Seeds, Tomato La Roma F1 (West Coast Seeds)

Wow! Exceptionally early heavy yields of nicely flavoured 85-113g (3-4oz.) Roma tomatoes on a vigorous and uniform plants.

Try La Roma in a greenhouse or under a cloche cover, and you'll get a huge haul of tomatoes that come in a fairly concentrated set. This is particularly nice for growers wanting to can their harvest. The plants do not get too large, so they work well in large containers.

Resistant to Fusarium wilt race 1; Fusarium wilt race 2; Verticillium wilt; and Tomato Mosaic virus.

Bush (determinate), Matures in 80 days. (hybrid seeds)

Exposure Full-sun

Timing
Start indoors in early spring over bottom heat. When seedlings germinate, remove from the heat and grow under bright lights. Grow seedlings on for 6-8 weeks at around 10°C (50°F). Early season tomatoes can be planted out once night time temperatures are reliably above 7°C (45°F) - or later. Other types should be transplanted out when night time lows are 10°C (50°F) or warmer - or later. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 25-35°C (68-95°F). With bottom heat seeds should germinate in 7-14 days.

Starting
Sow seeds 5mm-1cm (¼-½”) deep. Keep seedlings under very bright light to prevent legginess. You may have to pot on seedlings more than once before they go out to allow for root growth. Space bush (determinate) transplants 45-60cm (18-24″) apart and vine (indeterminate) types 50-75cm (20-30″) apart in rows 1m (3′) apart.

Companion Planting
Another sensitive plant when it comes to companions, tomatoes benefit from asparagus, basil, beans, borage, carrots, celery, chives, collards, cucumber, garlic, lettuce, marigold, mint, nasturtium, onion, parsley, and peppers. Avoid planting alongside Brassicas and dill. Corn will attract tomato pests, and kohlrabi will stunt tomatoes’ growth. Potatoes may spread blight to tomatoes, so keep them apart. Do no plant tomatoes near walnut trees.