And then you throw in those of us, who grow a lot of semi-determinates.

And don't forget about the many dwarf tomatoes. Here's a link to the Dwarf Tomato Project site.

Rodney

You say tomato, I say...

In the business it always amazes me too. I ask which they want to buy/grow and what I usually get is "Huh? I don't care what it is as long as it grows red, round tomatoes." Then you ask them if they are looking for a specific variety - "I know there are some different names but don't care what the name is as long as it grows round, red tomatoes."

So then I ask if they will be using a container or in the garden and how they will be supporting the plant and try to redirect them toward appropriate ones.

Otherwise all they want is a "tomato plant". If only they knew.... sigh.

Dave

I think I have to feel sorry for anyone who only wants a round red tomato. They have no idea what they're missing!

When I buy starts, I buy from an organic generations old family, or, if I'm in the area, a very nice organic nursery ($). They all know of what they speak!

Flowers, I usually just get at the HD cause they are cheap. They DO, however have a couple of garden employees who are actually Master gardeners! Since HD is just down the road, it's nice to be able to ask questions from someone who knows what I'm asking about! One of them greets me heartily every time she sees me!

I usually don't criticize the employees at HD or Lowes, They are mostly summer help just trying to earn a few dollars for schooling or trying to make a living, They don't get the proper training but there is a few who do know what they are talking about.

I kind of admire the simplicity of just wanting a tomato. If you are growing it yourself, you already know that it is exponentially better than what you get at the supermarket. There is tremendous variety to suit so many needs and it is a gift to be able to appreciate the differences in the tomatoes. However, the amount of time it takes going through seed catalogs, trying this and that, having to rule out what is not going to happen this year, etc. sometimes makes me long for the days of just wanting to put a plant in the ground and harvest a great tomato.

Beginners want tomatoes and they know that tomatoes come from plants. Sometimes that is the full extent of their knowledge. Those people who want a "round, red tomato" don't know what's out there beyond red paste, red cherry, red beefsteak, and "red and round." I was like that when I started out. My mind was blown when I found out tomatoes came in other colors and shapes.

It sounds silly, but I was blown away at the beefsteak pattern of the meat of a tomato vs. the stuff I've been eating from the supermarket since I was a kid. I grew my first beefsteaks last year. The pattern inside was just amazing, I was completely surprised!

Beefsteak is one of my favorites too, Every year I grow the same since I have excellent results (beefsteak, brandywine, big boy, liberty, roma), One of these years I might try a different varity.

In sort of depends on what you're after. If your goal is to get a tomato (as in, red, round, etc.) it really doesn't make any difference about lingo and terms. Whatever the nursery sells you will get you a tomato. Some way, some how. Their lack of understanding is sort of understandable in that regard. But if your goal is gardening tomatoes, the lingo becomes a lot more important. You want to understand how to optimize flavor and production. But there are many people out there who just want tomatoes, and don't really care how it happens. Of course, that's what a supermarket is for.

I went to a Tomato Festival several years ago. There was a lady there from our cooperative extension that had a tomato taste testing stand. I started asking her questions in regards as to whether this tomato was an heirloom or a hybrid or whether that tomato was determinate or indeterminate. She just looked at me blankly and said, "I just started working for the cooperative extension a few weeks ago."

~sigh~ You think they could have sent someone to a Tomato Festival that knew a little something about tomatoes.