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Rio Grande Tomato Seeds | Determinate Variety, Meaty Fruits, Ideal for Hot Climates
Solanum lycopersicum
Listing is for 1 packet of 15 seeds
The Rio Grande determinate tomato is a reliable and heat-tolerant variety that thrives even in challenging garden conditions, making it an excellent choice for warm or tropical climates. Known for its thick, meaty flesh and balanced flavor, this tomato produces large, plum-shaped fruits that are perfect for sauces, salsas, and canning. Compact, uniform plants yield abundantly in a concentrated harvest window, allowing you to preserve or cook with plenty of tomatoes at once. The fruits hold up beautifully when cooked, creating rich, velvety sauces without excess water. For best results, plant in full sun, provide consistent moisture, and add light staking for support as the fruits ripen. Expect a generous harvest in about 75–80 days from transplanting.
Tomato Characteristics
Indeterminate
Color: Red
Flavor profile: savory
Average fruit size: plum, average is 4oz
Ideal Growing Conditions
Sun: Full sun
Water: Keep soil consistenly moist but not waterlogged
Fertilizer: Regular applications of an organic granular fertilizer, like Espoma Tomato-Tone greatly increase production. Please watch my YouTube video that explains my tomato fertilizer process and schedule: https://youtu.be/PHaXNGErTJ0
When To Sow Seeds: General guidelines recommend to start seeds indoors, 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost date. Hot climate (no snow areas), can also sow seeds indoors during the summer to transplant in the fall. Sow 2 seeds per 4 inch pot or solo cups with drainage holes cut out of the bottom, filled with sterile seed starting mix, cover with 1/4 inch of soil. Place over heat mats, use grow lights, and fertilize once the first set of true leaves appear to speed up growth.
Please watch my YouTube video on how to sow tomato seeds for complete instructions: https://youtu.be/imIFbCSuvBU
Please watch my YouTube video on how to transplant tomatoes into the garden: https://youtu.be/v0Di0vXnv9Y
Germination: 7-10 days
Days To Maturity: 80 days after transplanting
How & When To Harvest: harvest as early as when the bottom of the tomatoes start to blush in color or wait for more of the tomato to turn color while on the vine
Common Diseases: Tomatoes catch a ton of common leaf diseases caused by various pathogens that die when treated with hydrogen peroxide. If you notice powdery mildew, yellow spots, or black lesions on the stems, spray with 1 cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide per gallon of water to clean and disinfect. Repeat every 3 to 5 days until you notice the spread has stopped. If a lot of rain is expected, pre-treatment will help to prevent diseases. For severe leaf diseases use a stronger treatment like Monteray Disease Control.
Common Pests: The most common pest when growing tomatoes are aphids, mealy bugs, spider mites, and worms (like the tomato horn worm or army worms). All of these can be treated with spinosad.
Do I have a YouTube video tutorial on how to grow this? YES
Checkout my tomato playlist: https://tinyurl.com/2tsw4esz
Additional Tips/Information: N/A