Plant Finder

Moana Nursery High Desert Plant Finder & Guide

Group/Class:  Plum - Determinate

Description:

Heat tolerant and disease resistant, this variety produces high yields of deep red Roma tomatoes; thick, meaty and flavorful, a perfect selection for sauces, paste, ketchup and soups; superb canning and freezing selection; good for home and market gardens

Edible Qualities

Viva Italia Tomato is an annual vegetable plant that is commonly grown for its edible qualities. It produces red oblong tomatoes (which are technically 'berries') with red flesh which are usually ready for picking from mid summer to early fall. This is a determinate variety, which means it bears a full crop all at once. The tomatoes have a delicious taste with a fleshy texture and a distinctive fragrance.

The tomatoes are most often used in the following ways:

• Fresh Eating
• Eating When Cooked/Prepared
• Cooking
• Canning
• Sauces

Planting & Growing

Viva Italia Tomato will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. When planted in rows, individual plants should be spaced approximately 24 inches apart. Because of its vigorous growth habit, it may require staking or supplemental support. This fast-growing vegetable plant is an annual, which means that it will grow for one season in your garden and then die after producing a crop.

This plant can be difficult to integrate into a landscape or flower garden, and is best grown in a designated vegetable garden. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. This plant is a heavy feeder that requires frequent fertilizing throughout the growing season to perform at its best. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone over the growing season to conserve soil moisture. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America, and it is considered by many to be an heirloom variety.

Viva Italia Tomato is a good choice for the vegetable garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.