Tips for Growing Roma Tomatoes

Solanum lycopersicum ‘Roma’

The essential plum tomato, ‘Roma’ is prized for its tangy, rich taste and dense-walled, meaty flesh.

As low-moisture paste tomatoes, their flavor intensifies with heat, making them a top choice for cooking. The dense, gel-less texture holds up magnificently on the grill, sun-dried, or roasted.

Along with the fantastic taste, texture, and low moisture, they have few seeds – all of which make them highly popular with the canning crowd.

They are the perfect tomatoes for creating zesty ketchups, salsas, sauces, pastes, purees, and relish.

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And with their rich flavor and drip-free texture, they’re also ideal for eating fresh. They’re delicious chopped up on bruschetta or in salsa, and sliced for sandwiches and salads.

Or simply toss them with fresh basil and olive oil.

Plus, the fruit freezes well for a tasty addition to sauces, soups, and stews throughout the year.

‘Romas’ grow on vigorous plants with a heavy yield and thrive in sunny raised beds, containers, and vegetable plots.

Fast-growing and easy to cultivate, you won’t want to miss out on adding these tasty and versatile plants to your own garden.

Here’s what I’ll cover:

What Is a Roma Tomato?

Although distinctly Italian sounding, ‘Roma’ is actually an American hybrid.

We can thank the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service for creating the first ‘Roma’ hybrid in 1955.

But it does have Italian parentage, being a cross of the famous and flavorful ‘San Marzano’ – an open-pollinated heirloom cultivar native to the volcanic soil in the region around Mount Vesuvius – and ‘Pan America.’

You may see ‘Roma’ referred to as Italian or Italian plum tomato, and the name is commonly used as a generic term to describe a paste tomato.

An early variety, ‘Roma VF,’ was bred in 1963 for its resistance to both verticillium and fusarium wilt.

As a result, most cultivars – including those now classified as heirlooms – have the same resistance, thanks to this early breeding.

The bright red, rose, or yellow fruits are oblong, with an egg or pear shape, and typically measure two to four inches long.

Plants can be determinate or indeterminate and produce ample clusters of fruit that may require cages, stakes, or trellises to provide support for heavily laden branches.

When eaten fresh, these tomatoes have complex flavors that are both sweet and tangy.

But the fullest flavors emerge with cooking, where they deepen and intensify – they’re perfect on the grill, roasted, or slow cooked.

Starting from Seed

All tomatoes need a long growing season. Seeds are best started indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost date for your region.

If you’re new to seed propagation, this guide has all the details you need on how to grow tomatoes from seed in six easy steps.

Once seedlings grow to about six inches tall, you can begin to harden them off in preparation for planting outdoors.

Or if you prefer, wait until your local garden center is stocked with seedlings to choose from.

Growing Tips

‘Romas’ are naturally robust and hearty plants, but there are a few things that will help ensure a bumper harvest!

• Harden off seedlings gradually, and only transplant outdoors when nighttime temperatures no longer drop below 50°F.

• Use a cloche or plant cover if cold, wet, or windy conditions set in.

• The ideal soil pH level for healthy growth is between 6.2 and 6.5.

• Adding lime or Epsom salts to the planting hole helps with calcium uptake and aids in the prevention of future problems like blossom end rot.

• When planting, install cages or stakes for support to prevent root disturbance later on.

• Plants require between six and eight hours of full sunlight each day.

• To prevent problems like blossom end rot and split skins, water plants deeply once a week instead of providing more frequent shallow watering. The entire root ball, including the lowest roots, need to have a drink – not just the surface ones.

• At planting, pinch off the lowest two sets of branches and bury the stem close to the lowest remaining stems. This helps to promote more root growth.

• Pinch out suckers as they appear. Suckers are the small secondary branches that appear in the “V” between main branches and the stem. Removing them directs energy into fruit production.

• Once flowers begin to set, feed every two weeks with a balanced fertilizer, or use a tomato formula of 18-18-21 (NPK).

• For container growth, use a loose potting mix enriched with organic materials like compost or aged manure and amended with water-retaining materials such as coconut coir, peat moss, or vermiculite.

• Container plants typically require more frequent feeding and can be given a half-strength solution of fertilizer every week if needed.

• Container plants often need more frequent watering as well. When the top inch of soil is dry, water slowly and deeply. This allows the soil to absorb the moisture and not flood out the drainage holes.

• To help retain moisture and keep weeds down, add a natural mulch of grass clippings, leaf mold, or straw.

• Fruits typically ripen in 70 to 80 days.

For detailed growing information, refer to our guide on how to grow and care for tomatoes. It covers how-to-grow steps, managing pests and diseases, and much more! Our guide to growing in containers will cover specifics suited to that method, for patio growers and other small space gardeners.

Cultivars to Select

For fresh eating or to put up preserves, there are several outstanding varieties for your consideration.

Firm flesh with a low acid and sugar content has a subtly sweet flavor that is enhanced by cooking.

Determinate vines produce an abundance of one to two-ounce fruits, and grow to a mature size of 40 inches.

Recipe Ideas

Cooking really brings out the rich, complex flavors of ‘Roma’ tomatoes, and they make a great addition to many recipes.

Here are a few ideas to try out this summer.

You can’t go wrong with bruschetta.

For a balanced flavor and great texture, try your freshly harvested ‘Roma’ in this sumptuous homemade tomato basil bruschetta – you can find the recipe at Foodal, our sister site.

For a zesty appetizer or entree, this einkorn pastry with tomato, ricotta, and basil is ideal for a rich, delicious flavor your guests will love. The recipe’s at Foodal.

And for those who like a relish with a tangy bite, try them in a sweet and savory tomato jam.

I love their rich taste and always add in a big handful of fresh basil and parsley along with some diced and sauteed celery and onion.