Roma VF
Solanum lycopersicum 'Roma VF'
The gold standard paste tomato for home gardeners, producing abundant crops of meaty, low-moisture fruits perfect for sauces, paste, and canning. This improved version of the classic Roma offers better disease resistance while maintaining the dense flesh and rich flavor that makes it indispensable for preserving and cooking. Determinate plants provide a concentrated harvest ideal for batch processing.
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 Roma VF in USDA Zone 7
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Roma VF · 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
Fresh Roma VF tomatoes store best at room temperature away from direct sunlight, where they'll maintain quality for 5-7 days. Avoid refrigeration as it breaks down cell walls and creates a mealy texture—only refrigerate if you need to slow ripening of very ripe fruits.
For sauce making, process Roma VF immediately after harvest when moisture content is lowest. The variety's dense flesh and minimal seed cavities make it ideal for quick-cooking sauces that require less reduction time than other tomatoes.
Freeze whole Roma VF tomatoes in freezer bags—the skins slip off easily after thawing, making sauce preparation effortless. For canning, Roma VF's low moisture and high acidity make it perfect for water-bath canning following tested recipes. Dehydrate sliced Roma VF at 135°F for 8-12 hours to create intensely flavored dried tomatoes. The variety's naturally low water content means faster drying times than most tomatoes.
History & Origin
Roma VF represents a significant improvement over the original Roma tomato, which was developed in the 1950s as part of a collaborative effort between American and Italian plant breeders seeking to create the perfect paste tomato for commercial and home production.
The original Roma became the gold standard for sauce tomatoes due to its dense, meaty flesh and concentrated flavor. However, it suffered from susceptibility to Verticillium and Fusarium wilts, devastating soil-borne diseases that could wipe out entire plantings.
The 'VF' designation stands for Verticillium and Fusarium resistance, developed through careful hybridization programs in the 1960s and 1970s. Plant breeders crossed the original Roma with disease-resistant varieties while maintaining the essential characteristics that made Roma indispensable for sauce-making.
This hybrid development represented a breakthrough for home gardeners and commercial growers alike, allowing consistent Roma production in previously problematic soils. The variety became particularly important in regions with heavy clay soils where fungal diseases persist, making Roma VF the backbone of home canning operations across North America.
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
Marigolds
Repel nematodes, aphids, and whiteflies with their strong scent
Carrots
Help aerate soil around tomato roots and don't compete for nutrients
Parsley
Attracts beneficial insects like parasitic wasps that control tomato pests
Chives
Repel aphids and may help prevent fungal diseases
Nasturtiums
Act as trap crops for aphids and cucumber beetles, protecting tomatoes
Peppers
Share similar growing requirements and don't compete heavily for resources
Borage
Attracts pollinators and beneficial insects while reportedly improving tomato growth
Keep Apart
Black Walnut Trees
Produce juglone toxin that causes tomato wilt and stunted growth
Fennel
Inhibits growth of tomatoes through allelopathic compounds
Brassicas
Heavy feeders that compete for nutrients and may stunt tomato growth
Corn
Both attract corn earworm/tomato fruitworm, increasing pest pressure
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #321360)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Verticillium wilt (V), Fusarium wilt (F)
Common Pests
Tomato hornworm, aphids, cutworms, spider mites
Diseases
Early blight, late blight, bacterial spot, blossom end rot