If you love making rich, thick pasta sauce or big batches of salsa, Roma is the tomato for you. The pear-shaped fruits are very meaty with few seeds. And the flavor is so good many chefs prefer Roma in salads. Plants are resistant to verticilium and fusarium wilt and require only minimal staking. Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before planting outdoors, sowing 2 seeds per pot or cell. Harden off seedlings by putting them outside during the day for 1 week before transplanting. Transplant seedlings to the garden 20-30 inches apart when nighttime temperatures remain above 55'F. Enrich the soil before planting outdoors. Use plastic mulch to retain heat in the soil.
Solanaceae Lycopersicon lycopersicum
These leathery, golden brown creatures are the larvae of the Click Beetle. They are most common on grassland, but can also be a problem in gardens (especially those newly created from grassland). They will eat the underground parts of most common vegetable crops, but are most often a problem with younger plants (they often kill seedlings).
Image: Frank Peairs, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org
