Tomato 'Rutgers'

Prone to catfacing & cracking.

A full sun position will ensure your plant thrives and remember to water moderately. Keep in mind when planting that Rutgers is thought of as tender, so it is imperative to wait until temperatures are mild before planting out of doors. Ensure your soil is loamy and has a ph of between 5.0 and 6.0 as Tomato is a moderately acidic soil to weakly acidic soil loving plant.

Start seeds indoors six weeks before last frost date.

Ensure a distance of 2.60 feet (80.0 cm) between seeds when sowing - look to sow at a depth of approximately 0.78 inches (2.0 cm). Soil temperature should be kept higher than 12°C / 54°F to ensure good germination.

By our calculations, you should look at sowing Rutgers about 42 days before your last frost date.

Transplant out when around 15cm (6 inches) high.

Plant to first set of leaves to promote strong roots.

Ensure that temperatures are mild and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Rutgers is a tender plant.

This variety tends to be ready for harvesting by mid summer.

It was originally developed by a Rutgers University scientist named Lyman G. Schermerhorn in co-operation with the Campbell’s Soup Company in 1934. The Rutgers Tomato was developed by crossing Marglobe (see below) with a variety called JTD. As time went on, Rutgers became the most famous tomato worldwide and once made up over 70% of the tomatoes being processed in the United States. The Rutgers Tomato put the State of New Jersey on the map for tomato production which at one time was the leading state in tomato production (today that honor is held by California).

Of particular note, when NASA sent tomato seeds into space, the Rutger’s Tomato (supplied by Parks Seed Co.) was the variety they used in the Seeds In Space program.

Jersey