Rio Grande

greenthumbomaha · February 8, 2016

Possibly the same as Roma Rio Grande in an old thread. Spotted on the (yellow packet) American Seed rack at Wally World. I haven't seen much discussion on this variety.

Tatiana has it described as having good disease resistance, which I'm sure a few of us would welcome after last year. Its a determinate canner, with good productivity and flavor. Can anyone better describe its approximate size and its production over the season. If it' short enough maybe I can hide between some tall annuals or something where the neighbors can't see it out front.

-Lisa

Father'sDaughter · February 8, 2016

I grew it a couple of year ago in a five gallon grow bag. I'd say it was about three feet tall. The tomatoes were about 2 1/2 ounce plums that were very dense almost to the point of being hard even when fully ripe. I harvested about 4 pounds off of one plant.

I much preferred Heidi which had a similar growth habit and similar fruit size, but a higher yield. And while Heidi also had very dense fruit, they were softer when ripe.

Again, these were my results when growing in a five gallon container, so I have no idea if they would have gotten larger and/or produced more if grown in ground.

greenthumbomaha · February 8, 2016

That's odd, I've never really observed a tomato being hard unless it wasn't ripe. I wonder if it was something environmental or what genetic trait that might be and what other tomatoes share it. Do you remember if Rio Grande continued to be a good producer after the first flush?

In the stock photo they do look very dense in growth which is pretty typical of romas for me. Your yield is pretty similar to what I read in another review. That grower said they got 4 quarts of sauce per plant. I haven't researched Heidi, and I don't remember if I have it in my seed stash - a lot of people on here have also recommended it . It's the disease resistance mentioned at tatiana's that stood out in Rio Grande. I had many yucky "issues" from a wet spring last year and thought this might be a good insurance policy.

- Lisa

OzoneNY · February 9, 2016

I have Rio Grande this year for the first time. I was told it is somewhat tolerant of TX summer. Will see

TomNJ · February 9, 2016

I grew them about 10 years ago for two seasons. My recollection is they were very productive and very hard - I referred to them as "bullets".

TomNJVA

Father'sDaughter · February 9, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomNJ

I grew them about 10 years ago for two seasons. My recollection is they were very productive and very hard - I referred to them as "bullets".

TomNJVA

Yes, bullets would be a good description.

And I only had a single round of fruit set here before the season ended.

meandtk · February 9, 2016

I have a few of these started, though germination is slow.
Are these useful for sauce making?

OzoneNY · February 9, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by meandtk

I have a few of these started, though germination is slow.
Are these useful for sauce making?

This is why I am growing them this year. Try them out for taste and to see how they tolerate TX summer

meandtk · February 9, 2016

Considering the heat and humidity we have in South MS, perhaps we should compare notes at the end of the season.

Fusion_power · February 9, 2016

Rio Grande is derived from a cross with a wild species which is where the disease tolerance came from. It also inherited genes to produce a "suture line" from the stem down around the tomato. You will see this if you grow them. They were selected specifically as a firm canning and dicing tomato though they work reasonably well for sauce. If you like to make salsa, Rio Grande is a very good tomato for the purpose for just the traits being discussed. Typical production is about 20 pounds per plant in ground and with reasonable care. Rio Grande taught me to appreciate a firm tomato!

I do however agree with comments above that Heidi is a better variety for most growers.

OzoneNY · February 10, 2016

I have the Heidi seeds. Just didnt have room so I flipped a coin. Next year I will sow them. Meanwhile I should have some Rio Grande to mess with.

Gardeneer · February 10, 2016

I use tomatoes mostly cooked. Some sliced on sandwich and in salads / salsa.
One of my favorite way is to put them on the grill or roast them in the oven.
So Rio Grande sounded good in theory. But in my garden it did very poorly. It was disappointing.

Fusion_power · February 11, 2016

Gardeneer, you are in the wrong climate. Rio Grande needs a bit of heat and it needs to be grown somewhere that late blight is not so pernicious.

February 8, 2016	#1
greenthumbomaha Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Omaha Zone 5 Posts: 2,514	Rio Grande Possibly the same as Roma Rio Grande in an old thread. Spotted on the (yellow packet) American Seed rack at Wally World. I haven't seen much discussion on this variety. Tatiana has it described as having good disease resistance, which I'm sure a few of us would welcome after last year. Its a determinate canner, with good productivity and flavor. Can anyone better describe its approximate size and its production over the season. If it' short enough maybe I can hide between some tall annuals or something where the neighbors can't see it out front. -Lisa

February 8, 2016	#2
Father'sDaughter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: MA/NH Border Posts: 4,919	I grew it a couple of year ago in a five gallon grow bag. I'd say it was about three feet tall. The tomatoes were about 2 1/2 ounce plums that were very dense almost to the point of being hard even when fully ripe. I harvested about 4 pounds off of one plant. I much preferred Heidi which had a similar growth habit and similar fruit size, but a higher yield. And while Heidi also had very dense fruit, they were softer when ripe. Again, these were my results when growing in a five gallon container, so I have no idea if they would have gotten larger and/or produced more if grown in ground.

February 9, 2016	#4
OzoneNY Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Frisco Texas Posts: 390	I have Rio Grande this year for the first time. I was told it is somewhat tolerant of TX summer. Will see

February 9, 2016	#5
TomNJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: Floyd VA Posts: 771	I grew them about 10 years ago for two seasons. My recollection is they were very productive and very hard - I referred to them as "bullets". TomNJVA

February 9, 2016	#7
meandtk Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: South MS Posts: 47	I have a few of these started, though germination is slow. Are these useful for sauce making?

February 9, 2016	#10
Fusion_power Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,250	Rio Grande is derived from a cross with a wild species which is where the disease tolerance came from. It also inherited genes to produce a "suture line" from the stem down around the tomato. You will see this if you grow them. They were selected specifically as a firm canning and dicing tomato though they work reasonably well for sauce. If you like to make salsa, Rio Grande is a very good tomato for the purpose for just the traits being discussed. Typical production is about 20 pounds per plant in ground and with reasonable care. Rio Grande taught me to appreciate a firm tomato! I do however agree with comments above that Heidi is a better variety for most growers.

February 10, 2016	#11
OzoneNY Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Frisco Texas Posts: 390	I have the Heidi seeds. Just didnt have room so I flipped a coin. Next year I will sow them. Meanwhile I should have some Rio Grande to mess with.

February 10, 2016	#12
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,919	I use tomatoes mostly cooked. Some sliced on sandwich and in salads / salsa. One of my favorite way is to put them on the grill or roast them in the oven. So Rio Grande sounded good in theory. But in my garden it did very poorly. It was disappointing.

February 11, 2016	#13
Fusion_power Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,250	Gardeneer, you are in the wrong climate. Rio Grande needs a bit of heat and it needs to be grown somewhere that late blight is not so pernicious.