About Roma Tomatoes

Roma tomatoes, also known as Italian or plum tomatoes, are an oval or pear-shaped tomato prized for making sauce. Their meaty texture and low moisture content makes them ideal as a canning or cooking tomato. Available in both yellow and red, Roma tomatoes add color and flavor to tossed salads.

Paste Tomatoes

Although there are a variety of Roma tomatoes available, for the authentic taste of Italian cooking the bush Italian Roma (Lycopersicon lycopersicum) is the tomato of choice. The pear-shaped fruit grows to 3 inches and has few seeds. This Heirloom tomato is a determinate tomato that produces up to 200 fruit in a single season on short, compact vines.
Determinate, or bush, tomatoes bear a full crop of fruit all at once on plants that grow to a predetermined height. Commercial growers prefer determinate plants because they are able to harvest an entire crop at the same time and do not need to prune the plant to maintain the size. Home gardeners, however, often prefer indeterminate types that produce fruit throughout the summer.

Roma VF

Roma VF, popular with home gardeners, produces bright red, pear-shaped tomatoes on determinate plants. These plants produce fruit within 76 days of setting out the plants. Roma VF is fusarium wilt and verticillium resistant and produces heavily, making it ideal for home gardeners who wish to use them for sauce or for canning.

Polish Linguisa

Polish Linguisa is an heirloom Roma that produces large 10-ounce sausage-shaped fruit. The fruit grows 3 to 4 inches long and is 1 to 2 inches in diameter. This variety grows on indeterminate vines and produces fruit through the season. It matures in 73 days after being set out.

Window Box Roma

Window Box Roma produces clusters of 2-ounce, red, pear-shaped fruits. The plant is disease-resistant and maintains a compact shape, making it a great choice for container planting or window boxes. The fruit has a long shelf life and is ideal for cooking but tasty enough to eat right from the vine.

Cherry Roma

Cherry Roma Tomatoes are similar to grape tomatoes and have a sweet and spicy flavor. These grow on indeterminate vines providing a supply of bright red fruits throughout the growing season. Produces 75 to 80 days after transplanting.

Missouri Roma

Missouri Roma (developed by a home gardener in Kansas City, Missouri) is a multi-lobed Roma tomato. This unusual variety produces a good yield of shiny red tomatoes. Although they maintain the flavor of a Roma, they are considerably larger. Matures in 85 days.

Resources

• Reimer Seeds
• Burpee Seeds