roma tomatoes question
I was at my friends today and goodness her roma tomatoes were insanely filled with tomatoes!!!!!! is this normal? are there different varieties of romas? are some more prolific than others? I am thinking of growing some next year for salsa since we never seem to have enough tomatoes to make fresh salsa no matter how many plants I grow haha. so if romas are super prolific in general then I'm all over that and want to grow some!
There are dozens of varieties of plum shaped paste tomatoes. Roma is a commercially popular (as is San Marzano) so the rest often get lumped together as "Romas". There are also a couple of different Romas and it is likely that the one your friend has is a determinant variety. Determinates tend to flower all at once, which stops further growth. They load up on fruit which then ripen over a fairly short period, which makes for a short canning season, but also saps flavor from the fruit.
The problem with plum-paste tomatoes is that they are very susceptible to blossom end rot, and with a determinant plant you can lose much of the production due to early season conditions. Indeterminant varieties have less fruit on the plant at any one time, usually taste better, and produce fruit all season long, well after the problematic early season BER period
If you grow from storebought seedlings Roma or San Marzano may be your only choices, but if you grow from seed you have a wide range of colors, flavors, productivity, and shapes of dry paste tomatoes for salsa. You can make a yellow or orange salsa from Roman Candle and Orange Banana, a green salsa from Green Sausage etc.
Here is a list of paste tomatoes (although some are not really pastes)
https://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Category:Paste_Tomatoes
some favorites are Opalka and Heidi
The problem with plum-paste tomatoes is that they are very susceptible to blossom end rot, and with a determinant plant you can lose much of the production due to early season conditions. Indeterminant varieties have less fruit on the plant at any one time, usually taste better, and produce fruit all season long, well after the problematic early season BER period
If you grow from storebought seedlings Roma or San Marzano may be your only choices, but if you grow from seed you have a wide range of colors, flavors, productivity, and shapes of dry paste tomatoes for salsa. You can make a yellow or orange salsa from Roman Candle and Orange Banana, a green salsa from Green Sausage etc.
Here is a list of paste tomatoes (although some are not really pastes)
https://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Category:Paste_Tomatoes
some favorites are Opalka and Heidi
wow, you're right on!!!
She was concerned that the plant wasn't as big as her others and I told her it was a determinate plant. and she asked me why the first ones she picked were rotting on the end and I told her about BER and how sometiems the first ones will get it and then after that they'll be fine unless there is an issue with poor calcium uptake. the others are looking fine. phew.
but your explanation makes the rest of it make sense and you explained it all so well, thank you!
do you have a preference for a salsa tomato? is roma the best? or do you think that just keeping going with heirloom varieties of different types is better? if it were you, which would you pick?
She was concerned that the plant wasn't as big as her others and I told her it was a determinate plant. and she asked me why the first ones she picked were rotting on the end and I told her about BER and how sometiems the first ones will get it and then after that they'll be fine unless there is an issue with poor calcium uptake. the others are looking fine. phew.
but your explanation makes the rest of it make sense and you explained it all so well, thank you!
do you have a preference for a salsa tomato? is roma the best? or do you think that just keeping going with heirloom varieties of different types is better? if it were you, which would you pick?
I don't get around to making salsa much since I started growing tomatoes (I rarely eat chips any more), and when I did make salsa I used canned tomatoes instead of bland grocerystore tomatoes (fresh cilantro was my main concern) so sloppy salsa doesn't bother me. A good tasting, slightly acid, meaty, productive oxheart (like Wes) would be my choice if you were OK with softer flesh, but if you wanted a dry pico de gallo type salsa a paste would be the way to go. Most of the flavor in those is in the seed gel. I listed some of the pastes I would go to before Romas. I think Romas are technically heirlooms (old and open pollinated) even though seedlings are found at every garden center on the planet each spring. They were prolific enough to be a standard commercial variety, but that doesn't mean they are the best tasting or most productive. I've heard such good things about Heidi (taste and production) from tomato people that if I had to go buy seeds for a red roma-type it would be the one I would look for.
-
Gary350
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 7414
- Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
- Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.
I have never lost a Roma Tomato to Blossom end Rot. If your loosing half your crop from Blossom end rot your not doing something right.
I like to plant the large Roma tomatoes because they are a lot less work and I get more tomatoe per plant. When I bought my plants I had a choice, 1 oz tomatoss, 2 oz tomatoes or 4 oz Roma tomatoes. I bought the 4 oz Roma Plants.
