Rutgers
Open-pollinated tomato · Solanum lycopersicum · introduced 1934
- Breeding
- Open-pollinated
- Growth habit
- Semi-Determinate
- Days to maturity
- 74-80 days
- Fruit
- red, medium
- Weight
- 6-8 oz
- Bred by
- Rutgers NJAES
Origin & history
Bred at the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station from a Campbell Soup selection and released in 1934, Rutgers became the mid-century American tomato, by some accounts the majority of U.S. processing acreage before hybrids took over. Rutgers 250, a re-selection from original breeding lines, marked the university's 250th anniversary in 2016.
Measurements
| Measurement | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Days to maturity | 74-80 days | Consensus range across the cited sources, which include both independent references and commercial catalogs. |
| Fruit weight | 6-8 oz | Typical range for the cultivar, as a consensus across the cited sources. Not a measured mean from any single crop: fruit weight varies with season, spacing and where on the plant the fruit set. |
Traits
Disease resistance
No documented disease resistance, typical of heirlooms and older open-pollinated varieties. See tomato diseases for the cultural playbook that fills the gap.
Related varieties
- open-pollinated
Ace 55
75-80 days · Determinate
- heirloom
Bonny Best
70-75 days · Indeterminate
- open-pollinated
Box Car Willie
78-82 days · Indeterminate
- open-pollinated
Homestead 24
78-82 days · Semi-Determinate
- open-pollinated
Marglobe
73-77 days · Determinate
- heirloom
Marmande
70-78 days · Semi-Determinate
Explore all tomato varieties · compare any two · when to plant it where you are
Sources & References
Evidence: 3 sources, including 2 independent references.
- Rutgers 250 tomato re-release · Rutgers NJAES (2016), University or Government
- Victory Seeds variety histories · Victory Seed Company, Seed Catalog
- Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners · Cornell University Cooperative Extension, University or Government