Low-growing Roma tomatoes can even be grown on a windowsill

Description

Roma tomatoes have gained immense popularity in Australia and Italy. In Russia, farmers fell in love with this type due to its versatility, as well as ease of care. Southern regions and other parts of the country where good, mild weather allows tomatoes to be grown in open areas. In those regions where the summer is not very warm, there may be temperature changes at night, it is better to give preference to the greenhouse growing method and use film shelters.

Description of Roma tomato:

• Determinate species.
• Mid-season, fruits begin to appear 105-115 days after sowing the seeds.
• Useful properties, taste and other qualities are preserved even when frozen. Thus, the Roma tomato can be used in winter for preparing any dishes.
• The fruits grow in the shape of a plum, their pulp is dense and has a lot of sugar.
• Tomatoes are small in weight, on average about 80 grams.
• The bushes, like the fruits, are small, up to 0.8 m in height. There are few branches on them; due to their size, they can be planted on 1 square meter. m. up to 7 bushes.

In Russia, they started working on this species not very long ago; all seeds are supplied from Holland, but there are already reviews and photos of the yield of Roma tomato from farmers. Some people believe that this particular species is not suitable for use in salads and is better used for rolling, tomato paste, and sauces.

All the nutrients that the plant takes from the soil are spent on the formation and ripening of tomatoes. The Roma variety can be stored for a long time and transported over long distances. On average from 1 sq. m. you can get up to 12 kg of harvest.

Brief information is presented in the video:

Among the positive qualities of Roma tomatoes are:

• Low maintenance requirements.
• A long period of fruiting, sometimes even until the first frost.
• Good immune system.
• Small size bushes.
• Excellent yield.
• High transportability.

The only disadvantage is vulnerability to high humidity; you need to be careful with this so as not to lose the harvest. A visual description of the Roma tomato is presented in the photo:

Description of tomato variety Roma with photo

The Roma F1 tomato is a hybrid variety of tomato developed back in the 1950s. in the USA (original designation Roma VF). Later it spread to Holland - it is from there that seeds come to the Russian market today.

Characteristics:

• determinant (grows to a certain limit);
• short (up to 60 cm);
• mid-ripening (on average, fruits ripen within 120-130 days).

The leaves are large, rich green in color, and do not cover the bush very often. The shoots are small, not too strong (requires tying to a support). The bush is not very spreading, quite compact, which allows you to plant up to 5-6 plants per 1 m2. The flowers are small, light yellow, flowers of a simple type. After the formation of 2-3 inflorescences, the bush stops growing.

Description of fruits

The fruits of the Roma tomato are small in size - from 60 to 90 g, less often up to 100-110 g. The shape is characteristic, cylindrical, in many ways reminiscent of bell peppers. The color is classic red, the surface is smooth, glossy, there are no ribs or wrinkles. The pulp is juicy and fleshy, dense. The taste is balanced and harmonious. Tasting notes describe it as “good.”

5-6 fruits are formed on one bunch of Roma tomatoes

Landing rules

Reviews and descriptions of the Roma tomato indicate the need to plant it in places where other crops grew, for example, cucumbers or zucchini.

Advice! To grow the variety, the seedling method is used, since simply sowing seeds in the ground does not give the desired result.

The whole process of growing seedlings consists of simple rules:

• To prepare the substrate, you must use several components: soil from the forest or garden, sand, humus, and ash.
• If you don’t have time to prepare the substrate, it can be replaced with universal mixtures that are sold in stores. They can be used for growing any crop. In addition, you can buy soil exclusively for tomatoes; it is also suitable for the Roma variety.
• When preparing the substrate yourself, it must undergo heat treatment. It is necessary to place the composition in the oven and calcinate it or simply pour in hot potassium permanganate.
• After preparing the soil and getting rid of harmful bacteria in it, the containers for planting seeds are filled. The container must have special holes for drainage.
• The soil needs to be watered and compacted a little.
• In the prepared container with soil, a depression is made, approximately 1.5 cm, and the distance between them is about 5 cm.
• Rum seeds are placed in the grooves. You can use a separate container for each seed.

To obtain ideal, strong seedlings, you need to treat the seeds before sowing. According to reviews of tomato Roma, one of two methods is selected for the procedure:

• Heat treatment of seed material for 20 minutes at 50 degrees. Immediately after this, the raw materials must be cooled in water and then left for 24 hours in a product based on Epin, although it can be replaced with other solutions that stimulate growth.
• Etching with potassium permanganate (1%) for half an hour. Next, the seeds are soaked in a solution of “Epin” or “Cicron”.

