Indeterminate
Truly a vine, these plants continue to grow and produce fruit until the cold weather kills them. Generally they need some kind of support. We have grown them in large containers but they really prefer to be in the ground.
Determinate
Also known as ‘bush’ varieties, these plants are better for container growing or small gardens. They reach a certain predetermined height and then stop growing. Most of the fruit is borne over a 4 to 6 week period. Many paste varieties fall into this category.
Days to maturity
This number indicates the average time it takes from transplanting a seedling to fruit production. Do not take these numbers literally as weather, soil conditions, etc. can affect them. Rather, use them to compare one variety to another in terms of when you can expect to begin harvesting.