How to Grow Determinate Paste
Solanum lycopersicum 'Determinate Paste'
Determinate Paste tomatoes are compact, hybrid varieties ideal for containers and small gardens. Gardeners prize their reliable yield of rich, meaty paste fruit that cooks down perfectly for sauces and preserves.
📷 Wikimedia CommonsStarting Determinate Paste: indoors or direct sow?
🏠 Start indoors 6 weeks before your last spring frost, then move the seedlings outside.
Transplant seedlings outdoors only after all danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed up sufficiently.
Soil, care & harvest
Start seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost date in warm soil with a pH between 6.0 and 6.8. Plant them about one-quarter inch deep, as germination typically takes seven to fourteen days. Keep the medium consistently moist until sprouts emerge.
Space plants eighteen to twenty-four inches apart in full sun. Although determinate types are bushy, staking or caging provides necessary support against wind and heavy fruit. Water deeply and consistently to prevent cracking, applying mulch around the base to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
Watch for tomato hornworms, aphids, and whiteflies; inspect leaves regularly and remove pests by hand or use insecticidal soap. Prevent early blight and blossom end rot by watering at the soil level and ensuring good air circulation. Harvest ripe fruit seventy-five to eighty days after sowing when they turn deep red.
When to Plant Determinate Paste
Planting windows vary by USDA hardiness zone. Look up yours by ZIP code.
| Zone | Start Indoors | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | May | — | October – August |
| Zone 2 | April – May | — | September |
| Zone 3 | April | — | September – October |
| Zone 4 | March – April | — | August – October |
| Zone 5 | March | — | August – October |
| Zone 6 | March | — | August – October |
| Zone 7 | February – March | — | July – September |
| Zone 8 | February | — | July – September |
| Zone 9 | January | — | June – August |
| Zone 10 | January | — | May – July |
| Zone 11 | January | — | April – June |
| Zone 12 | January | — | April – June |
| Zone 13 | January | — | April – June |
Companion Plants for Determinate Paste
✓ Good companions
Repels aphids, whiteflies, and hornworms while potentially improving tomato flavor
Repels hornworms and attracts pollinators and beneficial predatory insects
Helps break up soil for tomato roots and doesn't compete for nutrients
Repels aphids and may help prevent fungal diseases
Provides ground cover and mulch effect while using different soil nutrients
Deters nematodes, aphids, and whiteflies with natural compounds
Acts as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles, protecting tomatoes
Attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies that prey on tomato pests
✗ Keep away from
Produces juglone toxin that causes tomato wilt and stunted growth
Compete for similar nutrients and can attract pests that also damage tomatoes
Inhibits growth of tomatoes through allelopathic compounds
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving (USDA FoodData Central)
