---
title: Roma Tomatoes
created: 2026-05-24
updated: 2026-05-25
type: entity
tags: [fruiting-vegetables, heirloom, open-pollinated, paste-tomato]
sources: [raw/articles/seedvault-home-page.md]
---
# Roma Tomatoes
## Overview
Open-pollinated heirloom paste tomato. Firm, meaty fruits with few seeds — perfect for sauces, canning, drying & salsa. Disease resistant, heavy producer.
- **Category:** Fruiting Vegetables
- **Price:** $3.12
- **Variety Type:** Open-pollinated heirloom
- **Days to Harvest:** 70-80 days from transplant
- **Germination:** 6-14 days at 70-80°F
- **Fruit Weight:** ~3 oz
- **Type:** Bush (no staking required)
## Growing Instructions
- **Sowing:** Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost. Seeds 1/4" deep, 1" apart. Keep 70-75°F.
- **Transplant:** When soil temp reaches ~70°F, full sun. Harden off a week before.
- **Care:** Protect from temps below 55°F. Thick mulch layer. Water once a week, avoid wetting leaves.
- **Harvest:** Pick when fully red and firm.
## Soil & Conditions
- **pH:** 6.0-6.8, rich, well-drained. Heavy feeder — compost and balanced fertilizer.
## Seed Storage
- **Viability:** 4-6 years. One of the most stable vegetable seeds. Store cool/dry.
- **Pre-treatment:** None required. Warm soil critical (70-80°F).
## Yield
- **Per Plant:** 10-15 lbs per plant
- **Harvest Season:** Mid-summer through fall
- **Note:** High yield for paste tomato, excellent for sauce
Squeeze ripe tomato seeds into jar with pulp, let ferment 3-5 days. Rinse thoroughly and dry on glass/paper. This removes germination inhibitors.
## Pest & Disease
Hornworms (hand-pick, Bt), early/late blight (crop rotation, avoid overhead watering), blossom end rot (calcium deficiency), cracks (consistent watering). Rotate 3 years.
## Harvest & Preservation
Pick firm and red. Store room temp 1-2 weeks. Slice and dry, freeze whole, or make sauce for canning.
## Companion Planting
### Good Companions
- **[[large-leaf-basil]], [[scarlett-nantes-carrot]], [[jalapeno-peppers]], [[butter-crunch-butterhead-lettuce]]** — Basil repels tomato hornworms
### Avoid Growing With
- **Brassicas (kale, brussels sprouts)** — Compete for nutrients, attract shared pests
- **Corn** — Both heavy feeders, attract earworm/tomato hornworm
### Part of: Mediterranean Bed
- See [[companion-planting]] for full combination details
## Related
- [[seedvault-market]]
- [[grow-guides]]
- [[seed-catalog]]