- Striped Roman Tomato: Wanted Poster
- History and Origin of the 'Striped Roman'
- Tomato taste and properties
- Special features of growing the 'Striped Roman' tomato
- Care for the Striped Roman tomato: pinching and fertilizing
- Harvest and use the bottle tomato
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The 'Striped Roman' not only impresses with its appearance, but also thanks to its good taste and high yield. We present the striped bottle tomato and explain what to look out for when growing and caring for it.
The pretty striped Roman tomato is a striking representative of the elongated bottle tomatoes. In this article you will find a portrait of the high-yielding tomato variety as well as tips on how to grow it.
Striped Roman Tomato: Wanted Poster
| Fruit | Beefsteak tomato; orange-red striped |
| Flavour | fruity, sweet, spicy |
| Maturity | medium early |
| Growth | Stick tomato, up to 250 cm |
| Location | Greenhouse, sheltered outdoor area, tubs |
History and Origin of the 'Striped Roman'
The 'Striped Roman' tomato variety was bred by John Swenson, a member of the Seed Savers Exchange. This association takes care of the preservation of old crop varieties in the USA, mainly vegetables. The 'Striped Roman' was created from a cross between the two tomato varieties 'Antique Roman' and 'Banana Legs'. It was launched in 1999 and has since become a popular variety among home gardeners worldwide.
Tomato taste and properties
The 'Striped Roman' plants are extremely vigorous and can reach a height of 2.5 m. Many elongated bottle tomatoes grow on the elongated tomato plants, which grow to an average length of 10 to 12 cm and can weigh up to 200 grams. When ripe, the striped fruits turn deep red and orange. 'Striped Roman' is a mid-early variety that produces a bountiful yield between mid-July and late October. The firm tomato fruits have a lot of flesh and only a few seeds. 'Striped Romans' taste fruity, sweet and spicy and have a strong tomato aroma. This strain is seedfast, so it can be propagated from its own seeds.
Special features of growing the 'Striped Roman' tomato
'Striped Roman' likes a warm, sunny spot in a greenhouse or in a sheltered field, but can also be cultivated in a container. To do this, a deep hole is dug and the young plant is planted so deep that about half the plant is still sticking out. All shoots that are now underground are removed. For cultivation as a potted tomato, you should choose a bucket with a capacity of at least 20 liters and fill it with nutrient-rich potting soil. Our peat-free Plantura organic tomato & vegetable soil is suitable for plants in tubs, but also for improving heavy or poor soil in beds and greenhouses. Tomato plants are also planted deep in the pot in pots and leaves attached to the base of the stem are removed. Now fill the soil back into the planting hole or the pot and lightly press the substrate around the plant. Then it is watered extensively. The pot used should have holes through which the water can drain. It is best to fill the bottom of the pot with expanded clay or pieces of pottery shards to ensure good water drainage and place the pot in a saucer.
Care for the Striped Roman tomato: pinching and fertilizing
Due to its height, the Striped Roman tomato must be supported and tied to a stake immediately after planting. The striped bottle tomato can also be grown very well with two shoots. To do this, all side shoots in the leaf axils are removed except for one that is far below. This will quickly stretch in length and must then also be tied and supported. The vigorous variety is a little more wide and doesn't get quite as high. Flowers and later fruits also appear on the second shoot. Incidentally, the tomato digging should be repeated about once a week.
The first fertilization takes place in June, because this is when flowers and the first fruits form, in which the tomato plant puts a lot of energy and nutrients. To fertilize the Striped Roman tomato, it is best to use a primarily organic long-term fertilizer, such as our Plantura organic tomato fertilizer. This is only slowly converted by the soil organisms and thus converted into plant-available nutrients over a period of two months. By the end of the season, only a single top-up is needed to provide the plum tomatoes with essential nutrients.
Harvest and use the bottle tomato
From mid-July, the 'Striped Roman'are harvested almost continuously, because their fruits thrive and ripen one after the other until the first frost. In this way, considerable harvest quantities can come together. An advantage of the 'Striped Roman' is that it has few seeds and a lot of pulp, which makes it a good processing tomato. The good taste of 'Striped Roman' is particularly effective in sauces, spreads or ketchup. Of course, it can also be eaten fresh.
The beautiful tomato variety 'Blush' is another bottle tomato with delicate orange-red stripes. We introduce the yellow tomato and explain its origin, characteristics and the best cultivation methods.