Days to Maturity: 105 to 110; 70 to 80 transplant
Indeterminate
All-America Selections (AAS) Winner 2023
Zenzei F1, a Roma tomato, is grown as a fruit vegetable. The plant sets uniformly shaped, oblong, 4- to 5-inch fruits that weigh 3- to 8-ounces. The fleshy fruits are very meaty and flavorful, with a good Roma flavor, perfect for eating fresh or cooked or for canning and freezing. Tomatoes are considered a superfood for their nutrient rich content, having a high (top 20) Aggregate Nutrient Density Index score (ANDI), or micronutrient-per-calorie density. Tomatoes are a good source of vitamin C and provide vitamin A and potassium. They also contain carotenoid lycopene, beta-carotene, phenolic acids, and flavonoids.
Typically grown as an annual, Zenzei, an herbaceous tender perennial, is a member of the nightshade family (Solanaceae), which contains plants that typically grow in temperate to tropical regions. A vigorous, multi-cluster, indeterminate variety, often called a "vining" tomato, Zenzei requires staking or caging for support. Great for smaller gardens, the bushy plant is compact, only growing to around 72 inches long. Blossoms and fruit continue to develop as the vine grows, so, it bears an impressive amount of fruit over the course of a season, between 30 and 50 tomatoes per plant.
Roma tomato grows best in sunny locations with moist, humusy, deep, fertile loams. Zenzei is self-pollinating, so it will bear fruit without pollen from other varieties.
A warm-season vegetable, sensitive to cold temperatures and frost, tomato seed should be direct sown into warm spring soil after all threat of frost has passed. Seeds can also be started indoors about 8 weeks before transplanting to the garden. Flowers begin to set fruit with night temperatures between 55° and 75°F. Protect plants with row covers if temperatures are expected to dip below 50°F. Mulching helps to moderate soil temperature and to maintain soil moisture.
If you plan to start your seeds indoors, be sure to check out our Bio Dome Seed Starter Kit. With the Bio Dome, you can control the temperature, light, and soil mix to ensure your seeds become strong for transplant.
