Data specific to Tomatoes (Edit)
Heredity: Open Pollinated
Skin Color: Red
Flesh Color: Red
Fruit Shape: Flattened Globe
Fruit Size: Medium
Fruit Weight: 10 oz.
Leaf Type: Regular-Leaf
Tomato Plant Height: 6 feet
Best Uses: Slicing
Canning
Growth Mode: Indeterminate
Earliness: Mid-season
History: Originally developed at Rutgers U. for canning industry
Country: USA

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Vine
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Water Preferences: Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 11 +4.4 °C (40 °F) to +7.2 °C (50 °F)
Plant Height: Varies greatly by species and cultivated variety.
Plant Spread: Varies greatly by species and cultivated variety.
Leaves: Other: Varies greatly by species and cultivated variety.
Fruit: Showy
Edible to birds
Fruiting Time: Other: Varies greatly by species and cultivated variety.
Flower Color: Yellow
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Other: Varies greatly by species and cultivated variety.
Uses: Vegetable
Suitable as Annual
Edible Parts: Fruit
Eating Methods: Raw
Cooked
Resistances: Rabbit Resistant
Toxicity: Leaves are poisonous
Roots are poisonous
Propagation: Seeds: Self fertile
Other info: Direct sowing into the garden not recommended. Sow seeds into sterile seed starting mix, 1/8"-1/4" deep, indoors, 6-8 weeks prior to last expected frost date. Optimal germination occurs in 7-14 days with constant moisture and soil temperatures of 75-90F.
Propagation: Other methods: Cuttings: Stem
Pollinators: Self
Various insects
Containers: Preferred depth: Some tomato varieties, primarily dwarf and determinate varieties, are suitable for container gardening. Large, vining, indeterminate types can be grown in 5 gallon or larger containers but may require extra attention.
Child plants: one child plant

Victory Seed Company sells seeds of 'Rutgers'.

Image
Common names
  • Tomato
Botanical names
  • Accepted: Solanum lycopersicum
  • Synonym: Lycopersicon lycopersicum

Photo Gallery
Location: Long Island, NY 
Date: 2015-08-02
first rutgers fruits of this year
Location: Long Island, NY 
Date: 2013-09-11
Location: Long Island, NY 
Date: 2015-08-06
Green and ripe fruit.
Location: Long Island, NY 
Date: 2015-08-15
This harvest was mostly smaller fruit.
Uploaded by DavidofDeLand
Location: Long Island, NY 
Date: 2015-08-06
Also fruit on the vine.
Location: La Crescenta, CA
Date: 2017-06-30
Location: Long Island, NY 
Date: 2015-08-18
Location: zone 8 North Central, Fl.
Date: 2016-11-19
Location: Long Island, NY 
Date: 2015-08-05
Six pack of seedlings from the nursery.
Location: Long Island, NY 
Date: 2015-08-06
A row of Rutgers.
Location: zone 8 North Central, Fl.
Date: 2016-08-20
Location: Long Island, NY 
Date: 2013-09-02
Location: Long Island, NY 
Date: 2013-09-02
Location: Long Island, NY 
Date: 2013-09-02

 Photo Courtesy of Select Seeds. Used with permission.
  • Uploaded by Joy
This plant is tagged in:
Image Image

Comments:
  • Posted by Ispahan (Chicago - Zone 6a) on Nov 7, 2011 12:18 PM concerning plant:
    One of my family's favorite tomatoes, Rutgers is a reliable garden stalwart that is useful for canning, slicing, cooking, and fresh eating. It always manages to produce a good crop no matter what weather extremities are thrown at it.
  • Posted by Claudia (Greencastle IN - Zone 5b) on Aug 24, 2014 6:55 PM concerning plant:
    After reading about Rutgers for years, I finally bought seeds this past winter. I grew and planted 4 Rutgers plants. They are very sturdy plants with good thick stems.They have outproduced my Early Girl and Big Beef hybrids. This tomato is producing nice tennis-ball-size fruit and some larger. We eat all of our tomatoes fresh. This a perfect tomato for slicing. Rutgers will now be a must-have in my garden.
  • Posted by dave (Southlake, Texas - Zone 8a) on Feb 28, 2014 12:21 PM concerning plant:
    Introduced during the "between the wars" period, Rutgers was ideal for industrial uses. For many years it was the standard tomato for many New Jersey processors, including Campbell's soup.

    We like it. It's simple, reliable and tastes fine. Most years we'll grow a row of Rutgers to add bulk to our tomato sauce making.
  • Posted by Newyorkrita (North Shore, Long Island, NY ) on Sep 2, 2013 10:05 PM concerning plant:
    I decided to grow the Rutgers tomatoes for the first time this year as I had read that this is a good all around variety. Mostly I eat my tomatoes fresh but if I cook sauce then I just use whatever variety I have ripe in my garden at the time. So an all around tomato would be very useful to grow. Nice fruits with good taste and plants with no disease problems.
  • Posted by brerabbit on Aug 19, 2018 8:31 AM concerning plant:
    I have planted Rutgers tomatoes and the vines are growing vigorously to a height of 5-6 feet but I am getting very little produce. Does anyone have any idea why this is happening?
Plant Events from our members
abhege On February 19, 2015 Potted up
flaflwrgrl On August 13, 2016 Seeds germinated
Sprouting!
flaflwrgrl On August 9, 2016 Seeds sown
antsinmypants On May 25, 2021 Transplanted
Into Garden two
antsinmypants On April 12, 2021 Plant emerged
2
antsinmypants On April 7, 2021 Seeds sown
Indoors under lights
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