How to Plant Rutgers Tomatoes

Rutgers tomatoes were hybrid developed at Rutger University for commercial use.

Rutgers tomatoes were originally bred by commercial farmers beginning in 1968. However, while the fruit was favored for its taste, the tomatoes were too soft to ship well. Also referred to as a Ramapo or Jersey tomato, it has a sweet tanginess that is characteristic of heirlooms, although it is a hybrid. The variety is hearty and easy to grow, with a mid-season fruiting that lasts until the first frost.

Things You'll Need

• Organic compost
• Rototiller
• Rutgers tomato starts
• Small shovel or spade
• Mulch
• Tomato cages
• Vegetable fertilizer
• Water

Instructions

Planting the Rutgers Tomato

1. Rototill the soil in your garden bed. Layer two inches of compost and work into the soil. This will provide the tomatoes with nutrition and drainage.

2. Dig holes with the shovel and plant the tomatoes, first pulling off the bottom two sets of leaves. Plant up to the newest bottom leaves. This will give a better root base and stimulate root formation at the old leaf sites. Deeper, stronger growth will result.

3. Mulch around the tomatoes to keep in moisture. If you are concerned about cooler evenings, the mulch will protect the sensitive roots.

4. Put up tomato cages around the plants. It can look a little silly with big frames around tiny plants, but they will grow into them, and it is easier than trying to thread in more mature limbs.

5. Sprinkle on some granular vegetable fertilizer. Use the shovel to scratch it into the soil around the plants.

6. Water well, until six to seven inches of soil under the surface is wet.

Tips & Warnings

• Rutgers can be started by seed, but due to germination issues, it is best to buy them from starts.

References

• Backyard Gardener:Lycopesicon esculentum (Rutgers Tomato)
• New York Times:Return of a Lost Jersey Tomato
• Dig It:the Saga of One Juicy Tomato
• American Meadows:Heirloom Rutgers Tomato Seeds