Late season just means it takes longer from the day transplanted vs a mid-season or early, all things else being the same. Late season is usually 80-90 days or more. Early is generally 38 to 65 or 70 days or so, and mid is everything in between with a little overlap.

All days given are from date of transplanting a 5 to 7 week old transplant.

Hope this helps.

No it still doesn't answer my question. Do the tomatoes develop on the vine a the same time as the other tomatoes or do they develop later in the season assuming same transplant date

Your question isn't that easy to answer, but most tomatoes take 40-50 days to ripen. Much of the difference has to do with size too. Larger ones generally take longer, cherries often take less time. Determinates & indeterminates are different too. Then you have circumstances, like small containers and less root mass or room to grow ripen sooner too. There just are too many variables, but the terminology "late season" just refers to one type needing longer than a different type/variety... it's just to ber used as a comparison gauge.

Consider two plants that flowers don't bloom on 1 until a different time, for whatever reason, and you can see timing differences. YES, they "develop on the vine at the same time" as you ask, but the results may likely be different. And if the later blooming one was grown in a container, it may produce ripe fruit sooner... or if the first one to flower doesn't set fruit due to high temps or high humidity, but the later one does set fruit, the later one may ripen a fruit sooner again.

That's what I wanted to know- when they "usually" develop on the vine. Just trying to figure out what tomato I have from Park Seed. Since this season has so many variables I probably will never know. Almost all my tomatoes just started popping now since the inclement weather.

That's what I wanted to know- when they "usually" develop on the vine. Just trying to figure out what tomato I have from Park Seed. Since this season has so many variables I probably will never know. Almost all my tomatoes just started popping now since the inclement weather.

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Liz, you aren't going to be able to ID a specific variety based on when fruits appear.

I think someone else suggested that you contact Park Seed and ask them for adivic. They also said that if you have just tht one plant that it could be a stray seed.

But no way to ID a specific variety based on when fruits appear, especially if there's a known problem with the seed already.

Carolyn

Hey - mystery tomatoes are fun. I had a little volunteer in my thyme pot. I tossed it into a little pot bc I didn't have anymore room. I just wanted to know which plant it is. I have 2 little buds so I may find out on the tiny plant.

Does late season mean that the tomatoes don't sprout till late to develop fruit or does it mean the tomatoes come the same time as the rest but take longer to ripen?

Neither. A late season plant and an early season plant will sprout from seed in about the same time frame and they will grow at about the same rate all other conditions being equal.

But the early season plant will bloom and set fruit before the LS plant even blooms. And those ES fruit will often ripen before the LS variety even shows any green fruit.

Late season varieties are noted for just what their name implies - no fruit to eat until late in the season.

And I agree with Carolyn's info above - there is no way to ID mystery plants for sure at any stage of their development. There are simply too many varieties and variables. It is better to just name it after yourself and accept it as a mystery than to mistakenly label it with an established name.

Stray seeds happen - no matter the supplier. Crosses happen - no matter the grower. That's why it is best to grow at least 3 of each variety or seeds from a pack rather than a lone, single plant. A single plant can't provide you with any accurate info because there are just too many uncontrolled variables.

Dave

With my early season varieties, the first set of buds comes in early and will produce fruit on a somewhat small plant.

With the later season varieties, bud clusters might try to form , but flowers won't open till much later, when the plant is bigger and the early-season plants already have fruit growing on them.

Hope this simplifies it.