Italian Roma, Heirloom Tomato Seeds

Italian Roma, Heirloom Tomato Seeds — The Classic Italian Paste and Canning Tomato, Up to 200 Fruits Per Plant, Meaty Thick-Walled Plum-Shaped Fruits, Determinate, 70–80 Days

Italian Roma (Solanum lycopersicum) is the tomato that built a culinary tradition. One of the most productive and trusted paste tomatoes in the world, Roma produces firm, meaty, oblong plum-shaped fruits 3–6 inches long with thick walls, a small seed cavity, very few seeds, and rich, concentrated tomato flavor developed over generations of Italian kitchen gardening. Compact determinate plants are extraordinarily productive — up to 200 fruits per plant — ripening in a concentrated window that is ideal for canning, sauce making, and freezing in large batches. The definitive home canning tomato. 70–80 days from transplant.

Why Grow Italian Roma?

• Up to 200 fruits per plant — extraordinary productivity from compact determinate plants
• Thick-walled, meaty flesh — small seed cavity, few seeds, low moisture content; ideal for sauce and canning
• 3–6 inch plum-shaped fruits — easy to peel, minimal waste, excellent for whole canning
• Concentrated ripening window — determinate habit means fruits ripen together, perfect for processing large batches
• Rich, full Italian heirloom flavor — deep tomato taste that intensifies when cooked down into sauce
• Container-friendly — compact bush habit works in large pots and raised beds
• Open-pollinated heirloom — save seed year after year

In the Kitchen

Roma is the workhorse of the Italian kitchen. Cook down into classic marinara or simple pomodoro sauce — the low moisture and thick walls mean faster cooking with less simmering time than slicing tomatoes. Can be used whole in water or crushed for year-round use. Freeze whole after blanching for easy winter cooking. Make tomato paste by roasting halved fruits in the oven until reduced. Slice thin and dry in the oven or a dehydrator for sun-dried tomatoes preserved in olive oil. Use as a pizza sauce base. Roast halves with garlic, olive oil, and thyme for a rich, concentrated oven-roasted sauce. At peak ripeness, Roma is also excellent eaten fresh — thick, meaty slices on bruschetta or in caprese.

Peeling Tip

To peel easily for canning or sauce: score an X on the bottom of each fruit, blanch in boiling water for 30–60 seconds, then transfer immediately to an ice bath. The skin slips off cleanly. Roma's firm flesh holds up perfectly through this process with minimal waste.

Growing Notes

Start 6–8 weeks before last frost indoors. Sow ¼–½ inch deep at 70–85°F for germination in 5–10 days. Transplant outdoors after frost when soil is consistently warm — cold soil stunts tomatoes. Bury the stem deep at transplant — tomatoes root along buried stems for a stronger, more drought-resistant plant. Space 18–24 inches apart in full sun. Cage or stake — determinate, but plants carry heavy fruit loads. Water deeply and consistently — inconsistent moisture causes blossom end rot and cracking; mulch heavily to maintain even soil moisture. Fertilize at transplant and again at first fruit set with a phosphorus and calcium-rich fertilizer to prevent blossom end rot. Harvest when fully red and firm. Determinate plants ripen the crop in a concentrated window — plan your canning sessions accordingly.

Pest & Disease Notes

Watch for hornworms, aphids, and whiteflies. Rotate tomatoes with non-solanaceous crops annually. Remove lower leaves to improve airflow and reduce soil-splash disease. Mulch heavily to protect against soil-borne pathogens.

Packed and shipped by Box Garden Seeds LLC — heirloom seeds grown without GMOs, selected for flavor, resilience, and your garden's success.