When I plant all tomatoes I dig a hole about the size of an 8" flower pot. I make the rows 3 ft apart and holes are 2 ft apart 10 holes per row. I throw a hand full of lime in each hole. I also throw in a hand full of 15/15/15 fertilizer. I fill all the holes with water then I leave and come back in about an hour after the water has soaked into the soil.
Row 1 is all Roma Tomatoes.
Row 2 is Beef Steak, German Johnson.
Row 3 is Big Beef, Beef Master, Jet Star.
Next I put about 2" of soil in the hole and plant the tomatoe plants roots deep enough so half of the stem is covered with dirt. The stem will sprout roots where the dirt touches it. In about a week the plants will start growing at a very fast pace about 1 foot taller every week. I give the plants 1 pint of water each, every evening for about 2 weeks then I never water the plants every again.
Not watering forces the roots to grow deep in search of water this is very helpful in HOT weather when the temperature is 100 degrees F and it rains only once or twice a month.
I usually have Tomatoes by July 1st. I can usually pick about 20 lbs first week, 50 lbs second, thrid, and forth week. When it gets extremely hot and dry the plants produce fewer tomatoes. I try to get 100 pints and 20 quarts of tomatoes canned within 3 or 4 weeks.
Starting next summer I am going to put 1/2 teaspoon of copper sulfate in each hole before I plant the tomato plants. This will keep the tomatoes from getting Early and Late Blight.
I like to plant the large Roma tomatoes because they are a lot less work and I get more tomatoe per plant. When I bought my plants I had a choice, 1 oz tomatoss, 2 oz tomatoes or 4 oz Roma tomatoes. I bought the 4 oz Roma Plants.
When I plant all tomatoes I dig a hole about the size of an 8" flower pot. I make the rows 3 ft apart and holes are 2 ft apart 10 holes per row. I throw a hand full of lime in each hole. I also throw in a hand full of 15/15/15 fertilizer. I fill all the holes with water then I leave and come back in about an hour after the water has soaked into the soil.
Row 1 is all Roma Tomatoes.
Row 2 is Beef Steak, German Johnson.
Row 3 is Big Beef, Beef Master, Jet Star.
Next I put about 2" of soil in the hole and plant the tomatoe plants roots deep enough so half of the stem is covered with dirt. The stem will sprout roots where the dirt touches it. In about a week the plants will start growing at a very fast pace about 1 foot taller every week. I give the plants 1 pint of water each, every evening for about 2 weeks then I never water the plants every again.
Not watering forces the roots to grow deep in search of water this is very helpful in HOT weather when the temperature is 100 degrees F and it rains only once or twice a month.
I usually have Tomatoes by July 1st. I can usually pick about 20 lbs first week, 50 lbs second, thrid, and forth week. When it gets extremely hot and dry the plants produce fewer tomatoes. I try to get 100 pints and 20 quarts of tomatoes canned within 3 or 4 weeks.
Starting next summer I am going to put 1/2 teaspoon of copper sulfate in each hole before I plant the tomato plants. This will keep the tomatoes from getting Early and Late Blight.
-
Gary350
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 7414
- Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
- Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.
I read the material about copper sulfate again. I see the Material Fact Sheet says it should be used as a spray only.TZ -OH6 wrote:Gary,
I'm curious as to why you think copper sulfate in the hole will have any possitive effect. It is a contact protectorant, not a systemic fungicide. From what I could find out it will also kill earthworms and inhibit/kill mycorrhizal soil fungi, and possibly poison the plant outright.
https://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pp/resourceguide/mfs/06copper.php
This link says, Copper sulfate pentahydrate is a fungicide. Mixed with lime it is called Bordeaux mixture and used to control fungus.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper(II)_sulfate
This link says copper sulfate will control Early and Late blight when sprayed on the leaves. Copper sulfate if certified organic.
https://www.extension.org/article/18351
I can not find the link where it said to water plants with copper sulfate but after reading all these articals again it appears spray with a mixture of lime and copper sulfate is the prefered way to deal with tomato blight.
-
LindsayArthurRTR
- Green Thumb
- Posts: 527
- Joined: Wed May 26, 2010 10:41 pm
- Location: South Carolina, Upstate
I went to her homepage, and downloaded the catalog...Oh my GOODNESS!!! That is quite an amazing list to choose from. The best I've seen out of 9 catalogs for tomatoes alone. That is extremely impressive. Now I'm NEVER gonna be able to decide what I want for next yearHere is a list of paste tomatoes (although some are not really pastes)
https://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Category:Paste_Tomatoes
some favorites are Opalka and Heidi
. I'll have to give it a go, next year.