Tomato, Speckled Roman

Speckled Roman is a paste tomato with gorgeous red and gold stripes and meaty flesh perfect for sauce. The elongated fruits have few seeds and the unusual coloring makes them stunning in the garden.

Tomato: Homegrown tomatoes are the undisputed crown jewel of the summer garden, completely redefining what this vegetable can taste like. Everything from cherry-sized sweets to beefsteak slicers. Choose determinate varieties for compact growth and simultaneous ripening for canning, or indeterminate types that climb 6-8 feet and produce continuously until frost. Check out heirloom varieties for complex, wild flavors and diverse colors—purple, striped, black, yellow—while hybrids tend to offer reliablemore production and disease resistance.

• Growing Tips: Transplant 1-2 weeks after the last frost when soil reaches 60°F, spacing 24-36 inches apart; bury the stem deeply to promote more root development; provide support trellises (cages or stakes).

• Sun Requirements: Full sun (8+ hours is required for best production).

• Preferred Soil: Rich, well-drained soil with consistent moisture and high phosphorus; these are heavy feeders requiring a regular fertilization program.

• Harvest Details: Pick when fruits are fully colored and slightly soft to the touch, typically 60-85 days after transplanting; flavor peaks when vine-ripened; harvest regularly to encourage continued production.