Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Growing in Greenhouses & Polytunnels => Topic started by: JayG on July 22, 2017, 09:50

Title: Anyone else growing Roma VF plum tomatoes?
Post by: JayG on July 22, 2017, 09:50
First time in the GH with these - am growing them as per instructions as determinate (bush) plants, and so far there is a great deal of lush foliage, not that many flowers, and only one actual tomato. The other tomatoes are cordons (Sweet Million and Gardener's Delight) and are all producing well, although only a few ripe ones so far.

Are Roma a bit 'later' than other types, because I'm starting to think that the 'VF' stands for 'very foliagy'?!
Title: Re: Anyone else growing Roma VF plum tomatoes?
Post by: AlaninCarlisle on July 22, 2017, 10:24
Having similar problems here. Looks like being a very low yield compared to Shirley, Moneymaker and etc grown as cordons
Title: Re: Anyone else growing Roma VF plum tomatoes?
Post by: Lardman on July 22, 2017, 20:28
Are Roma a bit 'later' than other types, because I'm starting to think that the 'VF' stands for 'very foliagy'?!

Most of the plum types I've tried in the GH were very much like that - roma VF included. They're late, put on huge amounts of green for just a few fruit and all ripen at the same time.  I had a little more success with them outside, smaller plants etc but being late many got caught with blight before ripening.
Title: Re: Anyone else growing Roma VF plum tomatoes?
Post by: Sparkyrog on July 22, 2017, 23:01
Roma are a cooking tom ,so can be late ! A better alternative is San Marzano ,tends to crop heavier and has a real nice Italian flavour .
Title: Re: Anyone else growing Roma VF plum tomatoes?
Post by: JayG on July 23, 2017, 08:12
Thanks for the replies. I have grown Inca F1 plum tomatoes in the GH in previous years, and got a decent crop despite them having a slight tendency to develop BER unless I took great care with watering.

The lack of fruit on the Roma only became obvious when I started thinning out the jungle of leaves - not much else I can do than be patient and hope they eventually decide to deliver the goods, although it's not helpful when at least one website describes it as a cordon type!

http://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/tomato-seeds-roma-vf-seeds-plum-cordon-pid9356.html
Title: Re: Anyone else growing Roma VF plum tomatoes?
Post by: lettice on July 23, 2017, 09:13
I've grown Roma in the past, they grow fine without problems but the yield per plant is not that great.
I grow San Marzano, which produces a very high yield and they make the best tasting tomato for cooking, sauces and paste.
I always grow mine outside alongside my Marmande in pots.
Title: Re: Anyone else growing Roma VF plum tomatoes?
Post by: compostqueen on July 23, 2017, 12:04
I have Roma on the go and San Marz. Some good results so far. The SAns are big and the Roma seem plentiful to me
I have been eating the Roma for over a week.  I grow the Roma as the seeds come free with the KG mag
Growing St Pierre and Tigerella too  :tongue2:  The tigerella were first to ripen but last to be sown, so quite pleased with that    :D
Title: Re: Anyone else growing Roma VF plum tomatoes?
Post by: grinling on July 29, 2017, 20:53
I've grown them as a cordon, didn't know not to, and got lots.
Weather this year has had a knock on affect for the tomatoes
Title: Re: Anyone else growing Roma VF plum tomatoes?
Post by: Chrysalis on July 30, 2017, 16:57
I'm with compostqueen!  Lots of fruit as well as greenery.  Roma and San Marzano.  Yum.  Best year for ages.  Using those watering pots for growbags, but on top of and bedded into the soil.  Really easy to feed and water.  Cucumber and pepper ditto.

I gave them a tough time early on to make the plants strong and it seems to have worked.  The Roma are later than the SM, but cropping well now.
Title: Re: Anyone else growing Roma VF plum tomatoes?
Post by: Digger the Dog on August 14, 2017, 04:37
10 Roma in pots in the GH, new compost and all planted at the same time and size. Only one plant has any tomatoes

Title: Re: Anyone else growing Roma VF plum tomatoes?
Post by: Digger the Dog on August 14, 2017, 18:08
Just to add - our packet of seed came from Country Value of Newmarket
Title: Re: Anyone else growing Roma VF plum tomatoes?
Post by: AlaninCarlisle on August 14, 2017, 21:06
Much lower yield than my regular Moneymaker, Alicante and Shirley plants. Messy to grow too as they aren't cordon types. Slightly different taste but nothing to make me grow them again
Title: Re: Anyone else growing Roma VF plum tomatoes?
Post by: LILLILEAF on August 15, 2017, 05:53
Luckily i only grew 2 roma plants,both of which grew blind,1 had 1 tomato and the other has about 5,they had very good foliage.I will not be doing these again poor result.
All the other plants of which i have grown 5 different types,have done much better.
Title: Re: Anyone else growing Roma VF plum tomatoes?
Post by: Digger the Dog on August 15, 2017, 09:46
So going on from this, Roma are supposed to be the best tomato for bottling/canning?

