How to Grow Roma Tomatoes: The Complete Plant Guide

Tomatoes of any variety do best in full sun and well-drained soil, and Roma tomatoes are no different. Choose a site with at least six hours of sunshine daily; more is better. Heavy, compacted soil will interfere with root growth, therefore limiting plant size and productivity. Remember, the plant above ground directly reflects the plant below the soil surface. Tiny, spindly, struggling roots equal a struggling plant with little growth and poor fruiting.

Tomatoes enjoy soil with a high organic matter content. Work in some compost or aged manure before planting, but don’t go overboard with the nitrogen sources (like manure). Too much nitrogen in relation to other nutrients can cause an abundance of green, leafy growth but poor fruit set, which could reduce your harvest.

When to Plant Roma Tomatoes

Roma tomatoes (and all other tomatoes) are normally started indoors at home or in a greenhouse and transplanted outdoors once the weather and soil have warmed. While a few cool nights in spring won’t kill tomato seedlings, a late frost will. They won’t grow much until the soil has warmed, so wait a few weeks after your last frost date before planting tomatoes.

Of course, if you plant them in containers, you can bring them indoors as required until the weather warms. Even if you have a large garden, a few tomatoes in containers can yield an early taste of summer while you wait for the main crop.

How to Plant Romas

Roma tomatoes are easy to start from seed, but the trick is caring for them as young seedlings. Don’t expect a few tomato seeds in a yogurt cup in the kitchen window to yield the sort of bushy, vigorous tomatoes you see for sale in the garden center. They’ll need proper care to grow healthy.

When transplanting, space Roma tomato seedlings about 18-24” apart. If planting more than one row, leave room to walk between them when the plants mature. They’ll fill in quickly. 

To start them from seed:

• Start Roma tomato seeds indoors about 4-5 weeks before you wish to transplant them outdoors.
• Thin to one sprout per cell after seedlings are two inches tall. Snip extras with scissors to avoid disturbing the roots of the remaining young plant.
• Provide them with fertilizer, room to grow (pot up as they get larger), and plenty of light. A sunny window in the northern states rarely provides sufficient energy for tomato seedlings to grow fat and sassy.

When it’s time to transplant Romas:

• Work an inch-thick layer of compost into the soil.
• Loosen any pot-bound roots.
• Like any tomato, plant young Romas deep. Bury the stem most of the way up to the first set of true leaves. Deep planting encourages the rooting of Romas (and other tomatoes).

While Roma tomatoes are commonly categorized as bush tomatoes, that doesn’t mean they won’t benefit from a good trellis or staking system. As they fruit, they’ll get heavy at the tips of their branches and either break, flop over, or both. Set cages or trellis systems in the ground at planting time to avoid problems later.