Roma tomatoes are often to be found in our supermarkets. Here's all the information you need to start planting tomatoes in your own garden.
Roma tomatoes are also known as plum tomatoes or plum tomatoes because of their shape. We present the best varieties of the Roma type and explain how the popular tomato variety is cultivated and used.
Origin and History of Roma Tomatoes
The original 'Roma' tomato variety was created in the 1950s by crossing 'San Marzano', 'Pan American' and 'Red Top'. It was selected and marketed in Maryland at Plant Industry Station Beltsville. Nowadays, all plum to egg-shaped tomato varieties are called Romatomate. They are particularly popular in supermarkets, where they are often sold whole. However, the 'Roma' variety is no longer found there, it has been replaced by more disease-resistant hybrids with larger yields.
Flavour and characteristics
Roma tomatoes don't usually grow very tall, on average they reach about 160 centimeters in height. In general, they behave like stick tomatoes, their fruits are medium-sized, weighing about 50 to 100 grams and ovoid to oblong-bottle-shaped. Inside the Romatomato there are usually few seeds and a lot of pulp. Their taste ranges between mild, sweet and spicy-fruity. Most varieties of Roma tomatoes are seed-proof and can therefore be propagated from their own seeds - except for those with the additional designation "F1", which means hybrid varieties.
The best types of tomatoes
- 'Marzino F1' is a mini romato. Its bright red fruits are about three centimeters long and taste sweet. They are best suited as a sweet tomato, unlike the normal roma tomatoes.
- 'Roma VF' is a disease resistant variant of the original roma tomato. The letters after the name indicate resistance to the fungal pathogens Verticillium and Fusarium. The 'Roma VF' grows rather small and compact as a bush tomato.
- The 'Striped Roman' belongs to the plum tomatoes because it is significantly longer than it is wide. It is a processing tomato with few seeds and a lot of pulp. The ripe fruits are flamed orange-red on the outside and taste sweet and tomato.
- 'Ukrainian Purple' is a dark red-brown plum tomato originating in Ukraine. It is well suited as a cold-tolerant outdoor tomato and bears many spicy-fruity and sweet fruits from the end of July.
- 'Old Ivory Egg' is one of the rare light yellow plum tomatoes. It tastes mainly fruity and sweet - like most yellow tomato varieties. This variety should be sheltered under a rain canopy as its fruits burst easily.
Planting tomatoes: Here's how it works
Roma tomatoes can be cultivated in a greenhouse, but also outdoors and in pots. Most varieties are resistant to disease and are therefore also suitable for unprotected cultivation. Plant the roma tomatoes outside from mid-May or in the greenhouse from the beginning of May. When planting, you can put your young plants in a special substrate at any location, for example in our Plantura organic tomato and vegetable soil. The high compost content promotes root formation, has a water-storing effect and is therefore a climate-friendly peat substitute. After planting, lightly press the soil around the young plant and water the soil vigorously. Now you can put a metal or wooden stick next to the tomato plant to tie it on.
Proper care of tomato variety 'Roma'
Particularly in the field and in the greenhouse, you should pay attention to the correct watering and mulching of tomatoes. With a vegetable mulch layer, you save large amounts of irrigation water, especially in midsummer, and protect the soil from drying out. With fertilization at the beginning of June, you provide the fruits that are developing on your tomato plant with essential nutrients. An organic long-term fertilizer, such as our Plantura organic tomato fertilizer, is slowly decomposed by the soil organisms and converted into plant-available nutrients over a period of two months. With just one additional fertilization, you can supply your romato tomatoes gently and sustainably until the end of the season. Tomatoes of the 'Roma' type can be grown well with two or three shoots. Deep-seated side shoots are left standing, all others are removed. Tomato pinching must be repeated every few weeks.
Harvest time and use
The roma tomatoes are ideal for processing with their dense flesh and few seeds. spreads as wellKetchup and other sauces benefit from the low water content of this type of tomato. The fruity and spicy tomatoes also taste great fresh on bread and in a salad.
Would you like to propagate your favorite variety for next year yourself during the summer? We explain in detail in our special article how you can obtain tomato seeds yourself.