Although technically a fruit, most people think of the tomato as a vegetable. Ironically, it was once called “love apple,” even though it was considered poisonous because it is related to the toxic deadly nightshade. Today, the tomato is a common food crop for the home gardener because it’s easy to grow and usually provides an abundant harvest. The average yield of each tomato plant, however, varies depending on plant type, growing technique and environmental conditions.
A tomato plant is classified as either determinate or indeterminate according to growth pattern. A determinate tomato plant typically produces a smaller yield because it tends to set flower clusters at terminal growing points, which interrupts growth and limits fruit production to just a few weeks. In contrast, an indeterminate tomato plant sets flowers laterally instead of at terminal points and produces fruit all season long.
As vines, tomato plants benefit from physical support or training to maximize access to sunlight and to minimize exposure to predatory insects and soil-borne diseases. On average, a staked tomato plant will produce an estimated 8 pounds per plant, while plants trained via trellis or cage produce an average estimate of 12 to 20 pounds per plant.
Because a determinate tomato plant is more compact and closer to the ground, it needs less support than taller plants. For this reason, some gardeners choose to grow determinate tomato plants using the down system, also known as sprawl culture and ground culture. This simply means to grow tomato plants on the ground without vertical support. Although this method translates to less material costs, it often results in a higher incidence of disease and reduced yield. A tomato plant cultivated without training or support, however, may still produce an average of up to 15 pounds of fruit per plant.
Fungal diseases, such as gray leaf spot and wilt, inhibit a plant’s ability to take up water and nutrients from the soil, resulting in stunted plant growth and diminished fruit yield. Other fungi, including anthracnose and certain strains of tobacco mosaic, target the fruit directly. Because some fungi persist in soil, future tomato harvests will continue to be compromised unless the soil is treated. In addition, certain physiological disorders triggered by excessive rain, drought, extreme temperature fluctuations or nutritionally depleted soil can adversely affect tomato yield.
Your Planting Articles
- Digital Vision./Digital Vision/Getty Images