And I am realizing how climate makes a difference. Where I live we never top tomatoes. We have a long growing season, and aren't much concerned about the vast majority of the harvest ripening before frost. In fact, disease and old age is likely to finish off the plants well before frost, and shorter day length will slow production. Since tomato plants have trouble lasting through the season here, many people do as terrier suggests and root suckers to start a mid-season crop. By the time the first planting is finished and pulled out of the ground, the second crop is bearing.

Now I'm wondering if length of growing season influences your preferences for determinate vs. indeterminate varieties.

Janie