaller, bushy, ripen over a period of two or three weeks, but that isn't what makes them "determinate". And a plant that ripens fruit over a period of four, six, eight weeks can still be a determinate.

And I hope those here with more knowledge will correct me if I'm not getting that terminology right or not understanding it, and help us both out.

[fortyonenorth]

There's an ongoing thread that offers a lengthy discussion about this question:

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=18432

[delltraveller]

Having read the thread fortyonenorth referred to, I guess the question is are you looking for a more scientific definition of Glacier's growth habit or a plain-folk description of it's growth habit? If you want the scientific, go out and look at a Glacier plants flower cluster locations and the number of leaves between clusters. If you want plain-folk, it sounds like you're leaning towards semi-determinate from your own experience and observations.

For myself, I kind of want both for the tomatoes I have or are thinking about trying. I want the science det-semi det-indet, and then I want to know plant size, habit, how it tends to ripen, etc.