So, if not Roma, what should I use as a variety?
Title: Re: Anyone else growing Roma VF plum tomatoes?
Post by: mumofstig on August 15, 2017, 12:03
So going on from this, Roma are supposed to be the best tomato for bottling/canning?

I think you'll find that all the tinned tomatoes you buy are San Marzano, a cordon type, but it's difficult to grow them outside, but with sufficient watering you can grow them in a greenhouse or polytunnel.
Others to try are Rio Grande (seeds of Italy) shorter bushier growing and Andine Cornue (aka Cornue des Andes)
another tall cordon tomato.
Others will have their own favourites  :D
Title: Re: Anyone else growing Roma VF plum tomatoes?
Post by: JayG on August 15, 2017, 14:44
Over 3 weeks since my original post, and still only about half a dozen unripe fruits between the two plants, although there are still plenty of flowers (and of course, foliage!  ::))

I'll definitely be looking out for a different cooking/sauce tomato next year, because even if the Roma VF deliver, it's going to be perilously late for them to ripen (conditions haven't been that bad this year.)
Title: Re: Anyone else growing Roma VF plum tomatoes?
Post by: mumofstig on August 15, 2017, 16:03
I think most of the plum tomatoes are notoriously late to ripen, that's why I grow Kibits (a small bush) as it reliably ripens its first flush early in August and then you usually get more fruit later.

The smaller fruited tomatoes start much earlier, as you know from Red Alert  ;)
Title: Re: Anyone else growing Roma VF plum tomatoes?
Post by: Chrysalis on August 15, 2017, 20:38
Mine are still going really well!  Bob Flowerdew said to pick toms when they're orange and ripen them indoors, to encourage more fruits to set.  Worked for me this year. San Marzano doing excellently.
Picking a couple of pounds most days from 7 plants.
Title: Re: Anyone else growing Roma VF plum tomatoes?
Post by: JayG on September 20, 2017, 08:43
2 months since I started this thread, and incredibly not that much has changed - probably had 3 ripe fruits from the two plants, which are still healthy, green, and flowering, but the dozen or so other fruits the plants have reluctantly produced remain obstinately green, as they have been for at least a month.

Almost tempted to try to grow them as cordons next year to see if they fare any better, but will probably jump ship and change to one of the other plum varieties suggested in this thread and elsewhere on the forums.
Title: Re: Anyone else growing Roma VF plum tomatoes?
Post by: grinling on September 21, 2017, 16:01
I only grow as cordon and got quit a few from mine, some still green.
Title: Re: Anyone else growing Roma VF plum tomatoes?
Post by: Chrysalis on September 21, 2017, 17:23
Sorry Jay,

Mine are still going strong. Picking a few pounds most days.  Best crop in years.... :tongue2:
Title: Re: Anyone else growing Roma VF plum tomatoes?
Post by: Lardman on September 22, 2017, 12:32
... but will probably jump ship and change to one of the other plum varieties suggested in this thread and elsewhere on the forums.

If it hadn't have been for the blight getting into the top GH I'd have managed a reasonable crop of rio grande this year. Good sized, 1 per sandwich and very meaty - flavour was ok but nothing to get overly excited about. 

ML has requested them again next year so I'll be trying an earlier sowing to avoid blight and perhaps 2' spacing or even a double cordon.  They're worth a try if you really want a plum tom.
Title: Re: Anyone else growing Roma VF plum tomatoes?
Post by: jezza on September 23, 2017, 21:12
hi have had 60 roma tomatoes off 2 plants grown in green house as bushes jezza
Title: Re: Anyone else growing Roma VF plum tomatoes?
Post by: JayG on November 11, 2017, 12:50
The two plants have finally succumbed to the cold after what was undoubtedly a very long growing season!  ::)

I had noticed that of the 20-ish fruits I had, all but one were from just one plant - weird, especially as they were growing next to each other, treated exactly the same, and even seemed to flower the same.

Most of the fruits were ripened indoors, and a few rotted instead of ripening.  :nowink:

Don't like not being able to work out what went wrong, but a single 8X6 GH is not big enough to experiment in, so I'll just file it as 'unexplained' and try something different next year.

Thanks for all your comments.