- Open-pollinated
- Plum
- 78 (estimated) days to maturity (from transplant)
- Determinate
- Red
Rio Grande
Open-pollinated plum from Italy. Heat-tolerant determinate paste tomato that ripens as one concentrated canning crop. Ready in about 78 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Sep 9, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Fruit type
- Plum 3–5 oz (90–140 g) · Oval (estimated)
- Leaf type
- Regular leaf
- Days to harvest
- 78 days (estimated) from transplant · Mid-late
- Plant height
- 3–4 ft (90–120 cm) (estimated) Medium height
- Spacing
- 18 × 35 in (45 × 90 cm) (estimated)
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Position
- Handles open positions
- Growing sites
- Greenhouse · Polytunnel · Open ground · Container
- Container growing
- Balcony friendly min. 6 gal (25 L) pot (estimated)
- Difficulty
- Moderate (estimated) 3/5
- Skin
-
- Red
- Interior
-
- Red
Plant size and habit
Medium height · Determinate
3–4 ft (90–120 cm) (estimated) · Regular leaf
Rio Grande is a determinate plant that stops growing at a set height and ripens most of its crop in one concentrated window; a cage is usually enough support. Expect a plant of 3–4 ft (90–120 cm).
Flavor
“Heat-tolerant determinate paste tomato that ripens as one concentrated canning crop.”
Growing calendar
78 (estimated) days from transplant Mid-late
Timing shown for temperate climates; sow indoors 6–8 (estimated) weeks before your last frost date. Look up your last frost date by ZIP code →
Disease resistance
- V Verticillium wilt
- F1 Fusarium wilt (race 1)
Uses & tags
- Sauce & paste
- Canning
- Drying
- Roasting
- Sauce workhorse
- High yield
- Hot climate
- Beginner friendly
Origin
Rio Grande is a determinate processing tomato of Italian origin, held by the USDA as NSL 300552 since 1994, bred for hot climates where many paste varieties drop their flowers before setting. It ripens as a concentrated crop suited to a single canning session rather than a trickle across the season.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
Prices rechecked dailyAll photos
Questions
How do you grow a Rio Grande plant?
A Rio Grande plant grows 3–4 ft (90–120 cm) tall (estimated). Space plants 18 in (45 cm) apart in rows 35 in (90 cm) apart (estimated). Start seed indoors 6–8 weeks before your last frost (estimated); it germinates in 7–14 days (estimated). It needs full sun.
How long does Rio Grande take to mature?
Rio Grande is ready in about 78 days from transplant.
Does Rio Grande need staking?
Rio Grande is a determinate plant that stops growing at a set height and ripens most of its crop in one concentrated window; a cage is usually enough support. Expect a plant of 3–4 ft (90–120 cm).
Can Rio Grande be grown in a container?
Yes — Rio Grande grows well in a container of at least 25 L (6 gal).
Is Rio Grande resistant to disease?
Rio Grande carries documented resistance to Verticillium wilt and Fusarium wilt (race 1).