To treat Roma seeds, many farmers advise using the following solutions:

• Ideal.
• Epin.
• Stimulus.

It should be noted that Roma tomatoes from many manufacturers have already been processed; such information is indicated on the packaging of the seed.

Although the Roma tomato variety is considered determinate, a lot of attention needs to be paid to the soil. It is ideal to use fertile and light soils for planting. Before planting seedlings, you need to make holes with the same height as the root system.

Seedlings should be planted at right angles if they are strong but small. In case of planting overgrown plants, the ideal angle would be 45 degrees. The Roma variety should be formed into one stem, and per 1 sq. m. of land is enough for 6-8 bushes. If 2-3 stems are formed, then the number of bushes per square must be reduced.

Looking through photos of Roma tomatoes and reading reviews, chefs recommend using them for drying.

Growing seedlings

The substrate in which seedlings are grown must necessarily contain forest or garden soil, ash, sand and humus. This composition will allow the plant to germinate quickly, but before use it must be disinfected by calcination or irrigation with a solution of potassium permanganate.

The hand-prepared substrate can be replaced with a store-bought equivalent intended for planting tomatoes.

Containers for seedlings must have bottom holes for drainage.

Seeds also need to be prepared before sowing. To do this, use one of the methods.

1. Temperature treatment of seeds is carried out at fifty degrees Celsius. Twenty minutes are enough for the procedure, after which the seeds are cooled in water. Next, they are placed in a growth stimulator for a day.
2. The seeds are pickled with a 1% potassium permanganate solution for half an hour, after which they are soaked in the stimulator for 1-2 hours.

Only dry tomato seeds are heated! The seeds are heated in special thermostats at a temperature of +50-60 degrees for 4-5 hours. At home, this can be done on a battery in the room.

Before sowing, the soil is also disinfected by pouring boiling water or a solution of potassium permanganate. Such disinfected soil is filled into seedling boxes. Grooves no more than 2 cm deep are made in the soil, located at a distance of 5 cm from each other. The seeds are placed in them.

The container is covered with film, which is removed after seed germination.

Care

The description of the Roma tomato variety is simple and care is also simple. It is best to grow in greenhouses if the climate is unstable or in open ground when planting in the southern regions. Care includes several basic rules:

• Tomato Roma F1 loves proper pinching, which is carried out on time. Thus, the formation of bushes with 1-3 stems begins.
• It is necessary to water the plant 2 times a week, taking into account the weather and the growth period. For a Roma tomato you need about 3 liters of water per bush.
• The bushes will not refuse to be irrigated with water, but you only need to use warm liquid.
• Watering is carried out only at the root of the plant.
• For the first feeding, you need to use a solution made from 500 ml of liquid mullein, 1 tbsp. l. nitrophoska. 10 liters of water are added to the resulting mixture, and 500 ml of the finished mixture is enough for one bush.
• For the second feeding, use 500 ml of chicken manure, 1 tbsp. l. superphosphate, 1 tsp. potassium sulfate. 10 liters of water are added to the mixture and each bush is watered with 500 ml of solution.
• The last feeding is created from 1 tbsp. l. potassium humate and 1 tbsp. l. nitrophoska. A similar amount of water is added, and watering is also carried out by analogy with the first fertilizers.

Additionally, it will be necessary to constantly remove weeds, loosen the soil, and also use preventive measures to eliminate diseases and pests.

Disease and pest control

The plant is easily affected by late blight. To avoid this, the stem, leaves and ovary are sprayed with a solution of Bordeaux mixture.

In addition to prevention, gardeners need to closely monitor humidity levels. Otherwise, fungal diseases quickly develop on the stem and fruit.

Among the pests you should be wary of are the Colorado potato beetle and the cotton bollworm. To get rid of them, you can collect the beetles by hand or treat the tomatoes with insecticides.

In greenhouses, slugs pose a danger; they do not appear if excess shoots are removed.

Collection and storage

For long-term storage, it is recommended to pick the fruits when they just begin to turn red or have a brown tint. After this, you can put them in the sun to ripen. In a couple of weeks they will be fully ripe, and the taste is no different from ripening on the bushes.

If cold weather sets in, the temperature drops to +5 degrees, then you also need to collect all the tomatoes, and then remove the bushes. Roma tomatoes are harvested in August, and the exact time depends on the weather and the time of planting the seedlings.

It is better to store tomatoes in wooden boxes; the fruits themselves should not have damage, rot or other defects. Storage is carried out in a cellar or a well-ventilated place, then Roma will last for 2-3 months.

