Size

• In addition to differences in growing habits, vine and bush tomato plants grow to very different sizes. This is reflected in the indeterminate and determinate descriptions applied to them. Indeterminate, or vine tomatoes, will continue to grow throughout the entire season, commonly reaching heights of 14 to 16 feet. Determinate, or bush tomatoes, will grow to a specific size and then stop growing. Bush tomatoes do reach different sizes, however, depending on their variety. Dwarf varieties, for example, may grow only 2 to 3 feet tall, while other varieties can reach 4 and 5 feet.
  
  

Harvest

• In choosing between vine and bush tomatoes, most gardeners base their decision on when and how they hope to harvest. Vine, or indeterminate tomato plants produce fruit all season long. Flowering occurs at various places along the vine and tomatoes can be harvested a few at a time. Bush, or determinate tomatoes produce fruit all at once, usually within about a month of reaching full size. Blooms and fruit grow at the tips of the branches. Tomatoes on a single bush plant usually ripen and can be harvested within a few days of each other.
  
  

Uses

• Because of the difference in the number of tomatoes harvested at one time, vine tomatoes are usually grown for different uses than bush tomatoes. Gardeners typically choose vine tomatoes for fresh daily uses throughout the growing season, such as in salads, sandwiches and small servings of fresh salsa. Bush tomatoes are usually grown when large numbers of tomatoes are needed for a specific purpose, such as canning, or making homemade pasta sauce, large batches of hot sauce, salsa, tomato paste or tomato soup.
  
  

Requirements

• Vine tomatoes, with their spreading and climbing habit require a tall trellis or other vertical support. Given something to climb, however, they can grow in a fairly small area and close together. As long as the trellis is strong enough, the plants do not require any other type of support. Bush tomatoes require more space between plants and cannot be packed together closely like vine tomatoes. Dwarf varieties, however, are good for gardens with limited space since they don't spread as wide as other types. With the exception of a few very sturdy varieties, like Better Bush, most bush tomatoes will need a cage or stake for support.