Determinate Roma
Solanum lycopersicum 'Determinate Roma'
The gold standard for paste tomatoes, Roma produces abundant crops of meaty, egg-shaped fruits perfect for sauces, canning, and preserving. This determinate variety ripens most of its fruit within a concentrated period, making it ideal for gardeners who want to process large quantities at once. With excellent disease resistance and reliable production, it's a workhorse variety every serious gardener should grow.
Harvest
75-80d
Days to harvest
Sun
Blossom-End Rot of Tomato
Zones
10–11
USDA hardiness
Height
1-10 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Determinate Roma in USDA Zone 7
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Determinate Roma · Zones 10–11
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | April – April | June – July | — | September – October |
| Zone 4 | March – April | June – June | — | August – October |
| Zone 5 | March – March | May – June | — | August – October |
| Zone 6 | March – March | May – June | — | August – October |
| Zone 7 | February – March | April – May | — | July – September |
| Zone 8 | February – February | April – May | — | July – September |
| Zone 9 | January – January | March – April | — | June – August |
| Zone 10 | January – January | February – March | — | May – July |
Complete Growing Guide
Light: Blossom-End Rot of Tomato, Pepper, and Watermelon. Soil: Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist. Water: Blossom-End Rot of Tomato, Pepper, and Watermelon. Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.. Spread: 1 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.. Spacing: 3 feet-6 feet. Growth rate: Rapid. Maintenance: High. Propagation: Seed. Regions: Coastal, Mountains, Piedmont.
Harvesting
The fruits are smooth, shiny, glossy, and are classified as berries. The size, shape, and color will vary depending on the variety or cultivar. The color of the fruits may be red, yellow, orange, green, purple, or pink. The fruits may contain over 100 yellow to light brown seeds.
Color: Gold/Yellow, Green, Orange, Pink, Purple/Lavender, Red/Burgundy, Variegated. Type: Berry. Length: > 3 inches. Width: > 3 inches.
Garden value: Edible, Showy
Harvest time: Fall, Summer
Bloom time: Fall, Summer
Edibility: The fruits or berries of the tomato are edible. They may be eaten raw, cooked, dried, or processed. They are a rich source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, folic acid, and antioxidants. Lycopene is an antioxidant that gives the tomato its rich red color. Many plants will drop fruit when ripe or the fruit will come off easily. Tomatoes will continue to ripen once picked. Store them at room temperature.
Storage & Preservation
Store freshly harvested Roma tomatoes at room temperature for 3-5 days to maintain optimal flavor and texture. For longer storage, refrigerate ripe fruits for up to one week, though cold temperatures will diminish taste quality. Never refrigerate underripe tomatoes, as this halts the ripening process permanently.
Roma's meaty flesh and low seed content make it exceptional for preservation. For canning, process into sauce or paste using a pressure canner or boiling water bath with added acid. Blanch and peel tomatoes, then freeze whole in freezer bags for up to 8 months—the texture becomes soft but perfect for cooking applications. Dehydrate Roma slices at 135°F for 8-12 hours to create intensely flavored dried tomatoes. The concentrated harvest period of determinate Roma makes large-batch preservation projects particularly efficient, allowing you to process your entire crop within a few weeks.
History & Origin
Roma tomatoes originated in Italy, specifically developed as a processing variety to meet the demands of Italy's expanding tomato paste and sauce industry in the mid-20th century. The variety was bred by crossing traditional Italian paste tomatoes with modern hybrids to create a plant that combined the classic egg-shaped, meaty fruit of San Marzano-type tomatoes with improved disease resistance and more predictable yields.
Introduced to American gardeners in the 1950s, Roma quickly became the gold standard for paste tomatoes due to its reliability and excellent processing qualities. The determinate growth habit was specifically selected to accommodate commercial mechanical harvesting, but this trait proved equally valuable for home gardeners wanting to process large quantities of tomatoes for winter storage.
The name 'Roma' pays homage to Rome and Italy's rich tomato cultivation heritage, though the variety represents a modern hybrid rather than an ancient heirloom. Its development marked a shift toward purpose-bred processing tomatoes that prioritized meaty flesh, concentrated ripening, and disease resistance over the varied characteristics of traditional open-pollinated varieties.
Advantages
- +Attracts: Bees, Pollinators, Predatory Insects
- +Wildlife value: The plant is pollinated by bees, especially bumblebees.
- +Edible: The fruits or berries of the tomato are edible. They may be eaten raw, cooked, dried, or processed. They are a rich source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, folic acid, and antioxidants. Lycopene is an antioxidant that gives the tomato its rich red color. Many plants will drop fruit when ripe or the fruit will come off easily. Tomatoes will continue to ripen once picked. Store them at room temperature.
- +Fast-growing
Considerations
- -Toxic (Leaves, Stems): Medium severity
- -High maintenance
Companion Plants
Plant Together
Basil
Repels aphids, whiteflies, and hornworms while potentially improving tomato flavor
Marigold
Deters nematodes, aphids, and whiteflies with natural compounds
Parsley
Attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies and parasitic wasps
Carrots
Loosens soil for tomato roots and doesn't compete for nutrients
Nasturtium
Acts as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles
Oregano
Repels pests and may enhance tomato flavor through aromatic compounds
Peppers
Similar growing requirements and may deter some common pests
Lettuce
Utilizes space efficiently as ground cover and matures before tomatoes peak
Keep Apart
Black Walnut
Produces juglone toxin that causes wilting and stunted growth in tomatoes
Fennel
Inhibits tomato growth through allelopathic compounds
Brassicas
Compete for nutrients and may stunt tomato growth when planted nearby
Corn
Both attract similar pests like corn earworm and compete for nitrogen
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #321360)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Good resistance to verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt, and tobacco mosaic virus (VFN).
Common Pests
Aphids, whiteflies, tomato fruitworm, spider mites
Diseases
Early blight, late blight, bacterial spot, blossom end rot