Black Roma

Seeds of R. nigra are available for sale. This species has nothing to do with our hero. It is not listed in the State Register. Distributed by little known people. The fruits are plum-shaped, weighing 50 grams, dark red in color with a very dark, almost black tint. This tomato is claimed to be a very productive species (up to 7 kg per 1 square meter), resistant to fungal and viral diseases. There is very little information about him in various sources.

In addition, seed material of the yellow-fruited species Gold Roma is found. But even less is known about this variety than about chokeberry.

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Reviews

Vladimir, 42 years old, Krasnodar

I bought Roma tomato seeds for the first time, and after planting I was surprised at their germination. The seedlings grew strong, and after transplanting into the ground they took root well. I was pleased with the fruits themselves and the harvest; I will plant the variety in the future.

Dmitry, 35 years old, Lipetsk

Reading the description, reviews of the Roma tomato variety, looking at the photos, I decided to buy seeds and plant them on my plot. I was surprised that the variety can be dried and frozen, while the aroma and taste of tomato remains. It looks somewhat like cream, but the taste of the tomatoes is sweet and aromatic. I was very pleased with this type of tomatoes, and there’s nothing to complain about.

Daria, 58 years old, Serpukhov

I liked the variety, the harvest was decent, there was no greenhouse, so planting was carried out in open ground. I did not treat the plants, perhaps as a result of this rot appeared, however, there were a lot of fruits and there were supplies for the winter.

Advantages and disadvantages

Benefits of Roma tomatoes:

• productivity;
• easy care;
• you don’t have to stepchild;
• beautiful one-dimensional tomatoes;
• extended fruiting;
• high resistance to diseases;
• even tomatoes that are overripe on the bush are not prone to cracking;
• tolerates heat and drought well;
• keeping quality;
• transportability;
• you can collect seeds;
• suitable for all types of processing, including freezing, drying, drying;
• grows in open and protected ground.

Flaws:

• the original variety has an ordinary taste;
• does not tolerate soil soaking;
• It is better to tie up the bush.

Roma is a productive tomato for vegetable gardens and film greenhouses that does not require special care. It is intended primarily for recycling. Other varieties will produce juicy pulp and large fruits with an exquisite taste.

Positive and negative aspects of the variety

The Roma tomato variety is widespread in America, England, Italy and Australia. The prevalence and popularity of these tomatoes is due to the following positive characteristics:

1. During long-term storage, they do not lose their taste, do not deteriorate and retain their presentation for a long time.
2. Long-term fruiting (right up to frost).
3. Stable immunity to fungal diseases.
4. Good yield.
5. Low maintenance requirements.
6. Due to the small size of the fruits, compactness is achieved when placed in the garden.
7. High sugar content.
8. Mid-ripening.
9. Possibility of propagation by collected seeds.
10. Suitable for canning.

However, despite the impressive list of positive aspects, the Roma tomato variety also has negative qualities. Firstly, a problem may arise with the purchase of original seed. Secondly, the plant does not tolerate high humidity very well (it may immediately stop blooming, and this also increases the risk of a fungal infection).

Preparing the soil and planting site

The Roma tomato can be planted in any type of substrate, with the exception of heavy clay soil mixtures. Based on the description of the variety, when choosing sandy or loamy soil cover, high yields can be achieved. In this case, the soil layer must be fertilized.

When planting tomato seedlings, it is recommended to adhere to the rules of crop rotation:

You should not plant seedlings in any free area, since dangerous insects with infections of previous plants, if present in tomatoes, can destroy the crop.

If the soil layer is clayey and heavy, it is recommended to add coarse river sand to it in the amount of 3 buckets per 1 m2. Sand can be replaced with 4 buckets of peat, designed for 1 m2 of land. If the soil cover is light and sandy, you need to add a bucket of rotted manure or compost to it. It is advisable to carry out preparatory work 3 weeks before planting seedlings in an open soil layer.

In this case, you must perform the following steps:

1. Dig up the area, adding 500 ml of ash and 60 g of superphosphate, which are calculated for 1 m2.

2. The width of the bed should reach 100 cm in order to plant seedlings with a ribbon in 2 rows. The interval between seedlings should be 40 cm, between rows - 50 cm.
3. 12 days before planting, spill the area with copper sulfate to avoid the occurrence of various infections. To make a solution, stir 25 g of the substance in a bucket of water.
4. After 3 days, perform a second treatment of the soil layer using a concentrated manganese solution.

The last treatment ensures disinfection and enrichment of the soil cover with nutrients.