- Heirloom
- Slicer
- 75 (estimated) days to maturity (from transplant)
- Indeterminate
- Red
Rutgers
Heirloom slicer from USA, 1934. The 1934 New Jersey canning tomato, its juice placed by its breeder between the sweet Marglobe and the tart J.T.D. Ready in about 75 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Sep 9, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Fruit type
- Slicer 6–8 oz (170–230 g) · Flattened globe (estimated)
- Leaf type
- Regular leaf
- Days to harvest
- 75 days (estimated) from transplant · Midseason
- Plant height
- 6–7 ft (180–210 cm) (estimated) Tall
- 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
Tall · Indeterminate
6–7 ft (180–210 cm) (estimated) · Regular leaf
Rutgers is an indeterminate plant that keeps growing and setting fruit until frost; it needs a stake, cage, or trellis for the whole season. Expect a plant of 6–7 ft (180–210 cm).
Flavor
“The 1934 New Jersey canning tomato, its juice placed by its breeder between the sweet Marglobe and the tart J.T.D.”
Growing calendar
75 (estimated) days from transplant Midseason
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
- F1 Fusarium wilt (race 1)
Uses & tags
- Canning
- Sauce & paste
- Slicing
- Heirloom classic
- Sauce workhorse
- High yield
Origin
Rutgers was released in 1934 by Lyman Schermerhorn at the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, from a cross of Marglobe and J.T.D. made at the Campbell Soup Company in 1928 and bred for the state's canning industry. Schermerhorn described its juice as sitting between the sweet Marglobe and the tart J.T.D., and the fruit ripens from the centre outward so a red skin means red flesh. His announcement credited the juice with a medium-high sugar content and low acidity. Many named strains followed, among them Rutgers Improved, Rutgers VF and Rutgers Select, and seed sold today is usually one of these rather than the 1934 original.
Sources
- Rutgers, Tatiana's TOMATOBase (infobox: midseason, indet., regular leaf, red, oblate, medium, canner/slicer, commercial heirloom, USA; Marglobe x J.T.D.; separate pages for Improved, VF, Select strains) ↗
- The Historic Rutgers Tomato Gets Re-invented, NJAES Newsroom, 2016 (introduced 1934 by Lyman Schermerhorn; cross made at Campbell Soup 1928; parents J.T.D. and Marglobe) ↗
- Rutgers Tomato, Burpee (74 days, indeterminate, 80 in, 6 oz, Fusarium resistance) ↗
Where to buy seeds
Prices rechecked dailyAll photos
Questions
How do you grow a Rutgers plant?
A Rutgers plant grows 6–7 ft (180–210 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 Rutgers take to mature?
Rutgers is ready in about 75 days from transplant.
Does Rutgers need staking?
Rutgers is an indeterminate plant that keeps growing and setting fruit until frost; it needs a stake, cage, or trellis for the whole season. Expect a plant of 6–7 ft (180–210 cm).
Can Rutgers be grown in a container?
Yes — Rutgers grows well in a container of at least 25 L (6 gal).
Is Rutgers resistant to disease?
Rutgers carries documented resistance to Fusarium wilt (race 1).
